Language analysis (Meaning/Appropriacy/Use; Form; Phonology) for each item

Formal emails/Job Application Emails

In contrast to informal emails, formal emails are usually sent to people not known by the writer or
outside a company (Naunton, 2012). They are used in transactions such as apologising, booking
and ordering, and may be used to correspond with people at different levels in a company (ibid.).
According to Frendo (2005:82), transactional emails/letters aim to achieve a particular goal or
outcome. The goal of a job application email is to encourage the reader to include the applicant
on a shortlist of candidates and eventually, select the candidate for the advertised post. A job
application email therefore fits in with the definition of a transactional email.

Formal emails/Job Application Emails

Tricia Hedge (2005:22) provides a useful example of questions that could be considered by
learners when approaching any type of writing, and this checklist would be very useful when
writing job application emails to help learners identify the register and the content needed:

1. Who is my reader? A business owner or a senior manager at a company. In this case, and
English speaking foreigner.
2. Why exactly am I writing this? To apply for an advertised post a receptionist post at a local
hotel.
3. What effect do I want to have on the reader? To present myself as a suitable and capable
applicant for the post which is advertised. Learners will be able to identify this by comparing both
emails.
4. What kind of relationship do I want to establish with my reader? A formal, respectful relationship
which maintains appropriate social distance. Again, this should be evident in the email.
5. What do I need to say? Why I want the job and why Im a suitable candidate. This will be
evidenced in the skills, experiences and qualifications mentioned in the email.
6. How can I make it clear and accessible to my reader? By adhering to the structure of a job
application email. Emmerson proposes the following structure (in the second column, I have
included the text from the model email which will be used in class, and the language frame which
will be given to the learners is shown in a bold and underlined font.

Function Examples from the model email

Formal greeting (indented on the left) Dear Mr Koopman.

Learners attention should be drawn to

the use of Mrs/Miss/Ms, and also the
convention of using the title and
surname, e.g. Dear Mr Koopman
instead of Dear Chris Koopman.
Reason for writing I have seen your advertisement on
the Internet and I am writing to apply
Learners can be asked where else for the receptionist job in your hotel.
advertisements can be seen, for
example, on Facebook (the second
advertisement will be a Facebook one)
or in a newspaper attention should be
drawn to the different prepositions used.
Background and experience I am 19 years old, and I am studying for
a diploma in tourism. I have an
intermediate level of English and I can
As some learners may feel speak basic French. I also have a Red
uncomfortable about referring to their Cross First Aid certificate.
age, they can be told that other
personal details can be used, e.g.
nationality, home town. They can be
encouraged to notice this in the second
email.

In terms of what they are doing right

now, this could also include details of a
current job or their profession (e.g. I am
working in a hotel, I am a chef) rather
than details of studies, and if they have
already gained a qualification, they can
write I have a diploma/certificate in.
The job itself I am interested in doing this job
because I would like to have
As well as saying why they need the experience of working in a hotel. I am
job, learners should also be encouraged also a very responsible and hard-
to identify the importance of referring to working person.
personal qualities.
Reference to CV I have attached my CV as a PDF
document. You will notice that I
Learners should be encouraged to worked in a local hostel for two years
focus on one or two key points from the when I was at secondary school.
CV which can be drawn to the readers
attention.
Final comments I am available for interview every
morning and afternoon, from Monday to
Availability for interview are two Friday, and you can email me or
elements that can be included here. telephone me on 0982737473.
Others could include hoping that the job
application will be considered and
saying who will provide a reference.
However, for elementary level learners,
restricting it to two elements will be less
confusing.
Standard final sentence I look forward to receiving your reply.

Learners attention can be drawn to the

fact that this is a standard sentence that
can be used in any job application
email, and in more or less any other
type of formal email.
Formal ending Yours sincerely,

Learners attention can also be drawn to

the fact that they can also use Best
regards. If learners ask about Yours
faithfully, this can be covered in
emerging language, and explained in
 the context of using it with Dear
Sir/Madam, and contrasting this with the
use of Yours sincerely when the name
of the reader is known.
Based on Emmerson (2004:83)
As this is a job application email, addresses should not be included, and a suitable subject line
should be inserted. Sections for each of these are included in the writing frame.
7. What kind of style would be appropriate? Similar to a formal letter. Ideas should be presented
politely and carefully, and fixed expressions and formal words should be used. Grammar and
punctuation are important (ibid:8). Using a model letter will encourage the learners to notice the
formality of the language and the fixed expressions used, and identify that they signal politeness.
Contrasting the appropriate letter with the inappropriate one will also help them identify
inappropriate features and weaknesses, e.g. misspelling, failure to capitalise proper nouns, lack of
paragraphing, using informal and whatsapp language.
References:
Emmerson, P (2004). Email English. Macmillan Education.
Frendo, R (2005). How to Teach Business English. Longman.
Hedge, T (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press.
Naunton, J (2012). Business Result Intermediate supplementary materials. Oxford University Press.
https://elt.oup.com/elt/students/result/pdf/br_pre_emails.pdf and
https://elt.oup.com/elt/students/result/pdf/brint_introtoemails.pdf. Accessed 08/10/2016
Scan of first job advertisement poster
Scan of second job advertisement poster
From: andrea.recalde@gmail.com

To: rincondeolon@yahoo.com

Subject: Job Application (Receptionist)

Dear Mr Koopman,

I have seen your advertisement on the Internet and I am writing to apply for the
receptionist job in your hotel.

