TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER
методическая разработка по английскому языку (5, 6, 7, 8, 9 класс)

TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER

Irina Lada

School No.23

To pass an exam successfully pupils should not only do exercises in Reading, Listening and Use of English, Speaking but also write a personal letter to an English-speaking friend. The personal letter should have an appropriate amount of words, a certain contents and organization.

I would like to focus your attention on ways of training of our pupils in writing the personal letter.

Before pupils start writing the letter, they should remember the following rules:

1. Read attentively not only the task, but also a fragment of the English-speaking friend’s letter.

2. While reading the fragment pupils should point out three questions that English-speaking friend is asking.

3. Make up different types of questions for information request.

Writing the personal letter pupils should remember that:

1. Gratitude for the received letter and, perhaps, an apology that the answer wasn't written at once, is expressed in introduction.

2. The main part of the letter consists of the pupil’s answers to the questions asked by the English-speaking friend and three questions to the pen friend.

3. The conclusion of the letter includes mentioning of the future contacts and pupil’s signature.

It is necessary to begin to train children in writing the letter with the first steps of studying English. First of all, pupils should understand that there are certain rules of writing the letter. It consists of introduction, main part and conclusion.

Here is the model of the letter to the English-speaking friend:

Dear______________,

Thanks for your recent email. I was very glad to hear from you again.

I will be happy to answer your questions. _________________________________  ________________________________________________________________________

That’s fantastic news about _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

That’s all for now. I’m looking forward to your email.

Best wishes,

__________    

What exercises can be used for training pupils in writing the letter?

1. Match the parts of the personal letter to their arrangement on the scheme:

1) beginning of the letter (introduction):

a) gratitude for the received letter;

b) an apology that the answer wasn't written at once;

2) signature;

3) the phrase about mentioning of the future contacts;

4) main part of the letter;

5) the finishing phrase;

6) address to the English-speaking friend;

2. Draw the scheme of the personal letter.
3. Arrange parts of the letter in the correct order:

A.  Jack

B.  That’s all for now. I’m looking forward to your email.

C.  Dear Mike,

D.  I will be happy to answer your questions. Three days ago I was at a birthday party. We had a lot of fun. We were dancing, listening to music, playing games. When we sat down to have a birthday cake we didn't find it on the table! But believe me, there was a very happy dog under the table!

E.  Best wishes,

F.  Thanks for your recent email. It was great to hear from you!

4. Count the number of words in the letter and make changes.
5. Choose addresses to the friend which can be used in the personal letter:

Dear Richard,

Dear Madam!

Dear Aunt Mary.

Dear Mr Fountain,

Dear Alice,

6. Name  the finishing phrases which can be used in the personal letter.
7. Read each phrase and define where it can be used at the beginning or at the end of the email.
8. Find and correct the mistakes in the email.
9. Fill in the missing phrases into the email.

It will be very useful to write an example of the letter which will help pupils to get ready for the exam.

References

1. Спецификация КИМ для проведения в 2023 г. ОГЭ по иностранным языкам – URL.: www.fipi.ru.
2. Демонстрационный вариант КИМ ОГЭ 2023 г. по английскому языку. – URL.: www.fipi.ru 
3. Бондарева В.В. Обучение письму на иностранном языке: назревшая необходимость. - ELT, Dinternal, 1999.
4. Гальскова Н.Д. Современная методика обучения иностранным языкам. – М.: АР – КТИ, 2000г.
5. Маслыко Е.А. Настольнаякнигапреподавателяиностранногоязыка. – Минск, 2004.
6. Пассов Е.И. Обучениеписьму: учебноепособие. – Воронеж: НОУ «Интерлингва», 2002г.
7. Соловова Е.Н. Обучениеписьму. -  ELT, Dinternal, 2000.
8. Филатов В.М. Методикаобученияиностраннымязыкам в начальной и основнойобщеобразовательнойшколе. -Ростов –на –Дону:  Феникс, 2004г.
9. Электронный ресурс: https://infourok.ru/obuchenie-pismu-kak-vidu-rechevoy-deyatelnosti-na-urokah-angliyskogo-yazika-1127780.html.
10. Электронныйресурс: http://nsportal.ru/sites/default/files/2013/03/08/podgotovka_ k_gia.uchimsya_pisat_pismo._trenirovochnye_uprazhneniya.docx.
11. Электронный ресурс: http://егэша.рф/news/letter/2012-05-15-112.

Демоверсии,
спецификации,
кодификаторы

https://fipi.ru/ege/demoversii-specifikacii-kodifikatory#!/tab/151883967-11