Create a list of specific, realistic and interesting assignments where someone would need to write a professional business letter. For instance, write a business letter to a television network executive to ask him to air more family-friendly programming or write a letter to a college fraternity president for consideration as a new member.
Ask each student to choose one of the assignments from your list.
Teach the basic format of a business letter. Use visuals on a projection screen, a large chart or printed materials so that students can see how the finished letter looks. Label each section of the sample letter (date, addresses, greeting, body, and closing salutation). Explain the purpose and required format of each section in detail.
Instruct the students about writing a concise and effective body for a business letter. Explain that the body of the letter should contain a clear-cut introduction presenting the writer and his reason for writing, a middle section that describes the purpose of the communication in more detail and a closing paragraph asking the recipient to take action (such as calling or e-mailing).
Ask each student to work on a first draft of her business letter as homework or at library computers. Evaluate the first drafts and provide suggestions for improvement to create a final draft. Repeat this last step as needed until each student has honed his business letter writing skills.