The Business Pre-int tb indd

Discussion

1

  As a lead-in to the discussion, write the words 

letter

, 

email

, 

MSN

, 

texts (SMS)

 and 

telephone

 on the board. Ask 

students which they use most and which they use least. Ask: 

Why do you prefer one way of communicating to the others? 

When do you think it is better to send a letter?

 (e.g. for a job 

application). 

The purpose of this exercise is to get students to think about 

communication by email as well as different audiences and 

levels of formality.

Reading for detail

2

  Tell students to look quickly at the emails on pages 14 

and 15 in their books and to decide which is formal and which 

is informal. Why? (For example, the first is addressed to Mr 

Watanabe, the second is to Haruki; the first one finishes with a 

full name, the second with just the first name.)

Tell students that they will now focus on a formal email. Ask 

them to read the questions first and then study the email. 

Check their answers.