THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING SPEECH ACTS THROUGH LETTER WRITING IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

Abstract

This article examines the effectiveness of teaching speech acts through letter-writing activities in English language instruction. Speech acts, as functional units of communication, play a crucial role in developing learners’ pragmatic competence. However, traditional language teaching often focuses on grammatical accuracy rather than functional language use. This study explores how letter-writing tasks—both formal and informal—can serve as an effective pedagogical tool for teaching speech acts such as requesting, apologizing, inviting, and complaining. Using a mixed-method approach, the research analyzes learners’ performance before and after the implementation of letter-based instruction. The findings indicate that integrating speech act instruction into letter-writing tasks significantly enhances learners’ pragmatic awareness, functional language use, and communicative competence. The study concludes that letter writing provides a meaningful, context-rich environment for mastering speech acts in English