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ESOL Online. Every child literate - a shared responsibility.
Ministry of Education.

Letters requesting information

Teacher: Helen Nicholls

Summary

Curriculum area: English

Year: 10-13

Duration: 1-2 weeks

Language focus

  • Students analyse the language features and layout of a sample letter requesting information.

Learning outcomes

  •  Students write a letter requesting information, using appropriate language features and layout

Teaching and learning sequence

What sort of information do you need to put in this sort of letter and what sort of layout and language should you use?

Students can jot down two or three things they know already about this. Next they can write one question they need to know the answer to, in order to write a letter of request appropriately.

A model2 (Word 46KB) of a LetterRequestingInformation (Word 26KB)

Deconstruct this with the students, looking at structure and language. The purpose of this type of letter is to get information or forms from an organisation, for example a business or a government department. This sort of letter needs to:

  • state your contact details
  • state exactly what you want
  • add any special information such as the date by which you need the information.

Teacher and students write a letter together

You are doing research on a topic such as recycling and want information on the local council's policy. Write a letter together on the whiteboard or blackboard.

Do it yourself!

Write a similar letter to a company for information on a research issue, or to a local or national body on a local, current issue.

Check that you have:

  • given your contact details
  • given the reason for the letter in the first paragraph
  • given more specific details in the second paragraph
  • used a polite and formal tone
  • used the correct verb form.

Published on: 09 Jan 2018




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