Since ancient times, people have used various types of letters to share information with their own kind. Archaeologists have found such messages on clay tablets, pieces of birch bark, or on parchment. This is a clear confirmation that a person through writing has always tried to express his own thoughts and aspirations.
Definition of the term
One of the forms of communication between people using language constructs is speech activity. It represents some human efforts that are aimed at achieving a specific goal. At the same time, speech activity has such forms as speaking, reading, translating, writing, etc. All of them are means of communication between people.
Writing as a
type of speech activity is an auxiliary sign system. It is used to fix the sound language. But at the same time, writing is an independent communication system that has a number of functions inherent only to it. In addition to fixing speech activity, it provides humanity with the opportunity to absorb the knowledge of previous generations and expand the scope of communication. In other words, writing connects people when there is no possibility of direct communication in connection with their separation of time or space.
This term was interpreted somewhat differently by Russian literary language of the 18th century. In those days, the word "letter" in addition to a postal item with text on paper was also understood as a composition or work written by the authors. This interpretation was given to this term in connection with the significant influence of the Polish language on Russian, which took place at that time.
Today, the letter retains its main - information function. However, the list of methods for transmitting a particular message has expanded significantly. So, letters can be received today by e-mail, as well as using a variety of multimedia elements (pictures, audio or video clips).
Message Classification
Today, there are various types of letters. First of all, they are divided into paper, which are traditional, and electronic.
The first type of letters is correspondence of various nature, sealed in an envelope. Such messages go a long way from their sender to the addressee.
Different types of emails transmitted using modern means of communication (via e-mail, chat, video, etc.), in essence, do not differ from traditional ones. They, like their predecessors, have the address of the sender and recipient, the main information text, signature, date, etc. However, electronic types of letters are a special means of communication. With their help, people can communicate in the mode of dialogue, newsgroups, etc. In other words, e-mail provides mankind with great opportunities, transmitting any information in a matter of seconds when you press only one enter button.
There is another classification, according to which the main types of letters are as follows:
- Friendly They are written to familiar people living, as a rule, in another village.
- Amorous. They are written by romantics who have not yet been extinct in the modern world. Such letters, overwhelmed with feelings, as in the old days, continue to fly from house to house, crossing the borders of regions, countries and continents.
- Promotional. Their main purpose is related to sales. Today in Russia such letters are just beginning to be popular, increasing volumes and developing from year to year. This can include various types of commercial offers, announcements of promotions, etc.
- Business. These are letters intended for clients and partners, officials and officials. Sending such correspondence is under strict control. The letter must reach its addressee in time to inform him of important information.
There are other types of messages. So, there are letters that attach to the resume, sent to the consulate, to the editorial office, to the embassy, as well as to the technical support service.
Need for business correspondence
When compiling an official letter, a person hardly thinks that the methods of its design and presentation were polished over many centuries. Business messages, as in previous times, are an integral means of communication between various institutions. At the same time, they all bear a single generalized name - "service letter". This concept includes documents of various contents, drawn up in accordance with the existing GOST and sent by fax, mail or otherwise. The text of such correspondence must be correct, competent and accurate. The solution of this or that issue, and consequently, the success of the enterprise as a whole, will directly depend on this.
The history of business correspondence
Compilation of collections (“scribes”) containing sample documents began in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. The predecessors of these publications were the “formulators,” which were used in the West as early as the 7th century.
Both those and other directories contained a description of the details of documents, as well as their specific sequence. It was a kind of handy collections for scribes. From them it was possible to gather information about the construction of the document, as well as familiarize yourself with the template sets of expressions and phrases, which were an integral part of official etiquette.
One of the types of “scribes” was the “titular”. This collection contained information on how to write the full royal title.
There were in the "scribe" and requirements for the handwriting of the scribe, as well as the color and quality of the paper. All correspondence was sent in envelopes, which were sealed with sealing wax or cachets.
During the existence of the USSR, the genre of business writing, adopted in tsarist Russia, was simply rejected as a relic of the past. Soviet authorities underestimated the importance of business correspondence. In addition, the lack of competition and free enterprise deprived the need for eloquence and convincing arguments for the partner to start cooperation.
Types of business letters
Currently, not a single organization can do without official correspondence. Official correspondence is used in solving many operational issues that arise in commercial and managerial activities.
Any business letter is nothing more than an informational message that is of a protocol nature. That is why such correspondence is subject to registration, and verbal communication to partners does not eliminate the need to send it by mail.
There are various types of service letters. Moreover, their classification depends on those characteristics that are inherent in them. So, allocate:
- Service letters that need to be answered. These are letters of request, letters of questions, letters of appeal , etc.
- Business correspondence that does not require a response. It includes warning letters, reminder letters, etc.