I am 19 years old, and I am studying for a diploma in tourism. I have an

intermediate level of English and I can speak basic French. I also have a First Aid
certificate.

I am interested in doing this job because I would like to have experience of

working in a hotel. I am also a very responsible and hard-working person.

I have attached my CV as a PDF document. You will notice that I worked in a local
hostel for two years when I was at secondary school.

I am available for interview every morning and afternoon, from Monday to Friday,
and you can email me or telephone me on 0982737473.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Andrea Recalde
From: carlos.gomez@gmail.com

To: rincondeolon@yahoo.com

Subject:

Hi chris,

Im sending this email because I wanna job at your hotel. Im Ecuadorian and I live
in Montaita. I can speak Spanish, and I know a little bit of Inglish. I want this job
because its from 9am to 5pm, so I can still go dancing and drinking with my
friends in Alcatraz nightclub every night. Dont worry, Im never late for work.
I cant send you a CV coz its on my pen drive and I lost it last week when I waz
dancing. I dont have any experencia of working in a hotel reception, but I wanna
learn. Pleeze have a look at my application and tell me what you think. We can
have a chat if ur interested.

See you soon,

Carlitos
From: andrea.recalde@gmail.com

To: rincondeolon@yahoo.com

1 _____________________________.

Subject: Job Application (Receptionist)

2 _____________________________.

Dear Mr Koopman,

3 _____________________________.

I have seen your advertisement on the Internet and I am writing to apply for the receptionist job in your
hotel.

4 i.___________________________. ii.____________________________. Iii. __________________________.

I am 19 years old, and I am studying for a diploma in tourism. I have an intermediate level of English and I can
speak basic French. I also have a First Aid certificate.

5 _____________________________.

I am interested in doing this job because I would like to have experience of working in a hotel. I am also a very
responsible and hard-working person.

6 i. _____________________________. ii. _____________________________.

I have attached my CV as a PDF. You will notice that I worked in a local hostel for two years when I was at
secondary school.

7 i. _____________________________. ii. _____________________________.

I am available for interview every morning and afternoon, from Monday to Friday, and you can email me or
telephone me on 0982737473.

8 _____________________________.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

9 ____________________________.

Yours sincerely,

Andrea Recalde
 Match the functions (a-l) with each section in the letter

a. Personal details

b. Greeting

c. Why she wants the job

d. Why shes writing

e. Subject line

f. Reference to CV

g. Work experience

h. Formal ending

i. Final comment (politely asking the reader to reply)

j. Availability for interview

k. Job/education and qualifications

l. Skills

m. Contact information
From: ____________________________

To: _______________________________

Subject: ___________________________

Dear ________________,

I have seen your advertisement ________________ and I am writing to apply for

__________________________.

I am ______________________, and I am _________________________. I have

_________________________ level of English and I can _________________. I
also have ____________________.

I am interested in doing this job because _________________________________

______________________. I am also ____________________________________.

I have attached my CV as _______________. You will notice that I _____________

___________________________________________________________________.

I am available for interview _____________________________________, and you

can ____________________________________.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours sincerely,

_____________________
Commentary (749 words)
I have been motivated to teach this group of elementary level learners to write simple job
application emails as I feel that this is a relevant skill which responds to their needs and day
to day context. As I have identified in my essay, elementary level coursebooks seem to have
few real-world formal writing tasks (e.g. formal emails). They tend to be tasks to practise
grammar and language points taught in the books, such as descriptions of their local area,
which is appropriate in terms of providing practice, but lacking in real-world application.
Byrne (1998:2) identifies a similar lack of relevance in English language examinations, in
which compositions such as My favourite pastime still feature.

