Title: How to write a letter of application or request?

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

Pass it on. Writing application letter.

Target group

6th‑grade students of an eight‑year elementary school.

Core curriculum

II. Language skills.

2. Language differentiation. Student:

2) uses the official and unofficial variation of Polish;

3) uses a style appropriate to the communication situation;

7) uses a style appropriate to the intended purpose of communication;

3. Linguistic communication and language culture. Student:

1) identifies a text as a message, distinguishes between different types of messages: informational; literary, advertising, iconic;

2) identifies the sender and recipient of the statement;

3) defines the communicative situation and understands its influence on the statement;

7) understands the language etiquette and applies its rules.

III. Creating expressions

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

1) takes part in a discussion on a given topic, can separate its parts and structural signals strengthening the bond among the participants of the dialogue and explaining meaning;

2) distinguishes the arguments that refer to logic and facts and those that refer to emotions;

3) creates logical, semantically complete and structured statement, using composition and layout adequate to the given genre, understands the role of paragraphs in creating consistent statement;

4) selects information;

5) knows the rules of creating paragraphs;

6) identifies the means of persuasion and understands their function.

2. Speaking and writing Student:

1) creates coherent statements in the following categories of literary composition: argumentative text;

IV. Self‑education. Student:

5) uses Polish language dictionaries, both general and specific and the dictionary of literary terms.

The general aim of education

Students learn to write an application letter and to choose best arguments.

Operational objectives

Student:

• uses a Polish language dictionary;

• gives different meanings of the word application;

• explains what elements should an application have;

• plans layout of the application;

• uses basic polite forms;

• uses arguments;

• writes his own application.

Methods/techniques

• problematic: conversation;

• practical: subject exercises;

• programmed: using computer, using e‑textbook.

Forms of work

• uniform individual activity;

• group activity;

• collective activity.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the class: students will get to know what elements should the application have, in what situations it is submitted and they will write their own application.

2. The teacher asks students to do the interactive exercise number 1 in which they have to search in the on‑line Polish language dictionary PWN definition of the word “application” and understand its different meanings.

Realization

1. The teacher informs that during this lesson students will focus on the “application” as «a letter of requests addressed to authorities» and asks students to whom and on what matter the application can be submitted. The teacher points out that the application is characterised by the same structure and asks students to list the elements that it should include.

2. Students do the interactive exercise number 1 – from the set of elements they chose those that should be included in the application (i.a: the sender’s details, place and date, signature).

3. The teacher emphasises that the application/request letter is written on the A4 paper size and particular information are placed in the same, predictable for the recipient places, for example: the date should always be in the upper right corner, and the upper left corner – the sender’s details. The teacher reminds about handwritten signature, which is an indispensable element of the application. He/she asks students what they think, why handwritten signature should be used, what it expresses.

4. Students do the interactive exercise number 2 (interactive map), in which they have to graphically plan the particular elements of the application letter.

5. The teacher informs that – to increase the chances for the request to be reviewed successfully – it is worth to support it with convincing arguments. He/she asks students what the arguments are and in what situations we use them. Students should indicate everyday situations, such as persuading parents to raise their pocket money, buy a dog or ask the teacher to raise their grades.

6. In groups students think what arguments would they use in their letter in which they will ask for:

Group I: organising a school trip to a chosen city.

Group II: refunding the tickets cost because of a significant train delay.

Group III: school field renovation and building an outdoor gym.

Group IV: allocating some funds for cleaning the littered piece of forest.

Group V: refunding the tickets cost because of a significant train delay.

Representatives of the groups present arguments. Next, the teacher makes anonymous voting on the most accurate, according to students, arguments. The students on the cards give the number of the group, which in their opinion presented the most convincing arguments. After counting the votes, the members of the winning group can be rewarded.

7. The teacher informs that the letter of application should contain polite forms. Students do the interactive exercise number 3 in which they chose the expressions that, according to them, can be used in the application letter (i.e: Dear Madam, Sincerely, Kind Regards, etc.).

Summary

The teacher initiates a summary discussion about:

• Who can use the skill of writing an application?

• For what purpose do we write applications?

• Which element of the application seems the most difficult for you? Why?

• Which element of the application seems the most important to you? Why?

Homework

Write an application letter in which you will ask to be accepted to your chosen secondary or high school. Don’t forget about finding and including all the necessary information (like the address of the school).

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How to write a letter of application or request?

A letter, a story, passing the ball to another player or the distance that the ball crosses? It wasn’t difficult to guess the right meaning of the word that we will deal with today. Probably all of you were right and you know that we will talk about a letter. Do you know to whom can the application/request letter be directed? On what matters? What elements should it contain?

Remember that your application/request letter should be written on the size A4 paper and particular information should be placed in the same, predictable for the reader, places. For example, in the top right corner there should always be the date and in the top left corner – the sender's details. You should also remember about the signature. The composition of the official letter in English is slightly different – the example is given at the end.

To increase your chances for your request to be fulfilled, it is worth to support it with some convincing arguments.

Letter of request and letter of application should contain the appropriate polite forms.

How to write an official letter in English? It is very simple.

Now you know how to write a really good letter. Try it!