New lesson plan: An Informal Email

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An Informal Email - Upper-Intermediate, B2 level

An Informal Email
Upper-Intermediate, B2 level

Description

In this lesson, the students will be exposed to writing an informal email to a friend within the context of illnesses and injuries. Firstly, the students will be asked to discuss in pairs what they usually do when they get sick/ill in terms of informing their friends, how do they let their friends know and what do they say/write about in a particular situation. Secondly, the students will read an email from Anna and try to correct 12 mistakes. Then, they will do scan reading to find sentences having similar meaning as in the exercise. Next, the students will learn some useful language to be able to use it in writing an informal email. Finally, the students will write an informal email to a friend in pairs and vote for the best email.

Materials

Power Point Presentation

Projector

HO1, An Informal Email (Answer key)

Whiteboard, markers

HO1, An Informal Email

HO2 - Useful Expressions (Answer key)

HO1, Ex.b

Power Point Presentation

Projector

HO1, An Informal Email (Answer key)

Whiteboard, markers

HO1, An Informal Email

HO2 - Useful Expressions (Answer key)

HO1, Ex.b

Main Aims

To provide process writing practice of an informal email in the context of illnesses and injuries

Subsidiary Aims

To provide fluency speaking practice in the context of illnesses and injuries
To provide gist and scan reading practice using an informal email in the context of illnesses and injuries

Procedure (45-45 minutes)

Warmer/Lead-in (4-4 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

*Project a photo of a sick woman and a letter; *Sts think and discuss what the topic of a lesson could be; *Also ask Sts to think about how and what do they do when it comes to writing a letter/email to a friend if/when they get sick/ill; *Sts discuss in pairs.

Exposure (7-7 minutes) • To provide a model of production expected in coming tasks through reading/listening

*Project an informal email on the w/b; *Tell Sts to read the email from Anna and point out that it has 12 highlighted mistakes, four grammar or vocabulary, four punctuation, and four spelling. *Sts work in pairs and decide what kind of mistake each one is and correct it. *Distribute HO1 - An Informal Email among the Sts. *Sts have about 5 minutes. *Sts check their answers against the answer key on the w/b.

Pre-writing Reading (5-5 minutes) • To engage students in the context and get them thinking about informal emails

*Point to HO1 Ex.b and ask Sts to read Anna's email again and find sentences that mean: 1. I haven't written or phoned. 2. I've been reading and replying to my emails. 3. Have you been doing anything exciting? *Sts work individually and then compare their answers in pairs. *Sts check answers against an answer key on the w/b.

Useful Language (7-7 minutes) • To highlight and clarify useful language for coming productive tasks

*Re-group Sts; *Tell Sts that they are going to answer Anna's email. *Point to HO1 and add: Before answering, look at the useful language expressions and try to complete them. *Sts work in pairs and then compare with other students if time allows; *Allow 5 minutes to complete the task; *Sts check answers against the w/b.

Productive Task(s) (20-20 minutes) • To provide an opportunity to practice target productive skills

*T says: To plan the content of your email: a) Underline the questions in the email that Anna wants you to answer; b) Underline other places in the email where you think you need to respond, e.g. I've been ill. c) Think about how to respond to each of the things you've underlined. *Also, project 'Useful language' for writing an informal email; *Sts write an informal email in pairs (two-three paragraphs) by using the 'Useful language' as a prompt; *Sts have about 14 minutes. *Sts check their emails for mistakes (grammar, punctuation, and spelling). *Monitor evenly and provide assistance if necessary. *Stick Sts emails on the wall, ask Sts to walk around, read each other's email and vote for their favourite.

Feedback and Error Correction (2-2 minutes) • To provide feedback on students' production and use of language

*Praise good language used in informal emails and write some sentences for reformulation/expansion on the board; *Elicit correct reformulations/expansions.