I have chosen job application emails as a suitable type of formal email for this class as I feel
that they are likely to write a job application emails in English sometime in the future. Many
of the learners work in the tourism industry in Montaita, and many of the tourism
businesses here are owned by English-speaking foreigners; it is common to see notices
advertising for bilingual waiters, waitresses and hotel reception staff. In addition, some of
the students are public sector teachers. They might well be working to improve their
English skills to help them find jobs in bilingual schools which offer better salaries, and if
they find themselves in a position to apply for a post at one of those schools, they are likely
to have to write their application in English to show evidence of their level. One of Tricia
Hedges assumptions in terms of teaching writing is that classroom writing activities should
reflect the ultimate goal of enabling students to write whole texts which form connected,
contextualized and appropriate pieces of communication (Hedge, 2005:10), and my
approach will be consistent with this crucial belief.
In addition, while the learners are at a low level in terms of their English language skills,
many of them are university graduates, therefore they are unlikely to be intellectually
stimulated by writing descriptions of their daily routines. Although writing job application
emails is a challenging task at this level, they are more likely to find it engaging.
I have decided to use a product approach (albeit a highly scaffolded one) to teaching to
teaching job application emails due to the nature of the genre, the level of the class and the
time available.
As I identified in my essay, job application emails lend themselves well to a product
teaching approach, as their structures are very fixed (British Council, 2004). In addition, as
there are some very weak students in the class, a process approach would be too
challenging, and they would find it very difficult to participate in the discussions required as
part of a process approach to teaching writing. Providing a model is important in terms of
giving these learners appropriate scaffolding, and giving them a language frame based on
the lexical chunks and formulaic phrases identified will provide further scaffolding to help
them write their own composition. Finally, the fact that I only have a one-hour session with
this class means that taking a product approach is much more realistic, as there simply
wont be time to replicate the process of planning, drafting and editing, and possibly having
to go back to earlier stages before a final version is ready, as identified by Harmer in his
process wheel depiction of the writing process (Harmer, 2004:6).
Some of the main issues identified in my LSA were first language interference (being too
direct or too indirect) and learners unsure of what to write. By providing a model, learners
can identify examples of appropriate language, and this will also raise their awareness of
content. In addition, providing an example of an unsuitable email will provide further
scaffolding, as learners will be able to compare the structure and the formal language used
in formal emails with examples of less formal and therefore less appropriate usage.
However, this does not mean that I will totally ignore the process approach. One aspect of
this that I will use is brainstorming, to activate learners schemata about the job application
process and the qualities that an employer would look for in a candidate for a hotel
receptionist job. According to Hedge (2005:11), learners need to think of who theyre
writing for and how to influence that audience, and the collaborative aspects of the class
will help students develop a sense of purpose, audience and direction.
References:
British Council (2004). Product and Process Writing: A Comparison.
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/product-process-writing-a-comparison (accessed 09/10/2016)
Byrne, D (1988). Teaching Writing Skills. Longman.
Harmer, J (2004). How to Teach Writing. Longman.
Hedge, T (2005). Writing. Oxford University Press.
Stage Stage aim Time Procedure Interaction
Warmer To activate 2 T asks Learners to recall T-S
the learners minutes what they learnt in the S-S
schemata previous class with him
about the (CVs). Asks students to
topic of work together in groups to
applying for recall the six sections in a
jobs and to CV (Personal details,
make links education and
with previous qualifications, work
learning. experience, skills, interests
and references). T boards
sections in that order.
Lead-in To provide a 5 Teacher shows the learners T-S
context for minutes an advertisement for a
learning about receptionists job at a local S-S
job hotel which is likely to be
application known to the learners. T
emails and asks:
encourage What skills, experiences
learners to and qualifications would you
think about need to work as a
the qualities receptionist at Rincon de
and Olon?
experiences
that are Learners then work as a
needed for a group to brainstorm the
given job. skills, experiences and
qualifications needed. T
monitors, supports and
notes any emerging
language. Also identify who
theyre writing to job ad in
English, so email needs to
be in English, also level of
formality as the email is not
for a friend.
Reading To read for 5 T tells learners that two T-S
activity gist minutes young people have applied S-S
for the job, and their names
are Andrea and Carlos. T
gives them a copy of both
emails and asks them to
read and decide in their
 groups which email is the
best.
Feedback To clarify 5 T asks students which email T-S
from gist understanding minutes is best. Elicit issues such as
reading formality, spelling, informal
language, text speak, no
subject line.
Second To identify the 5 T provides students with T-S
reading different minutes another version of the S-S
activity sections in a successful email. Students
job work together to match the
application section titles (a-m) with the
email section numbers (1-9). Set
up by doing the first one
together. Feedback.
Noticing To identify 5 T draws learners attention T-S
activity useful lexical minutes to the underlined section. S-S
chunks that Points out that this is
could be something that can be used
recycled in in any job application email.
any job Students then identify other
application lexical chunks which could
email be used in any job
application email.
Feedback. Draw attention to
uses of Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms.
Comparison To compare 5 T asks learners to compare T-S
with writing lexical chunks minutes their underlined sections S-S
frame identified by with the suggestions
template the learners provided in the Ts template.
provided by with the Are the suggestions similar?
teacher teachers Feedback
suggestions
Writing To provide 10 T draws learners attention T-S
practice freer practice minutes to a new job advertisement
of job for a receptionist at another
application local establishment.
emails using Learners then work
template individually to produce their
provided by own job application emails
the teacher. for the job concerned. T
monitors and supports, on
the spot correction where
needed.
Reflection To encourage 5 T encourages reflection on T-S
stage learners to minutes usefulness of job application
reflect on the emails. Do some employers
skills learnt want bilingual staff in
and their real- Montaita? What are the
world benefits of applying to them
application in English rather than
Spanish etc?
Emerging To provide 5-10 T will focus on emerging T-S
language feedback on minutes language identified during
focus and emerging monitoring, and will also
feedback language, provide delayed error
good practice correction (for any errors
and errors. not corrected on the spot)
and identify examples of
good practice.