Email Writing: Students learn the differences between formal, semi-formal and informal

writing and practise writing an email to a tourist information centre.

Link to standard/advanced textbook: An additional activity for the Writing lesson, Unit
9.

Difficulty level: Challenging

Time: 35-40 mins

Option 1

Worksheets

Link to the materials

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/lesson-plans/email-writing

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 1
Option 1: Photocopies

Preparation:

 Print out Worksheets 1, 2a, 2b, 3, 4.

 Make sufficient copies for each pair of students.

 Cut up Worksheets 1, 2a, 3.

Stages Procedure

Pre-task 1. Ask students what factors are important for them when they choose
speaking a holiday destination/type (e.g. weather, accommodation, activities,
costs, culture, food, history, etc.) and where they usually get this
5 mins information (e.g. guidebooks, Internet, recommendations from
friends).
2. Elicit student responses.
3. Ask if they have ever emailed a tourist information centre for holiday
destination information (the answer will probably be no) - and what
type of questions they would ask if they did.
4. Elicit student responses and question examples.

Pre- 1. Tell students they will be emailing a tourist information centre in a

writing city of their choice to get information about that place. Put the
students in pairs and tell them to decide on a place in the world they
10-15 would both like to visit.
mins
2. Explain the students that there are three types writing that are
generally used in a range of contexts – business, government,
academia – and the choice depends on the relationship between the
sender and the receiver (audience).
3. Ask students what style of writing they would use when writing a
letter to future employer. Elicit: formal.
4. Ask students what style of writing they would use when writing an
email to a close friend. Elicit: informal.
5. Ask students what style of writing they would use when writing an
email to a tourist information centre. Elicit: semi-formal.
6. Elicit any differences the students can think of between the three
types.
7. Give students in pairs the cut-up strips (for Worksheets 1, 2a and 3)
and ask them to group them into parts of a formal letter, a semi-
formal email and an informal email. (Monitor and assist as required.)

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 2
 8. Tell students to order the strips for each of the three writing types.
9. Ask students to find the differences between the three types. Elicit
these differences and provide explanation as needed.
10. Tell students they are going to focus on the semi-formal email
because emailing has become the main means of communication
and so it is important to know to used this style correctly.
11. Tell students to draw two columns in their notebooks and write the
headings ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ at the top.
12. Give students, in pairs, a copy of the semi-formal email as an
example of a good email (Worksheet 2b) and a copy of the ‘bad
email’ (Worksheet 4).
13. The students then compare the two emails and try to discover the
rules of writing a good email. They should write the rules in the
correct column. Monitor and assist as needed.
14. Ask students for the rules they discovered, and write them up on the
board under ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’. Direct students to problems and elicit
rules for the ‘Don’ts’ they have not identified. (See teacher’s notes.)

Writing 1. Tell students that they are going, in pairs, to write an email (on
paper) to the information centre of the city of their choice asking for
10-15 any information they require. Tell students to use the model email
mins (Worksheet 2b) as an example and to follow the list of rules they
have. Monitor and assist as needed.

Feedback 1. When students have finished writing, tell them to swap their email
with another pair.
5-10 mins
2. Tell students to proof-read each other’s emails. Go round giving
each pair feedback helping them with any mistakes they may have
made.

Variation 1. Tell students to try to find the email address of the tourist information
centre of their chosen place. When they have the address, ask them
to use their own email accounts to write their email to the
information centre. This could be done as homework.

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 3
Worksheet 1
Dear Mr Jones,

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am writing to enquire about your language courses in the summer. I am a university

student studying to become a translator.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to know whether your school offers courses specifically for university
level students as I would like to study techniques for essay writing in English. Could
you also tell me how many hours of lessons there are per week?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With regards to accommodation, do you only provide homestay lodgings or are there
any other possible alternatives? I feel I would prefer to stay in shared
accommodation with self-catering facilities.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, I was wondering if any extra-curricular activities such as lectures or

excursions are offered at your school. If so, are these included in the price, or at an
additional cost?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would be grateful for any information you can give me and I look forward to hearing
from you soon.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yours sincerely,

Jaana Nikkinen

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 4
Worksheet 2a
Subject: Information about summer courses

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Jones,

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’m a university student from Finland and I’m writing to get some information about
your language courses this summer. I’ve got a few questions:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Do you do a course for university students to help them with their essay writing
skills?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. How many hours a week are the courses?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What sort of accommodation do you offer?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. What after-school activities are there?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Do you do any trips to other towns in the UK?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’m hoping to come over in June, so if you can get back to me as soon

as possible, it would be great. Thanks for your help.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best regards,

Jaana Nikkinen

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 5
Worksheet 2b
Dear Mr Jones,

I’m a university student from Finland and I’m writing to get some information

about your language courses this summer. I’ve got a few questions:

 Do you do a course for university students, which helps them with their
 essay writing skills?
 How many hours a week are the courses?
 What sort of accommodation do you offer?
 What after-school activities are there?
 Do you do any trips to other towns in the UK?

I’m hoping to come over in June, so if you can get back to me as soon as

possible, it would be great. Thanks for your help.

Best regards,

Jaana Nikkinen

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 6
Worksheet 3
Subject: Dani is back in Bournemouth

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Jack,

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember me, Dani from last summer? How could u forget, we had

such a good laugh every weekend, didn’t we? How’s it going?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, just writing to let u know that I’m coming back! I’m gonna be

working in a hotel in Bournemouth from June till September. Brilliant,

eh?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually, there was something else* Do u reckon it would be possible

to have my old homestay family? We got on so well, and the mum was a

fantastic cook! Dunno if it’s possible, but just thought I’d ask.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would be great to catch up sometime, so gimme a bell*I’ve still got the

same SIM, so my number’s the same: 0786 8757652.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers, mate!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dani

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 7
Worksheet 4

Subject: Hello!

Hi Jack!!!

My name’s Jaana and I’M FROM FINLAND!!! I bet you haven’t had students

from here B4 ;-) ;-) That’s probably coz we’re so amazing at languages, that

we don’t need any xtra help?except me – I need all the help I can get!! FYI:

the problem really started when I was in primary school, and my parents, who

had been arguing non-stop since I was a little baby, got divorced and decided

that I should be adopted as they couldn’t decide who should have custody of

me. If I had been in their situation, I think I probably wouldn’t have known

either!! Anyway, this was all a bit traumatic, so all my school subjects

suffered, especially English. HAHAHAAA ONLY JOKING!!!! :-) (Actually,

don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually quite a good student?but if anyone found

out, my reputation would be ruined, so shhhhhh!) BTW do u do courses for

uni students? How many lessons/week? Is there any extra stuff after school,

SO I CAN MEET SOME COOL PEOPLE? How about trips? Give me all the

info you can, man.

Jaana (although all my mates call me Jakki!!)

www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 8
www.teachingenglish.edu.vn Page 9