In this class we went over how to write a letter in anticipation for the optional Spanish-English letter exchange that I’ve organized. We brainstormed some salutations (greetings) like “Dear _,” “Hello” “Good morning!” and what kinds of things to talk about and ask in a letter. We learned the differences between writing to someone you know, like a friend or family member, and also to someone you don’t know, like a pen pal. We read some sample letters together as a group and practiced our reading and pronunciation.
We also learned ways to end and sign a letter or postcard. We talked about formal and informal writing and the differences between writing a letter to be sent by mail and an email. Some email sign offs like “Thank you for your time” “I look forward to hearing from you soon” and “warmly.” We compared and contrasted them with ways to sign a birthday card “love” “xoxo” “love you!” etc. we learned vocabulary around mailing something like “stamp” “address” “postage” as well as the differences between a letter and a note, and a letter versus a postcard as what an office memo is (an announcement or note to employees “attention: please log in your hours for this week by Friday”)
We reviewed the meanings of contractions like I’ve, I’ll, they’ll, and we’ll.
I’ll = I will
You’ll = you will
They’ll = they will
When and how to use a contraction and making sure you have an apostrophe is important because I’ll is very different from ill. When we say “ill” in English it means to be sick or bedridden (ex: ill with the flu, chronically ill.) We also discussed the different meanings and usages of the word “will.” Will can mean something you do in the future: “he will go to the store” “I will do my laundry in the morning.” It can also mean an inner drive, strength, or desire: “the will to live” and in the instance of someone’s death, it is what they want to do with their belongings and assets: “He left everything to his kids in his will.”
English can be confusing and no one will fault you for saying “I will” versus saying “I’ll.” However, contractions are more conversational and also less formal, so they’re handy to know.
I’m looking forward to next week, which is our final class. Please bring your final projects (it’s ok if they’re not 100% finished. We will each talk about our projects in front of the class. So please be prepared and practice on the worksheets I gave you. Then we will celebrate our progress together!
Important reminders for our last class: if you borrowed any classroom materials or any zines from my zine library, please return them. Make sure to bring your final projects and any other projects you would like to share with the class.
The homework is here, it is optional because I would rather have you work on the final projects.
If you have not yet joined the WhatsApp group please, contact Gia at genriquez@queensmuseum.org
Si aún no te has unido al grupo de WhatsApp, ponte en contacto con Gia en genriquez@queensmuseum.org
Our next class is Wednesday, March 8th, 10 am-12 pm. See you then!
Nuestra próxima clase es el miércoles 8 de marzo de 10am a 12pm. ¡Nos vemos!
