The letter exchange

•  A description of the target group:

Ø  Number of students: 25

Ø  Age: 11 years old

Ø  Level: Medium

Ø  Nationality: Spanish

•  Length of time for the activity à 3 lessons of 45 minutes.

•  Teaching/Learning objectives:

Ø  Awaken in students the interest in learning a foreign language.

Ø  Write and understand brief and simple messages in classroom situations using the information transmitted to perform tasks related to their experience.

Ø  Use basic communication elements.

• Materials used à Pieces of paper, envelopes, pencil, and a pen.
•  Classroom arrangement à The class is going to be organized in rows because they have to work individually.
•  Lessons procedure: explain in detail the steps you will follow, include examples of the students’ expected outcomes, etc.

 

- First of all, I have to say that I have done this activity as a Spanish teacher in an European School in Oxford (England), so it is a real situation and it can be carried out perfectly. Talking about my real experience, I have to say that I had a great advantage and this is that I was living in England and I had contacts in some schools of Spain. So, all I did get in touch with the English teacher of a Spanish school and organize a letter exchange with the main aim of practicing writing skills in both languages (English and Spanish). I think that it is easy to do it if the teacher wants to and children love it. If you want to encourage their motivation, this is the ideal activity.

-  Secondly, I have to clarify that the activity that I am going to suggest here is going to be just the opposite case that I have mentioned before because now I am living in Spain, working as English teacher and I still have the contact with the European School where I worked.

 The activity is going to consist of writing a letter in English to improve our writing skills about “What do we think about English culture and their stereotypes?” and send all of them to England. Teachers participate too.

At the same time, English students of England have to do the same but in Spanish but the topic is going to be “What do we think about Spanish culture and stereotypes?” and send it to Spain, indeed.

- The last part of the activity will be send all the letters back but corrected by the students. Obviously, this is going to take 2-3 weeks but the activity process will be in 3 lessons of 45 minutes. When our letters are received again, we will spend another extra lesson on it.