WRITE A THANK-YOU EMAIL
LESSON 5 WRITE A THANK-YOU EMAIL
Choose a warm-up activity from the Warm-Up Activity Bank on page xxii.
• Read the lesson title and the social media message aloud. Ask, Where have you been where you met a lot of smart, interesting people? Give Ss time to share
answers in small groups. Accept any reasonable answers. Answers might include work, school, or vacation.
1 BEFORE YOU WRITE
• Ask, What are some ways we say thank you in English?
Elicit answers from the class.
• Make a list of their answers on the board. Accept any reasonable answers.
• Focus attention on the questions. Put Ss in pairs or small groups to discuss when they last sent someone a thank-you letter or email, who it was to, and what it was for.
• Have groups summarize their discussions.
LANGUAGE NOTE There are many ways to say thank you in English: Thank you, Thanks, Thanks so much, I really appreciate it, You shouldn’t have, I don’t know what to say, You’re the best, I owe you one, What would I do without you, Thanks a bunch, I can’t thank you enough.
CULTURE NOTE Thank-you cards are sent for a variety of reasons. In the United States, some of the common reasons to send a thank-you card include when you receive a gift for a birthday, wedding, housewarming, or some other occasion; when someone hosts an event to honor you or to which you are invited; when you are an overnight guest in someone’s home; or after a job interview. Handwritten cards are nice, but these days many people send thank-you notes via email or even text messaging.
TEACHING TIP Bring in sample thank-you cards to show Ss the variety of types that are available. Use the cards to write thank-you notes whenever Ss bring you a gift.
• Draw attention to the email messages. Say, Elena’s two email messages are similar in some ways and different in others.
• Give Ss time to read the email messages. For higher- level Ss, let them read individually and silently. For lower-level Ss, read the email messages aloud or ask a volunteer to read aloud. Go over any vocabulary as necessary.
• Have volunteers share what they found was similar and different about the email messages.
EXTENSION Go over any new vocabulary items from the email messages. These words might be new for Ss:
obviously = easily understood, clear
convenient = fitting well with a person’s needs or schedule
venue = location promoting = advertising
catch up = discuss what has happened since last time ceviche = seafood dish made from raw fish and citrus juices
homemade = made at home, not made in a store or factory
keep in touch = remain in contact
EXTENSION Bring some of your own thank-you email messages or thank-you email messages you find online to show or project. Ask Ss to compare these to Elena’s emails in the textbook. How are they the same, and how are they different?
• Tell Ss to pay attention to the email messages in the textbook again. Say, Each email has a greeting, a main reason for saying thanks, details for saying thanks, and a closing.
• Give Ss time to complete the chart.
• Draw a chart like the one in the textbook on the board. To review, solicit volunteers to complete the missing sections.
EXTENSION Using email thank-you messages of your own or that you found online, have Ss identify the parts of the email messages: greeting, main reason for saying thanks, details for saying thanks, and closing. Have Ss compare messages.
UNIT 7 T-87
2 FOCUS ON WRITING
• Tell Ss to keep their books closed. Ask, What does it mean to be formal? (more professional, more serious) Ask, Who might you write to more formally? (bosses, colleagues, employers) Who might you write to less formally? (friends, family) How do you know what level of formality to use? Let’s answer that together.
• Ask Ss to open their books. Read the Writing Skill aloud. Ask, What are some examples of contractions that should be avoided in formal writing? Review contractions if necessary so Ss know what to avoid.
• Tell Ss to reread Elena’s first email message. Have them underline the formal expressions that match the informal language listed.
• Circulate to help as needed.
• Have Ss complete the exercise individually and then compare their items in pairs. Go over answers with the whole class.
EXTENSION Have Ss identify the contractions in Elena’s second email message. (I’ll, I’m, It’s) Ask Ss to underline the sentences in Elena’s second email message that are not full sentences. Have SS rewrite Elena’s second email message to make it more formal.
3 PLAN YOUR WRITING
• Tell Ss they are going to write a thank-you card. Read the instructions with the questions. Have Ss make a list and then choose one person to thank.
• Say, Using a chart similar to the one in 1C will help you include all the parts of a thank-you letter. Draw your own chart on the board as a model:
Greeting: Dear Mr. Smith (my boss)
Main reason for saying thanks: loaning me a book
Details: the book helped me finish some research I was doing
Closing: Sincerely, First and Last Name
• Give Ss time to make a chart. Circulate to help as needed.
• Pair Ss to share their charts and talk about who they want to thank and what they are thanking this person for.
