of speaking, saying goodbye and flattering others. In a word, we should keep it in mind that the world is full of cultural differences and we should try to understand and respect other cultures so as to live a happy and peaceful life on our planet.

Step II Pre-writing

Make sure the students know the difference between informal letters and formal ones.

T: What do you think, is the difference between a formal letter and an informal one?

S: Usually a formal letter is written to someone unknown or unfamiliar to the writer while an informal letter is usually sent to a friend or a family member, in which almost everything can be discussed in a casual way.

T: It's important for us to know what style we should use when writing letters. Now let's look at two dialogues and try to answer the questions.

Show the following.

1. S1: Hey, Jack. Where do you think we should go for this summer vacation?

S2: What about the Summer Palace?

S1: Yeah, last time we went it was great! We had so many places of interest to see there!

S2: Well, that's fixed.

2. S1: Excuse me? Could you pass the menu to me, please?

S2: Yes, certainly.

S1: Thank you very much!

S2: It's my pleasure.

T: Work in pairs and discuss: Are the dialogues formal or informal?

After discussion.

S1: No. 1 is in an informal style because it is more direct and there are usually some contractions and colloquial or slang expressions in it, for example, yeah, sure, OK, thanks, etc.

S2:No.2 is formal because it contains longer sentences and polite words and expressions, for example, would you mind, please, thank you, etc.

T: Next please read the Listening strategies: Identifying style on page 44.