Your class has been asked to write a composition discussing the topic: There's no need to write letters any more. Telephoning is a better way of communicating with people. Write a discussion composition.
It's certainly quicker to telephone than to write a letter, but it may not always be the best way to communicate. The right form of communication to use depends, like so many other things in life, on the circumstances.
Telephoning is ideal if you want immediate action. You wouldn't want to write to the plumber if you had water pouring through your ceiling, for example! It's also the obvious choice if you need a quick answer to a question like 'What time is the next train to Oxford?' or 'Did I leave my wallet in your shop?' Many problems can be solved more easily and decisions taken more quickly if you can discuss them with someone on the phone rather than wait for a reply to a letter. Finally, few people would disagree that telephoning is a pleasant way to keep in touch with friends and family.
On the other hand, there can be a number of disadvantages to telephoning. In the first place, some problems are too complicated to explain on the phone,especially if they involve facts and figures, and it may be clearer if you set them out in a letter. Secondly, it might be important to have a record of what you say, especially if it's a booking or a complaint. Last but not least, telephoning, especially long-distance, can be terribly expensive.
The nice thing about receiving letters is that you can keep them and re-read them. Who wouldn't rather have a six-page letter full of news from a friend abroad than a two-minute telephone call on a bad line?
To sum up, letter writing is far from dead, in my view. Each form of communication has its advantages and disadvantages: the important thing to recognise is which is more appropriate for what you want to say, and to whom.
