Improving letter writing skill through eliciting exercises for grade 10 students”

Introduction
Nowadays, in the integration period and with the globalization trend, foreign languages, especially English, play a very important role in society. English becomes an international language. It is used in many fields such as business, trade, communications, tourism and diplomatic activities, etc... . In 2015, there were 54 sovereign states and 27 non-sovereign entities where English was an official language. Of the approximately 1.5 billion people who speak English, less than 400 million use it as a first language. That means over 1 billion speak it as a secondary language. Therefore, English is an ology which is never saturated due to its newness and popularity in all fields. Our Party and government showed their particular interest in teaching and learning foreign languages.
English is considered as a main subject at upper secondary school. It is also one of three primary subjects in the GCSE exam. 
In addition, The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment,[1] abbreviated in English as CEFR or CEF or CEFRL, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries. 
As with the growing degree of office automation and diffuse use of electronic media, such as e-mails, written business communication is becoming a key element to promote synergies, relationships and disseminating information about products and services. Task recognition and the definition of strategies and suitable vocabularies are some of the activities that office workers deal with each time a communicative intent has to be effectively transferred and understood by a given addressee. This paper introduces a web-based intelligent training system based on the constructivism theory and self-directed learning paradigms for assisting company workers in the drafting business letters-writing task. A case-based engine suggests ad hoc rhetorical letters that users have the chance to adapt to their particular contexts and save them into user-defined case libraries. 
Teaching English with the communicative approach is our aim. How to improve all skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) completely for our students is our duty. All skills are important and it is necessary for us to develop them. Curricula and textbooks are issued with a view to carrying out this aim successfully. However, writing skill seems to be one of the most difficult skills for students. Most writing tasks, for example writing letters, are not interesting enough to attract them. They do not know how to deal with these tasks: They do not know how to write a formal or an informal letter. They mistake the words or phrases they can use in each form of letter, either, etc “What can I do to help my students?” “In what way do my students write them well?” “What should I do to make these writing tasks easier and more attractive?” The best way I did to assist them is that I used the exercises to lead them to the way of writing each type of letters. 
I would like to share my teaching experience “Improving letter writing skill through eliciting exercises for grade 10 students” in the hope that my colleagues can apply in teaching and we can discuss more to get the best result in teaching students how to write letters.
Content
Chapter 1: Theoretical and practical background
Theoretical background
 “Letter” 
Definition of “letter”
The term "letter" has also multiple meanings:
A letter is a written or printed communication addressed to a person or organization and usually transmitted by mail. (
A letter is a written message from one person to another, usually put in an envelope and sent by post. (Cambridge Dictionary)
A letter is a written or printed message to someone. (Laban Dictionary)
Letters are often used to express the writer’s ideas, feelings or emotion to the receivers. 
A letter is a written message from one party to another containing information. Letters promote the preservation of communication between both parties; they may bring friends or relatives closer together, enrich professional relationships and provide a means of self-expression. Letters contribute to the protection and conservation of literacy.[1] Letters have been sent since antiquity and are mentioned in the Iliad.[2] Works by both Herodotus and Thucydides also mention letters.[3]
Writing a letter
History of letter writing
Historically, letters have existed from the time of ancient India, ancient Egypt and Sumer, through Rome, Greece and China, up to the present day. During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, letters were used to self-educate. Letters were a way to practice critical reading, self-expressive writing, polemical writing and also exchange ideas with like-minded others. For some people, letters were seen as a written performance. For others, it was not only seen as a performance but also as a way of communication and a method of gaining feedback. Letters make up several of the books of the Bible. Archives of correspondence, whether for personal, diplomatic, or business reasons, serve as primary sources for historians. At certain times, the writing of letters has risen to be an art form and a genre of literature, for instance in Byzantine epistolography.[4]
In the ancient world letters were written on a various different materials, including metal, lead, wax-coated wooden tablets, pottery fragments, animal skin, and papyrus. From Ovid, we learn that Acontius used an apple for his letter to Cydippe.[5]
As communication technology has diversified, posted letters have become less important as a routine form of communication. For example, the development of the telegraph drastically shortened the time taken to send a communication, by sending it between distant points as an electrical signal. At the telegraph office closest to the destination, the signal was converted back into writing on paper and delivered to the recipient. The next step was the telex which avoided the need for local delivery. Then followed the fax (facsimile) machine: a letter could be transferred electrically from the sender to the receiver through the telephone network as an image. Today, the internet, by means of email, plays a large part in written communications; however, these email communications are not generally referred to as letters but rather as e-mail (or email) messages, messages or simply emails or e-mails, with only the term "letter" generally being reserved for communications on paper.
