Giáo án Writing

Ss activate prior knowledge about vocational courses and identify the reasons for writing a request letter to a college.

Ss look at the picture prompts on the slide (a welder, an electrician at work, a hotel receptionist, a student in a training workshop) and answer the questions: What kind of job does each picture show? Would you choose a vocational course or an academic course after Grade 11? Why? What information would you need before deciding?

Ss list at least three pieces of information they would need before enrolling in a vocational course, for example entry requirements, tuition, qualification, practical training and progression options. The class agrees that a request letter is a useful way to ask for this information.

Ss identify the purpose, audience, structure and specific details of the model request letter about an electrical-training course.

Ss read the model letter silently and then answer the questions in Worksheet 1: (1) Who is the recipient? (2) What is the purpose of the letter? (3) Which sentence introduces the situation? (4) Which sentences ask for specific information? (5) How does the letter close? Ss work in groups of four, each group taking a different question (jigsaw), then share the answers with the whole class.

Ss complete the analysis table: Recipient: Admissions Officer. Purpose: to ask for information about the electrical-training course before the open day. Opening sentence: 'I am a Grade 11 student interested in your electrical-training course.' Specific requests: entry requirements, qualification, supervised practical work, safety training, tuition fees, financial support, progression to a higher-level course, link to the prospectus. Closing: 'Thank you for your time. I look forward to your reply.' Ss also state that the letter uses a formal register with 'Dear' and 'Yours faithfully'.

Ss understand and use perfect participle clauses (Having + past participle) to show an earlier action in a formal request letter.

T presents the language box: A perfect gerund (having + past participle) names an earlier action: She regretted having missed the open day. A perfect participle clause places an action before the main one: Having read the course introduction, I would like to request further information. The participle clause and main clause normally share a subject. Passive perfect forms are having been + past participle. Ss find the perfect participle clause in the model letter and answer: Which action happens first? Who is the subject of both clauses? Ss then combine two sentences: 'I read the course introduction. I want more information.' becomes 'Having read the course introduction, I want more information.'

Ss identify the model clause 'Having read the course introduction' and write: The action 'read' happens first; the subject 'I' is shared by both clauses. Ss complete the combinations: (a) 'I compared the entry requirements. I decided to write to you.' → 'Having compared the entry requirements, I decided to write to you.' (b) 'I had visited the campus. I am now interested in the electrical course.' → 'Having visited the campus, I am now interested in the electrical course.' (c) 'The course had been advertised online. I found it on your website.' → 'Having been advertised online, the course ... ' is not suitable because the subject does not match; correct version: 'Having seen the course advertised online, I found it on your website.'

Ss practise identifying the purpose, opening sentence and key information in the model letter and write a short summary using only the given information.

Ss complete the exercises from the student's book: Exercise 2: State the purpose and audience of the request letter and support your answer with one detail. Exercise 3: Explain how the opening introduces the topic and identify the opening sentence. Exercise 5: Write a three-sentence summary using only information in the model. Keep any essential condition or limit.

Exercise 2 (answer key): Audience: the Admissions Officer of the college. Purpose: to ask for current information on entry, practical work, fees and progression for the electrical-training course. Supporting detail: 'Having read the course introduction, I would like to request further information before attending the open day.' Exercise 3 (answer key): The opening substantive sentence is 'I am a Grade 11 student interested in your electrical-training course.' It introduces the specific situation before the supporting details. Exercise 5 (sample summary): 'I am a Grade 11 student interested in your electrical-training course. Having read the course introduction, I would like to request further information before attending the open day. I look forward to your reply.'

Ss write a complete request letter asking about a vocational course, with a coherent message, specific support and an appropriate formal register.

Ss write a request letter to the Admissions Officer of a vocational college about a course they are interested in (for example, a cookery, electrical, IT or hospitality course). The letter must include: a greeting, an opening sentence stating the purpose, at least three specific questions (entry requirements, qualification, practical training, tuition fees, financial support or progression), one perfect participle clause, and a polite closing. Ss use the vocabulary: vocational, academic, qualification, apprenticeship, prospectus, tuition. Any example fee or date must be labelled as an example. Ss who finish early exchange letters with a partner and give one piece of feedback using the genre checklist.

A complete request letter of about 100–130 words in the notebook, with: Dear Admissions Officer, an opening stating the purpose, at least three specific requests, one perfect participle clause (for example, 'Having read the course description, I would like to...'), a closing 'Thank you for your time. I look forward to your reply.' and the sign-off 'Yours faithfully, [name]'. Ss also complete a self-check mark for each genre feature.