Lesson 18: Writing Skills

1. Writing Emails and Letters

• Formal and Informal Writing Styles:
  • Key differences between formal (formale) and informal (informale) communication.
  • Example phrases for each style:
    • Formal: Egregio Signore/Signora (Dear Sir/Madam), Distinti saluti (Yours sincerely).
    • Informal: Ciao (Hi), A presto (See you soon).
• Structure of Emails and Letters:
  • Formal letters:
    1. Salutation (Egregio/Egregia).
    2. Introduction and purpose of the letter.
    3. Main body (details or requests).
    4. Closing line (Resto a disposizione per ulteriori informazioni.).
    5. Signature.
  • Informal letters:
    1. Greeting (Caro/Cara).
    2. Personal update or request.
    3. Closing note (Con affetto,).
• Example Email Templates:
  • Formal: Writing to a company for information.
  • Informal: Writing to a friend about upcoming travel plans.

2. Writing Short Essays

• Planning an Essay:
  • Topic Selection:
    • Example topics: La mia giornata ideale (My ideal day), Un viaggio memorabile (A memorable trip).
  • Organizing Ideas:
    • Introduction: Present the topic and main idea.
    • Body: Expand with details and examples.
    • Conclusion: Summarize or express personal opinions.
• Basic Sentence Connectors:
  • E poi (And then), perché (because), inoltre (furthermore), quindi (therefore).
• Improving Clarity and Flow:
  • Use of paragraphs to structure thoughts.
  • Avoiding overly long or complex sentences.
• Example Essay Outline:
  • Title: Un Giorno Speciale (A Special Day).
  • Introduction: Describe the importance of the day.
  • Body: Detail the events, people involved, and emotions.
  • Conclusion: Reflect on why it was memorable.

3. Writing Exercises and Feedback

• Guided Writing Exercises:
  • Write a formal email:
    • Scenario: Requesting information about a language course in Italy.
  • Write an informal letter:
    • Scenario: Writing to a friend about your weekend plans.
  • Short essay practice:
    • Topic: Descrivi il tuo piatto italiano preferito e perché lo ami. (Describe your favorite Italian dish and why you love it).
• Common Mistakes to Avoid:
  • Agreement errors in gender and number (la casa bianco → la casa bianca).
  • Verb conjugation issues (io andare → io vado).
  • Punctuation mistakes in Italian (non dimenticarti di usare l’accento nelle parole come perché).
• Peer Review and Feedback:
  • Exchange written work with a partner for review.
  • Checklist for feedback:
    • Clarity of message.
    • Grammar and vocabulary accuracy.
    • Flow and coherence.
• Rewriting for Improvement:
  • Correct mistakes and rewrite sentences for better structure and tone.

Advanced Writing Activities

• Creative Writing:
  • Write a fictional dialogue or short story using learned vocabulary.
  • Example prompt: Immagina di vivere un giorno in una città italiana del passato. Cosa fai? (Imagine living a day in an Italian city from the past. What do you do?).
• Persuasive Writing:
  • Write a letter to convince someone to visit your favorite Italian city.
    • Example: Perché tutti dovrebbero visitare Venezia.
• Translation Exercises:
  • Translate an English paragraph into Italian, focusing on maintaining the meaning and tone.
  • Example:
    • English: “I am writing to inform you about my upcoming trip to Italy.”
    • Italian: Le scrivo per informarla del mio prossimo viaggio in Italia.

Additional Resources

• Templates for Formal and Informal Writing:
  • Downloadable email and letter templates.
• Sample Essays for Inspiration:
  • Real-world examples with annotated corrections.
• Online Tools for Feedback:
  • Platforms for submitting writing and receiving corrections (e.g., Italki, Lang-8).