The study of letter writing
Due to the timelessness and universality of letter writing, there is a wealth of letters and instructional materials (for example, manuals, as in the medieval ars dictaminis) on letter writing throughout history. The study of letter writing usually involves both the study of rhetoric and grammar.[6]
Practical background
Letters is such a written message that we sent to person who are far away from us and we want to convey our message to them in a clear and forceful manner. We usually write letters to our friends and relatives. Although advent of IT-Telephones, Mobile SMS’s and Chat- has reduced the importance of personal letter writing as we can send our messages through these mediums very easily but this art is still required where there is need of formal communication. Some time we have to send an application in the school for grant of leave and at other time we have to complaint about someone. Same way we get a lot of chance where we have to send formal letter. Thus this art of letter writing is no more an ornamental accomplishment but something that every educated person must acquire for practical purposes.
How to Write a Letter
The most important element of writing a good letter is your ability to identify and write to your audience. If you are writing a letter to your love interest, it will be crafted in an entirely different manner than if you are writing a letter to the human resources department of a large corporation. Learning to write a good letter also takes practice, knowledge about proper form and the ability to put into words your feelings, thoughts, and/or ideas. If you learn the basic parts of a letter, it will help you to create letters for a variety of audiences and occasions.
1.2.1. The Presentation of the Letter
The presentation of the letter can be hand-written for informal letters (friendly letters) that are addressed to friends and family members, especially thank-you letters.
Formal letters which are written on behalf of businesses or to professional contacts (business letters) should always be typed. The letter should also be free of grammatical and spelling errors, so proofreading it after it is written is of the utmost importance.
Parts of the Letter: 
If writing an email, Your Address, Date, and Inside Address should be ommited. 
Your Address
At the top of your letter, you will put your address, so the reader will know where to send their reply to. 
Date
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. June, 7, 2014. 
Inside Address
The inside address is only required for a paper business letter and will include the address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name. If you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank or try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources".
The Greeting
The greeting will address the recipient that the letter is being sent to. This is usually completed in the form of "Dear Anne" or "Hey Anne", for less formal letters.
The Introductory Paragraph
The first paragraph and will generally outline the purpose for the letter and the reason that the letter is being sent. This can address any issues that are outstanding and is used to set the tone for the entire rest of the letter. In this first paragraph, the summary of the letter can be found and the intentions which will be displayed through the rest of the letter should be outlined. From the first paragraph of the letter, the recipient should be able to note the tone of the letter.
The Body
The body of the letter will expand upon the introductory paragraph and you can extend your thoughts and feelings further when it comes to the letter. The body of the letter will usually be just a few paragraphs for most letters.
The Closing Paragraph
In the closing paragraph of the letter, you will close the letter and finish any thoughts that have been mentioned.
The Complimentary Close
The complimentary close of the letter comes in various forms from yours truly, if you are familiar with the recipient, to a traditional sincerely which is a versatile closing that can be used in a variety of letters detailing many situations.
1.2.2. Rules for all letters 
It is important that your handwriting be neat and clear. 
The writer's address is written in the top right-hand corner. 
Leave a space between the address and date. 
Spell out the month in full, e.g. 15th February 2006 
Begin the letter Dear . . . . , on the left-hand side. 
