Informal+letters

** To a penfriend  ** This EFL lesson plan is designed around the theme of informal letters. Students listen about friends you have in a foreign country, read a letter and answer questions, draw up a paragraph plan with the class for the students to follow when they write their own letter. 

**Language level **: Elementary (B) Pre Intermediate (B1) (B2) **Time **: 60-90 minutes informal letter, questions to answer, guidance notes
 * Learner type **:Teens
 * Activity **: Talking about issues related to informal letters, reading an informal letter , writing an informal letter.
 * Topic **<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">: Informal letters
 * <span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Language **<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">: greeting, thanks, personal information, job, family, languages, leisure activities/ free time, questions to penfriend, ending
 * <span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Materials **<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">: informal letter, questions to answer, guidance notes
 * Downloadable materials**:

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">This writing syllabus continues with the first genre- based section- informal letters. Writing a letter to a penfriend is a useful task in that that students may want to do that in real life. The unit introduces the conventions in writing informal letters and consolidates basic letter layout. The content of the letter also recycles key language from Units 1 to 4
 * <span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Overview **

Introduce the topic of a penfriend by telling the students about a penfriend you have in another country. Say who the person is, where is he/ she from, whether you write, phone, email each other in English or another language to stay in touch. Elicit examples from one or two students. Students continue to talk about their foreign friends in pairs. Get brief class feedback. ** Step 2 ** Focus attention on the photo of Becky and elicit basic information her age and possible nationality. Get students to read the questions and then find the answers in the letter. Answers  Becky is in Brighton. Ti-ago is in Brasil. Becky writes about her name, age, job and family, the languages she speaks and her leisure activities. ** Step 3 ** Ask students to read the letter again and answer the questions. Allow the students to check their answers in pairs before checking with the whole class. For the last question elicit how students write addresses in their own country. Answers The letter begins Dear Tiago and ends Best wishes The date is 5 April. 20 Holland Street Brighton BN2 2WB Students' own answers **Step 4** Focus attention on the guidance notes on the letter. Remind students that they can't use Dear penfriend/ friend in English. Ask students if they use similar expressions to end an informal letter in their language and elicit any other similarities or differences. **Step 5** Draw up a paragraph plan with the class for the students to follow when they write their own letter: Greeting Paragraph 1 thanks; personal information, job, family Paragraph 2 languages Paragraph 3 leisure activities/ free time Paragraph 4 questions to penfriend Ending
 * Step 1**

Give students time to write their letter or set as homework. If possible allow students to check, each other's letters both for interest and peer correction. When you check the letters point out errors but allow students to correct them themselves and try to limit the corrections to major problems to avoid demoralizing.
 * Step 6 **