Business correspondence can be classified according to structural features. In accordance with them, there are such types of official letters as standard and unregulated. The first of them are designed to address issues related to regular economic and legal situations. The submission of information in such a message is made in the form of syntactic constructions of a standard type. Unregulated business letters contain the author's formal-logical narrative written in the framework of accepted etiquette.
The subject line of official correspondence distinguishes between business and commercial correspondence. So, there are letters covering the legal, economic, financial and other forms of activity of the enterprise. They are classified as business correspondence. If the text of the letter contains sales or logistical issues, then it is considered commercial.
According to the characteristics of the addressee, business correspondence is divided into circular and regular. The second type of letters differs in that from the same source the same text is sent to several addresses.
Single-aspect and multi-aspect business correspondence are also distinguished. The first of these two types addresses only one question or problem. A multidimensional text identifies several directions at once (messages, suggestions, requests).
Writing business letters
All official correspondence includes several structural elements. At the very top of the sheet is the header area. In its left part is placed a corner stamp of the enterprise with the name, as well as postal and other details of the company. Here, the number of the outgoing document and the date of registration are affixed.
A little lower than this corner stamp is the heading of the letter text, and then the text itself follows. When writing such a document, the following rules must be observed:
- the text should address either one question or several interrelated ones;
- in the first part of the text, the reason for its writing should be stated, and in the second - proposals, conclusions, decisions, etc .;
- correspondence should be placed on sheets of format A5 or A4;
- if there are applications, they are indicated below the main text.
Below is the signature area. The position of the person who signed the document is indicated here, as well as his surname and initials.
If you want to write different types of letters in English, German and other languages, then when you design them you need to take into account the peculiarities of compiling official letters of the partner country. So, in different states there are separate rules for writing dates, addresses and other specific points.
Email Writing Guidelines
To date, the authors of numerous newsletters and blogs are trying to keep in touch with their readers, regularly throwing letters to them with useful tips. However, in this matter there are certain rules regarding the newsletter that a person simply does not want to see on his computer.
Unusual classification
There are 5 types of letters that should not be forwarded to your audience. These include:
- Sheet letters covering more than one monitor screen.
- "Letters zadolbashki", sent with an insistent frequency.
- "Referral letters" in which the author gives advice to "familiarize yourself" with something useful. To obtain such information, the reader follows the named link and sees there another lesson or training. Such attraction to a third-party site is rapidly reducing the size of the original audience.
- "Partisan letters" sent by the author of various mailings to the same client base.
- "Horror letters." These include correspondence, which is unsightly when you go to e-mail from a mobile phone or tablet. That is why when preparing any text, you need to make sure that it will be equally well read from various devices.
Writing in the process of human development
People begin to learn the basic concepts of transferring graphic symbols to paper when they are in school age. It was during these years that writing, as an activity, assumes particular significance. The desire to clearly and quickly reflect your thoughts on paper indicates that a person improves his literacy. In addition, many psychologists note the fact that the peculiarity of speech, transferred to paper, lies in the fact that it is not only a habit of fingers and hands. Writing is a means of active cognitive activity, and its assimilation is closely related to the process of personality formation.
Writing in elementary school
Children begin to get acquainted with the amazing world of displaying speech on paper from the first grade. At the same time, students begin to realize that there are different types of letters. The summary of the teacher’s lesson on this topic should contain the objectives of the lesson. They consist in acquaintance of children with the genre of writing, in the development of coherent speech, spelling vigilance, speech-auditory and visual memory, fine motor skills and the emotional sphere.
In this lesson, the teacher explains to his students the role that writing plays in people's lives. This allows you to develop the communicative qualities of students. Collectivism is brought up in children, the initial experience of thinking, writing and writing letters is accumulated.
Unusual composition
At school lessons in Russian language and literature in high school, a very interesting task is sometimes offered. The teacher encourages the children to write an essay in the form of a letter. Using such an epistolary genre, you can avoid template phrases and strict frames. At the same time, the student is given the opportunity to give a flight of his imagination, while remaining within the framework of a given topic.
Of course, writing is, first and foremost, freedom of thought. However, before compiling this essay, it will not hurt to think over his plan. This will allow you to clearly state your thoughts on paper and not get confused in the theses. Such a letter will become clear not only to the person to whom it is intended. Any reader will understand his main idea.
Education in special schools
For children suffering from certain diseases, special educational institutions of various types (from 1 to 8) are being created in our country. Their main goal is to prepare students for adulthood.
The most difficult is to study in schools of the 8th type. Mentally retarded children are welcome here. At the first stage of their training, the teacher must form the initial reading and graphic display skills of sounds. Writing (1st grade, 8th type of school) for such students serves as the basis for the formation of synthesis and sound-letter analysis. First graders work with words and syllables, short texts, as well as the simplest types of sentences.
The main goal of such schools is to teach children to read and write, as well as orientation in social conditions.