Encourage Ss to ask questions about the reasons and people. This might provide more details for the letters.
4 WRITE
• Give Ss time to write their thank-you emails. Remind them to use their charts and to review the emails on page 86 in 1B as a model. Tell them to think about who the email is to and remind them to use the right level of formality.
• Review the parts of an email and have Ss include greetings, main reasons for saying thanks, details for saying thanks, and closings.
5 REVISE YOUR WRITING
• Arrange Ss in mixed-level pairs. This way, lower- level Ss benefit from seeing models of more complex writing, and higher-level Ss benefit from reviewing key English skills as they give their partners suggestions for improvement.
• Ask Ss to exchange and read each other’s emails.
Have them answer the two questions about their partner’s writing.
• Draw attention to the Writing tip and give Ss time to read aloud.
• Have Ss give peer feedback and discuss how improvements can be made. Encourage them to use the charts and questions in 5A as a guide to help offer feedback.
• Encourage Ss to suggest ways they can add more details or add more formality.
• Walk around as Ss work and check that Ss’ feedback is correct and constructive.
• Invite volunteers to share with the class any
suggestions that were particularly useful or interesting.
6 PROOFREAD
• Give Ss time to review their partners’ feedback and make corrections. If there is a piece of feedback they still don’t understand, encourage them to ask their partner for clarification.
• Have Ss review their writing individually three times:
first for spelling, then for punctuation, and finally for capitalization.
• If many edits were made, encourage Ss to rewrite a clean version of their thank-you email.
EXIT TICKET Ask, What are you most thankful for learning in this unit? Have Ss write their names on a blank card or piece of paper. Ask them to write a short statement of what they are most glad they learned from Unit 7 in this textbook. They can include any information they learned from classmates or the teacher as well. Give an example: I am thankful we learned about thank-you cards because I am looking for a job and will have to write letters after job interviews. Collect cards as Ss leave. Read the cards to identify areas for review in later lessons and to identify other content Ss need or want to learn.
Read the emails again. Complete the chart.
Parts of the emails Email #1 Email #2
Greeting Hey Silvia,
Main reason for saying thanks
planning and hosting a conference
Details for saying thanks Latin American music,
beautiful view, fantastic food
Closing Sincerely,
Elena Rubio
2 FOCUS ON WRITING
Read the Writing Skill. Then reread the fi rst email. Underline the formal expressions in the email that have the same meaning as the informal expressions below.
1. Thank you so much for organizing the conference…
2. Thanks for letting me present…
3. …it was great to get the chance…
4. You and your staff made sure the conference went well…
5. your staff was always there to help…
3 PLAN YOUR WRITING
THINK Who is someone you could send a thank-you email to? Why could you thank this person? Draw a chart like the one in 1C.
PAIRS Talk about who you could thank and why you could thank this person.
4 WRITE
Write a thank-you email to the person you chose in 3A. Include a main reason for saying thanks and specifi c details. Use the right level of formality. Choose one of the emails in 1B as a model.
5 REVISE YOUR WRITING
PAIRS Exchange emails and read each other’s writing.
1. Did your partner include a main reason for saying thanks and specifi c details?
2. Did your partner use the right level of formality?
PAIRS Can your partner improve his or her email? Make suggestions.
6 PROOFREAD
Read your email again. Check your
• spelling
• punctuation
• capitalization
WRITING SKILL Choose the right level of formality
Think about who you are writing to and why you are writing to this person. This will help you to decide whether to use formal or informal language. Formal writing usually has full sentences and more professional greetings and closings. It usually does not have contractions or emotional language.
Writing tip
Read your fi rst draft out loud several times. This will help you know if it sounds too formal or informal.
87 UNIT 7 I CAN WRITE A THANK-YOU EMAIL.
Dear Dr. Borck:
choosing a convenient venue, promoting the event, preparing the room and equipment, having helpful staff
taking her out for lunch
Best, Elena
1 PRESENTATION PROJECT
07-19 Listen or watch. What is the topic of the presentation?
07-20 Listen or watch again. Answer the questions.
1. How does Junio describe the place in the presentation?
2. What three activities does Junio recommend doing there?
Read the presentation skill. How can this skill help your audience?
Make your own presentation.
Step 1 Think about a place that you are interested in or have visited. Recommend three activities your classmates should do there.
Step 2 Prepare a two-minute presentation about the activities you recommend.
Bring an item or picture that is related to the place or activities.
Step 3 Give your presentation to the class.
Remember to use the presentation skill.
Answer questions and get feedback.