The first paragraph of the letter begins under the person's name. 
A formal letter usually ends with either: Yours sincerely, or Yours faithfully, followed by your signature. (Note: 'Yours', always begins with a capital letter, but 'sincerely' and 'faithfully' begin with a small letter. 
Always use plain unlined paper and the same colour envelopes. A large size writing pad is best for most letters. 
Write your letter in blue or black pen only. 
Revise the rules for using capital letters. 
Always use paragraphs when writing a letter
The situation
Have you ever wondered, when these smart phones, SMS, email and other modes of transmitting information was not available to the people, then how they convey their messages to others? You might have known about letters, which are used by individuals earlier to interchange information, however, nowadays their use is confined to business and official purposes only. Letters are a form of verbal and written communication, which contains information or message, send by one party to another, to convey the message.
There are two types of letters, i.e. formal letters and informal letters. The former is used for professional purposes, while the latter is used for personal purposes.
Definition of Formal Letters
A formal letter is any letter written in the professional language, with a prescribed format for a formal purpose, i.e. it can be a recommendation letter, enquiry letter, complaint letter, cover letter and so on. All business letters are formal, but vice versa is not possible. Such letters are used for a variety of reasons like a formal invitation, proposal, reference, making a complaint or inquiry, applying for a job. While writing a formal letter one should keep in mind the following things:
It should be in specified format.
It should avoid the use of unnecessary words.
It should be straight to the point.
It should be relevant and objective.
It should be complex and thorough.
It should be polite, even if it is a complaint letter.
It should be free from any mistakes, i.e. grammatical or spelling.
Definition of Informal Letters
An informal letter is a letter written to someone; we know fairly well. The letter can be used for some reasons like conveying message, news, giving advice, congratulate recipient, request information, asking questions, etc. It is a personal letter, written to whom you are familiar with, like friends, siblings, parents or any other closed one. There is no specific format prescribed for writing this letter.
While writing an informal letter, one can afford to be friendly, and make use personal or emotional tone. Slang or colloquial terms, codes, abbreviations, etc. can also be used at the time of writing it, depending on the familiarity with the recipient.
In the writing tasks in Tieng Anh 10 there are some letter writing tasks. Students find it difficult to write them.
UNIT 4: SPECIAL EDUCATION - Writing a letter of complaint
After studying for two weeks at English for Today Center, you notice that everything is worse than what the advertisement says. Write a letter of complaint about that.
Le Thi Linh – 10A1 wrote:
Student’s writing
Errors
1. She only wrote the part which is required to complete .
2. Some spelling mistakes:
- adversiment → advertisement
- cascettle →cassette
- classrom → classroom
- finisho → finishes
3. Grammar errors:
- Vietnam → Vietnamese
- classrom are → classrooms are
UNIT 6: AN EXCURSION – Writing a confirmation letter
Read the situations and write a confirmation letter responding to each of them
Lan is going to have a birthday party at 8:00 p.m on Saturday. She asks you to buy her two bunches of bananas, three kilos of oranges, ten mangoes, and bring them to her house an hour before the party. You agree to help her.
Vu Thi Trang – 10A12 wrote:
Student’s writing
Errors
1. Grammar errors:
- I’m is → You are
- for → for it
- will you buy → will buy you
2. Copy the request of the task, not the writing “bring them to her house an hour before the party. You agree to help me”
UNIT 8: THE STORY OF MY VILLAGE – Writing an informal letter: Giving directions
Your house is A on the map. Write a letter to Jim, telling him the way to your house from Roston Railway Station. 
Bui Anh Quan – 10A1 wrote:
Student’s writing
Errors
1. Shouldn’t use “You can take a taxi” when giving the directions.
2. Some mistakes:
- souvenir → souvenir shop
- home → house
- beside to → next to
- ,my house is beside to → .My house is next to it.
UNIT 10: CONSERVATION – Writing a letter of invitation
Nam invites his friend – Lam, who is now living in a different town, to spend a weekend with him. Help Nam to write a letter, using the cues below.
