You've Got Mail!

When was the last time you received a letter in the mail? Last week!!! No, no… I’m not talking about the bills you receive every month. I mean the real handwritten letter personally addressed to you.

The older generation may time to time feel the magic and the personal touch of letters; sadly, handwritten letters have become less popular to children of web and instant communication. Seeing that my students also do get thrilled to receive letters in a sealed envelope, I have been tempted to use this “magical touch” in different ways.

 I write personal letters to my students to introduce a little bit of myself, course objectives, and my expectations of them, as well as asking them to respond by stating their expectations of me and of the course. As it can take a lot of time to write by hand, I prefer typing it by using Luciada Handwriting as the font style.  By doing so, I can duplicate the content by only changing the greeting followed by my students’ first names. Finally, I also add a personal touch by writing their names on the envelopes with a calligraphy pen. 

So... If you want to make your students day, have them experience the secret pleasure, the private moment of letters.

You can also use the letter activity to have students reflect their learning. If you are interested in how to further exploit it, please see You’ve Got Mail.