2 REFLECT AND PLAN
Repeat your main ideas
To emphasize the most important points of your presentation, say them more than once.
PRESENTATION SKILL
Look back through the unit. Check (✓) the things you learned. Highlight the things you need to learn.
Speaking objectives Talk about air travel
preferences
Talk about travel memories Discuss past transportation
predictions
Vocabulary Air travel terms
Train and car travel terms
Conversation
Show strong agreement
Pronunciation
Reduced pronunciation of than
Listening
Listen for adverbs of degree
Grammar
Comparisons with gerund and noun phrases Past habits with would /
used to It + past passive
Reading
Identify problems and solutions
Writing
Choose the right level of formality
What will you do to learn the things you highlighted?
For example, use your app, review your Student Book, or do other practice. Make a plan.
In the app, do the Lesson 3 Listening activities:
Discuss past transportation predictions
Notes Done
How did you do? Complete the self-evaluation on page 165.
PUT IT TOGETHER
88 UNIT 7
Answers may vary. Possible answer: The presentation is about things to do in Osaka.
Junio describes Osaka as a large beautiful city in Japan with lots of interesting things to do.
Junio recommends seeing a traditional puppet show, riding the Ferris wheel in Osaka Bay, and visiting Osaka Castle Park.
UNIT 7 T-88
PUT IT TOGETHER
1 PRESENTATION PROJECT
• Have Ss look at the picture on the right. Ask, Where do you think this is? Let Ss guess. The answer is Osaka, but make a list of any cities Ss mention. Ask, What are some things you see in the picture? (bridge, Ferris wheel, skyscrapers/buildings, water, lights) If Ss haven’t named the right city yet, say, This city is in Japan.
What are some big cities in Japan? Stop them when someone guesses Osaka.
• Tell Ss to listen to or watch the student presentation.
Remind them to listen for the main idea, not the details, at this stage. Then ask, What is the topic of the presentation? Review the answer as a class.
• Give Ss time to preview the questions. In pairs, have them recall information from the presentation and guess the answers based on what they remember.
• Have Ss listen or watch again. Ask them to complete the exercise individually.
• Have Ss compare their answers in pairs. Review the answers as a class.
• Have Ss discuss in pairs if their predictions were correct.
• Ask, What is something surprising and new you learned about Osaka, Japan? Have you ever been there?
Would you like to try the activities discussed in the presentation? Why or why not? Invite volunteers to share their answers with the class.
EXTENSION Have Ss do a quick online search of Osaka, Japan, and find one more activity that they think sounds interesting. Make a list on the board.
• Read the Presentation Skill aloud. Explain that this is a good strategy because it helps your listeners focus on the most important points.
• Give Ss a copy of the script of the presentation. Ask them to look at how the speaker used this presentation skill. Have Ss find a partner and take turns to read the presentation script. Circulate to help Ss see where the main ideas were repeated.
• Tell them they will make their own presentation about a place they have visited or are interested in visiting.
They will include three activities that they recommend.
• Give Ss time to list ideas for their presentations.
Remind them to repeat the main ideas in their presentation.
• For homework, ask Ss to prepare a two-minute presentation based on their notes. Have them refer to the following checklist as they practice their presentations:
Use vocabulary from Lessons 1–3 if needed.
State the place they recommend.
Recommend three activities to do there and details about each one.
Repeat main ideas.
Speak slowly and clearly.
• Remind Ss to bring in an item or picture related to the place or activities to use during their presentations.
• Back in class, write the checklist on the board. Tell the class to refer to it as they watch each other’s presentations and prepare to give each other constructive feedback.
• Have Ss give their presentations. Leave 2–3 minutes for questions and comments after each presentation.
• Encourage Ss to complete the self-evaluation on page 165.
EXTENSION Make a list of the places from the presentations on the board. Ask, Which place do you most want to visit after hearing the presentations?
Have Ss also share the reasons for their answer and which activities they most want to do.
2 REFLECT AND PLAN
• Have Ss complete the checklists individually. Walk around and answer any questions. Encourage Ss to look back at each lesson in the unit.
• Have Ss highlight the things they need to study or practice more and compare their checklists in pairs.
• Have Ss work individually to think about what might help them learn the topics they highlighted. Refer individual Ss to specific handouts, app practice,
workbook pages, etc., to help them master any problem areas. Encourage them to make a study plan.
• If Ss feel confident about all of the topics in this unit, encourage them to think of other topics they need to learn.
• Then invite Ss to walk around and compare their ideas for learning different topics.