Issues in English correspondence: student letters at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security

Abstract

This article presents the most common issues faced by students at the University of Maribor’s Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security when writing formal letters in English. It presents a brief overview of correspondence (Kompara Lukančič, 2021) followed by a survey that was conducted in 2022 and included fifty-five second-year students at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security. The analysis focuses on the product approach (Nunan, 2001)—that is, the production of an error-free and coherent text—and imitation of a model text (Steele, 2004). In line with these concepts in the analysis, the focus was on the layout of the letter, the general content of the letter, language use, and common errors. The article presents the most common linguistic issues when writing formal letters.