Dear Lam,
we/ not meet/ since/ you/ move.
I/ miss/ a lot.
we/ both/ have/some days-off/ between/ two terms/ soon.
if/ not make/ other plans/ why/ not spend/ weekend/ together?
feel/ like/ visit/ forest/ near/ my grandparents’/ again?
Look/ quite different/ now/ because/ very many young trees/ plant/ the Tree-Planting Festivals.
Do come/ if/ find/ possible/ and/ I/ make/ all/ preperations.
Give/ love/ your parents.
Your friends,
Nam
Truong Văn Kien – 10A1 wrote:
Student’s writing
Errors
1. He hadn’t finishes his writing yet.
2. Grammar errors:
- are move → moved
- are we not → don’t we
- in → omit “in”
UNIT 11: NATIONAL PARKS – Writing a letter of acceptance or refusal
One of your friends has invited you to go for a picnic to Cuc Phuong National Park next weekend. Write a reply letter accepting or declining his/ her invitation
Dang Thi Khanh Linh – 10A12 wrote:
Student’s writing
Errors
Some errors:
- fresh air there → the fresh air there
- make → do
- revising and reviewing → revising (because “revising” has closest meaning to “reviewing”
Chapter 2: The solution
In order to improve writing skill in writing letters for students, I guided students distinguish formal and informal letters and carried out some eliciting exercises in optional classes at classes 10A1 in this school-year (2016-2017) so that students can realize the form of letters. I gave out posters and handouts with the eliciting exercises for these writing tasks. In order to help students distinguish these types of letters profoundly, I often ask them revise and repeat these notes when the letter writing is given out.
First, I ask students to complete this table in order to realize which letter is formal and which is informal
Exercise 1: Complete this table
Allotted time: 2-5 minutes 
written in formal language, in the stipulated format, for official purpose
written in an friendly manner, to someone you are familiar with
Personal Communication
Professional Communication
No prescribed format.
Written in prescribed format only.
First person - Business letters, third person - others.
Business, college/institute, employer, organizations, etc.
Friends, family, acquaintances etc.
First, second or third person.
Active
Long and complex
Concise
Used
Passive
Short and simple
Large or concise
Avoided
Comparison Table
BASIS FOR COMPARISON
FORMAL LETTER
INFORMAL LETTER
Meaning
Objective
Format
Written in
Written to
Voice
Sentences
Size
Contractions and Abbreviations
Key: See (Appendix 1)
After doing this exercise, students can identify formal and informal letters. So, before start writing letter, first of all, they should identify who is the recipient. If they are having a professional relationship with the recipient, then they should go for a formal letter, whereas if the recipient is someone very close to them or they know the recipient well, then the informal letter is the right choice for them.
Then, I give students some other exercises to know how to use language in each type of letters.
Exercise 2: Ticking
Allotted time: 1-2 minutes 
FORMAL LETTER
INFORMAL LETTER
One address (yours)
Two addresses (yours and the recipient's)
Love/Yours/Best wishes + first name
Dear Sir/Madam
Dear Mr/Mrs + surname
Dear + first name
Yours faithfully + full name
Yours sincerely + full name
Key: See (Appendix 2)
Exercise 3: Letter Writing Quiz. Put a tick in the box beside the correct answer. 
Allotted time: 1-2 minutes 
1. When you write an informal or formal letter you always put your address on: 
A. The top left 	
B. The bottom left 	
C. The top right hand corner hand corner hand corner 
2. The date of a letter always goes: 
	A. Under your address 	B. Under your signature 	C. Under the greeting 
3. When you do not know the name of the person you are writing to you begin your letter with: 
	A. Dear Sir 	B. Hi 	C. Dear Sir/Madam 
4. In a formal letter when you know the name of the person you are writing to the sign off you use is: 
	A. Yours faithfully 	B. Yours sincerely 	C. Lots of Love 
5. You are writing to a person called