PET Writing Part 3. Informal Letter. Part 1.

What's the big deal with mobile phones? Why is there so much debate about having them in class or not? I personally have no idea. I love it when my students use their phone in class. To me it is a huge waste of a glorious tool if they don't use it. Getting a teenager to actively want to use their phone to study English is a huge step towards autonomous learning.

So there are hundreds of activities you can do with mobile phones. This lesson plan was designed around using their mobile devices to write the informal letter in part 2 of the PET exam. It's a full 60-80 minute class depending on numbers. It may seem complex at first but it's a simple 6 step class that will leave your students prepared to write in the correct tone, using paragraphs and most of all, remembering some important vocabulary and structures to help them when they reach the exam.  Most importantly though it will stick in their minds long beyond the exam. While I realize this doesn't leave a huge amount of room for flair, but the sad fact is when trying to pass the PET exam formulaic writing tends to win out. This letter will provide students with a formula with a dash of added flair.

In this first blog I'm going to describe Part 1, 2 and 3 which can be used apart as a separate activity. In Thursdays blog I'll be describing how it can used in conjunction with the other parts and lead students to becoming more engaged and end up drilling exactly what they need to the exam.

After you've warmed you class up the first step to this class is getting them in the writing zone. always start with a few questions about PET writing part 3.

1) Text talk warmer <- - -  click there(10-15 minutes max)
Cut up the "text talk" and get students to work in pairs matching it to the correct description. I give one students the cut up "test talk" and the other the board of answers and try and get them to figure out the answers without looking.

CUl8er = see you later
S'up = what's up
GTG = I've got to go
NE1 = Anyone

and so on. Each pair will then keep hold of their completed, checked work.

After you've warmed you class up the first step to this class is getting them in the writing zone. always start with a few questions about PET writing part 3. 

2) Ask students to describe part 3. Elicit which part is easier, the letter or the story.
The letter.

3) Next go on to ask students the basic conventions to a letter and elicit a few suggestions for each part. This will usually take about 20 - 25 minutes. It's the whole skeleton to the class

i) The Greeting

• Hey Jane, (COMMA)
• Hi Jane, (COMMA)
• Hello Jane, (COMMA)

Students often forget to use a comma.

ii) Opening Paragraph

Elicit that this paragraph is used to ask a)how your friend is, b)thank them for their letter and, words permitting c) apologise for not responding sooner. This paragraph doesn't depend on the question. This paragraph never needs to change. This is a chance to use a number of different tenses and an idiom or two. Elicit ideas for each sentence.

Here are some from my PET class.

a)

•  How're you? (stress the fact contractions are a part of informal writing)
• How's life? 
• What's up?
• What's happening?
• What's new?
• How have you been lately?

b)

• Thanks for your letter. I was very happy to read it.
• Cheers for your letter, I was over the moon when it arrived.
• Thank you so much for your letter, it was great to hear from you after so long.

c)

• I'm sorry I haven't written for so long, I've been really busy. 
• I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I've been up to my eyeballs in revision.
• Sorry I didn't write back sooner. I am very busy with work at the moment.

iii) Paragraph two

Elicit that this paragraph is used to answer the question asked by your "English speaking penfriend" this is when I give my students the question.

This is part of a letter you receive from your penfriend James.

In your next letter, please tell me about the music you like. 
What’s your favourite kind of music? Do you play an instrument?

I now get students to fill in the gaps of a model paragraph two. I stress to them that being honest is in no way important and grammatically correct lies are perfectly sufficient.

You asked me what_____________________________.  I'm really keen on___________ because it's really_____________ not to mention _________________. You also asked me if I_____________________. Well, I've been_______the _________ for _______ years now. It isn't _______but I love it. 

iv) Paragraph 3

Elicit that this is a sign off and is again unrelated to the questions. In this paragraph you should a) say you hope you've answered your friends questions, b) say you have to go and give a reason for leaving and c) ask your friend to write back/suggest meeting

a)

• I hope I've answered you questions.
• Did my answers help you?

b) 

• I've got to go now. I've got an exam tomorrow and these books won't study them selves. 
• I have to go.The bus is arrives in 2 minutes and I'll be late for school if I miss it. 
• Sorry, I have to stop writing now. My mum needs a hand with the shopping. 

c) 

• Write back soon.
• Maybe we could meet up this weekend.
• We should meet up soon, it's been too long. 
• Don't be a stranger. 

v) The sign off

Emphasise that without this part they will lose points for organisation and it's as important as the greeting. 

