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Text Organisational Strategies in University Students’ Letters of Complaint
Feuba Elvis Wanji
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.05.011
The University of Bamenda Language Centre (UBaLaC), Bamenda, Cameroon
This paper examines how Francophone university learners of English make use of text organization strategies in their letters of complaint. Building on Connor et al (1995) Text Organization Model and Penelope Brown and Levinson (1987) Politeness theory, it was found out that these learners’ scripts suffer from some text organization and politeness errors. These students face problems with their use of enclosures, buffers, addresses, complimentary close and signature. In fact, only 5 (10%) of the letters had enclosures, none had buffer (00%) and 10 (20%) had request for action. It was realized that though most of the letters had subjects, they were, however, wrongly placed above the salutation. As far as politeness strategy is concerned, most of the letters were void of polite language. This might be as a result of their linguistic background. We therefore suggest that to help solve the issue of linguistic interference and communicative competence, teachers teaching these students should employ the comparative and contrastive methods of language teaching highlighting the commonalities and dissimilarities between English and French grammar.
text, organizational strategy, letters of complaint, lettres modernes Francaise
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, May 2025, Vol. 15, No. 5, 424-431
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