STUDY AND WRITING SKILLS
65
6.5
4
Work with a partner to discuss the following.
1
What is your opinion of the methods the writer uses
to teach her students?
2
Which do you prefer: traditional classroom learning
or the distance learning approach of the writer?
3
Do your think blended learning will become more
common in the future? Explain your answer.
4
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
blended learning.
WRITING SKILLS
A FORMAL LETTER
5
a
Quickly read the letter from the Head of a Students’
Union in a university. Then answer the questions.
1
What is the letter about?
2
Where will the event take place?
5
b
Read the letter again and choose the correct
answer to each question.
1
What is the title of the discussion?
a
Digital Resources
b
Digital Facilities
c
Digital Learning Resources
2
How did Helen Bloomfield hear about Mr Kim?
a
She saw his name in a journal.
b
Someone recommended him.
c
A student knew him well.
3
What does Mr Kim do when he travels abroad?
a
gives talks on the internet
b
makes presentations to schools
c
advises colleges and universities
4
How many people will be on the panel if Mr Kim
accepts the invitation?
a
3
b
4
c
5
5
What will Mr Kim do after the panel discussion?
a
answer questions
b
go to the airport
c
have dinner
6
Letter conventions
Are these statements true or
false? Correct the false statements.
1
A formal letter should always have a date.
2
You put the address of the person you are writing to
directly under your address.
3
You should begin a formal letter with
Dear
+ first
name + surname.
4
If you begin your letter with
Dear
+ name, you can
finish the letter with
Yours sincerely
or
Kind regards
.
5
You should end a formal letter by signing it and
typing your name and position under your signature.
6
In formal letters, you should use idiomatic phrases
and short forms such as
I’m, we’re, isn’t, aren’t
.
7
a
Make a list of things that Richard Kim might want
to ask Helen Bloomfield. What additional information
might he need, for example, travel information,
accommodation arrangements, etc.?
7
b
As Mr Kim, write a reply to Helen Bloomfield.
8
Work with a partner and compare your letters. Did
you ask the same questions? Comment on each other’s
letter organisation, language and style. Consider these
questions.
• Do the paragraphs have a logical order?
• Is the language grammatically correct?
• Is the vocabulary appropriate and well chosen?
• Is the style of the letter appropriate for the context and
person who receives the letter?
Mr Richard Kim
Head, Students’ Union
CEO, Education Unlimited
University of Helensbrough
Kungsbruhn 85
Scotland
Uppgang G8
11122 Stockholm
3200 Sweden
Telephone: +44 (0) 206 548
Email:
21st August
Dear Mr Kim,
As head of the Students’ Union at Helensbrough University,
I would like to invite you to take part in a panel discussion on
‘Digital Learning Resources’ which will be held in the Students’
Union building on 12 September from 2 p.m.– 4 p.m.
We would appreciate it greatly if you could join the panel
as a guest speaker. A visiting lecturer at our university,
Steffan Nielson, gave us your name. He suggested you
would be an ideal person to have on our panel. You are an
expert on the topic of digital learning, and we know that
you are an adviser to colleges and universities all over the
world on how to use digital resources. Your knowledge
and insights would be immensely valuable for the
undergraduates and graduates attending the discussion.
There will be three other experts on the panel in addition
to a student representative. Each of you will make a short
presentation of your ideas (5–10 minutes), after which
there will be questions from the audience.
Following the event, we would like to take you for dinner
to a local restaurant or, if you prefer, we could have dinner
with you at your hotel.
We hope that you will agree to be a guest speaker and look
forward to receiving your reply. If you need any further
information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Helen Bloomfield: Head of Students’ Union
