As a 23 year old who has worked customer service jobs and gone through a few bouts of schooling, I’m still not sure what proper e-mail etiquette is. The article, “Improving Student Writing Through E-mail Mentoring,” written by Burns (2006) emphasizes the value of e-mail written allowing students to take pride in their writing (as cited in “The Use of Technology in Literacy Instruction: Implications for Teaching Students from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds” by Jennifer D. Whitney– see bibliography).
Here are some activities using technology to teach students proper e-mail form. Being able to use technology and learn a valuable, real life skill, has a key fit in the English classroom.
Activities/Ideas:
- Use emails as roleplay cards
One good way of introducing emailing to a group of students that is more used to speaking in class is to give the roleplay cards for a speaking activity to them as emails, e.g. an email asking them to interview their partner to find out what the personal problem that is interfering with their work but they won’t tell anyone is. After finishing the speaking activity, you can look at the language in the email that was on the roleplay card, and then ask them to write a reply, progress report email or similar email for homework.
2. An excellent list of ideas from Macmillan Business
3. E-mail mentoring program. An idea from Mary Burns’s “Improving Student Writing through E-mail Mentoring.” Burns set up a program where students sent e-mails to future employers to practice e-mail writing skills. They had to write a chain of four letters: an introduction, a cover letter and resume, feedback from the mentor, and a follow-up and thank you.