• Love
• Lots of love
• All my love
• See you later 

                             NAME

In the end they'll have a sample letter that looks something like this. 

Hey James,

              What’s up? Cheers for your letter, I was over the moon when it arrived. I'm sorry it's taken me ages to reply. I've been up to my eyeballs in revision.

You asked me what music I like.  I'm keen on rock music because it's really exciting and fun to listen to. You also asked me if I play an instrument. Well, I've been playing the triangle for seven years. It isn't very glamorous but I love it. 

I hope I've answered you questions. I have to go. The bus arrives soon and I'll be late if I miss it. We should meet up soon.

See you later

Harry

 In Thursday's blog I'll go on to explain the more interactive and exciting part of the class. The endlessly engaging aspect of having students take out their phones and use them in class. 

FCE Speaking Practice

Good day one and all,

I'm not sure how easy you guys find it to get fresh and new FCE speaking practice. It takes me a while. I decided this year to just make a few new parts every week. It's a work in progress but there are a good few practice parts on the link below.
I like to give my students a couple of minutes at the start of every class to get used to the format of the exam and remove any nerves they might have when exam day come around.
I find the grab activity works really well with drilling useful language.

https://sites.google.com/a/thenglishouse.com/harry/

https://docs.google.com/a/thenglishouse.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=dGhlbmdsaXNob3VzZS5jb218aGFycnl8Z3g6NTMxZWI0ZDFjNmJiZjA2NA

I hope you find them useful.

H

Parts of a Picture

Here I am then, back from the dead and ready to share more love with everyone.
I always use this picture at the start of a course. Especially with B1 whereby they have to describe a picture. I've found it useful with B2 classes as well as it gives students areas of a picture to compare and contrast. Most importantly though I actually find it useful language for students and not just exam bashing.

downlaods available above as always. (Just a few materials)

'Til tomorrow.

Language Grab - Speculation

Something I always find amazing is how unwilling students are to speculate. Rather than take a guess at what something might be they tend to say they don't know. Be it a picture in an exam, how people are feeling, an answer to a question or just what they're going to do at the weekend.  I use the below activity in the same way I do with my previous two posts.
Laminate, cut and pass them to your students.

I like to use them to help students describe pictures like the one below.

Ask students how the tree got like that? How long it's been there? Which animals it may have effected?

I can´t be sure but I think…	Obviously
I imagine	Probably/Perhaps….
Without a doubt	I´m pretty sure that
There’s no doubt in my mind that	It’s clearly
I guess	It must be
I don’t really know but if I had to I would choose…….	If I had to hazard a guess
It might be	It could be
To my mind	I reckon

Language Grab - Part 2 The Long Turn

Much like yesterday's post this one is aimed at getting your students used to using the required vocabulary during the speaking part 2 of the Cambridge exams.
I've found students tend to describe pictures rather than compare, contrast and speculate. This activity is aimed at helping them use a wide variety of language. As with the previous post you'll need to cut stick and laminate but, trust me, it's worth it in the long run.
As alaways you can download the printable right here: https://sites.google.com/a/thenglishouse.com/harry/ and updates can be followed, as it were, on twitter @sirhofthebomb

Happy Speaking.

Many thanks to www.jazzhands.co.uk for providing wonderful jazziness to all that is PowerPoint.

Building a Picture

 Ok then, Here´s a little activity I like to do with all levels. In the format below it's best suited to FCE and CAE students.

	•      Elect two team captains and two vice-captains. •      Give the team captains one photo each. Only they can see the picture at this stage. •      The other students are the subjects of the picture. •      Captains have to arrange their subjects, verbally, in a manner which represents the picture. •      Vice-captains then have a minute to compare the two pictures whilst trying to guess what they represent. Give the below prompts if necessary.* •      After being given the question and context ask different students to repeat the task. •      Reveal the picture to everyone in the class. NB: I always take photos of the 'statues' and use them again later in the year. I also encourage students to bring in their own pictures and get other students to guess which of their classmates' photo they are describing.
		*Make sure you include: ·         The answer to the question.  •      Where the pictures were taken. •      How many there are people in the pictures. •      What time of day the pictures were taken. •      How the people in the pictures are feeling. •      What type of activity the people are doing. •      Why they are doing those activities. There is an example below: