Extension Worksheet Topic 6 s1

Cambridge English B for the IB Diploma

Worksheet 3.4: Letter writing

This worksheet supports Chapter 3, Activities 3.1 and 3.2 on pages 107–109 of the IB English B coursebook.

Here is a copy of Text 3.7, on page 108. Read this letter carefully, and then carry out the instructions that follow. These will help you with your responses to Activities 3.1 and 3.2.

Text 3.7

Dear Ms. X,

Over the past six years, each morning, as soon as my

students walk in the door… I am so happy to see them

again and see my classroom take on life again; It feels

so natural to me to be a primary school teacher. Yet

for the past few months I am longing for and thinking

about a new personal challenge in the field of primary

education. As I am very much intrigued by different

cultures and languages I have decided to start looking

for a position at an international school.

Your school attracted my attention, as it is a

relatively young international school and I would like

to be member of a pioneering and ambitious team. I

also like the fact it is a Dutch subsidised school with

competitive fees, so it is open to a very broad variety

of students. Last, I value the fact that the experience

of living in Amsterdam and the Netherlands are being

used and added to within the multicultural setting of

your school, as I think this city and also the Dutch

culture have much to offer.

Initially I am interested in positions in groups

3–8. To me, children of these ages are still very

spontaneous and eager to learn and at the same time

able to communicate and discuss well. But in view of

my university education, teaching secondary school

students might be a future job possibility to me.

I am an open minded person with excellent social

skills. I tolerate pressure easily. Group management,

organising and planning is natural to me. I graduated

at an outstanding technical university and worked

several years as an consulting engineer and groupleader

in the field of logistics and general management.

This way I developed my rational, analytical and

coordinating skills. Then I decided to really follow my

heart and passion and became a primary school teacher.

I believe value would be added to your organisation

by my skills and enthusiasm and I would very much

appreciate to be interviewed so that we could discuss

more about the job description, my motivation and

suitability.

Yours sincerely,

Candidate Y

1 Here is the list of common features to be found in most letters, from Activity 3.1 on page 107 of the coursebook. Read Text 3.7 again, highlighting or underlining these features, with a note alongside the text to identify each one.

Addressee / A clearly defined target audience.
Background information / This helps the reader place the letter in a context.
Purpose / In many forms of letter writing, it is common to state the purpose clearly.
Content / Although every letter is different, many have a ‘body’ that explains, illustrates, tells a story or makes an argument.
Call to action / Most letters reiterate the main purpose or allude to the future.
Signature / Before you write your name, you can use one of these ‘signatures’, depending on the context.

2 Here is a list of the common mistakes made in letter writing, as in Activity 3.2 on page 109. On the copy of Text 3.7, highlight or underline any examples you can find for each of these common errors. You may find it helpful to use a different colour (or colours) from the one you used to highlight the key features for the previous question.

Grammar / Sometimes people place words in the wrong order.
Flow / Even though texts may be grammatically correct, the sentences do not sound good to the ears.
Register / We use certain words in different social contexts. Letters of application tend to be very formal, rather than personal or emotional.
Structure / While each text type does not have a fixed structure, they usually follow certain patterns.

Tip

You could use this list as a starting point for reviewing other types of text that you are studying in your English B course.