2. Partner Classes and Keypals Email Keypalling for Writing Fluency

3. CLASS PLAN n Level: Intermediate + n Aim: Increase writing fluency. Write for an authentic audience. n Class time: 1 hour. n Preparation time: 30 minutes. n Resources: Computer and email access for each student. Word-processing software (optional).

4. RATIONALE n Most students usually only write their teachers. n An email pen pal (or keypal) adds excitement and interest. n Students learn to write for communicative purposes.

5. BEFORE THE SEMESTER BEGINS n Join an international email list (like Intercultural Email Classroom Connections). n Decide on the objectives for email project. n Post a message to the list –stating objectives of the project, –requesting a partnership class, –stating clearly the type of class wanted (including grade level).

6. AFTER BEING ASSIGNED A PARTNER CLASSROOM n Send a list of students in the class with names and email addresses to your partner teacher to match student keypals. n Type up the list before class.

7. IN CLASS n Introduce the activity. n Explain the email system to students new to email. n Have the students write their introductory message, send it to their partner and save it to a floppy disk.

8. AFTER THE FIRST EXCHANGE n Make clear the expectation that students will communicate with their keypals once a week. n Encourage students to explore various topics for future discussion. n Have students incorporate their discussion into their course essays.

9. Based on “Partner Classes and Keypals: Email Keypalling for Writing Fluency” by John Wong in New Ways of Using Computers in Language Teaching Tim Boswood, Editor