Teaching students how to write a letter is an essential skill that they will need in their academic and professional careers. The greeting and closing of a letter are some of the most important aspects of a letter, as they set the tone and express the writer’s intent. To teach students about the greetings and closings of letters, the following activities can be used:
1. Match the Greeting and Closing:
This is a matching activity where students are provided with a list of different greetings and closings and are asked to match them correctly. This exercise helps students understand the appropriateness of different greetings and closings and the tone they should set.
2. Letter Writing Role Play:
In this activity, students take turns writing letters to each other and role-playing the sender and receiver. They should practice and manage the whole process from creating the content to selecting the appropriate greetings and closings.
3. Formal Vs. Informal:
Students can be given a list of greetings and closings and learn which ones are appropriate for formal and informal letters. They will learn the different language, structure and format of each kind and be aware of which setting they may be used in.
4. Creating a Collaborative Letter:
Divide the class into groups, where each student writes a section of the letter from the introduction to the closing. Then, the group collaborates to select the best greeting and closing for their letter.
5. Writing to a Pen Pal:
Students can be matched with other students from around the world, and they can write letters to each other based on the language and proper greetings and closings for that particular culture. Writing to a pen pal can be an excellent cultural learning tool that teaches students about nuances such as customs and greetings from different parts of the world.
In conclusion, activities are a great way to engage students and help them understand the essential components of letter writing, specifically the greetings and closings. It’s important to encourage students to think critically about what they’re writing and the tone they want to convey, ensuring that their choice of greeting and closing appropriately reflects the content of their letter. Teaching these skills will help set students up for success in their academic and professional lives.
