✤ When did you receive
✤ Whom was it from?
✤ What was the content of the letter
✤ How did you feel about it

• I don’t receive any traditional letters these days.
• All I receive and send are short e-mails to relatives and close friends.
• But about two months ago my friend,Mohan wrote a four-page letter to me.
• It was a very pleasant surprise to receive that letter.
• Actually,Mohan went last year to pursue his higher education in Canada.
• He got 7 bands in IELTS and he went to Windsor University to do a course in Computer Science.
• Actually,in that letter he persuaded me to take the IELTS test and join him in Canada.
• He wrote in depth about his life there.
• It took him two months to get adjusted to the new atmosphere in Canada.Initially he faced a lot of problems.
• He is a pure vegetarian and he wrote that veg. food outlets were very few near where he lived.
• He wrote that students are allowed to work 20 hours a week.In this way they can earn for their living expenses.
• He tried finding some part time jobs but the other new students were smarter than him and by the time he actively started searching for a job,all the good jobs were gone.
• Then,after two months,by a stroke of luck he got a job in the college library.
• It is a data entry job and he can study also when he gets time.
• He wrote that after getting this job he heaved a sigh of relief.
• Now he is very comfortable and is making enough money to meet his overhead expenses.
• The education system in Canada is also very good.
• He wrote that he was in the good books of his teachers and was getting good grades in exams.
• Mohan has a beautiful handwriting and this letter is full of his love for me.
• I have read and re-read his letter several times.
• This letter is important because after receiving this letter I decided to take my IELTS and this letter is the reason that I am here in front of you today for my IELTS speaking test.

Follow ups
1. Do you think handwriting is still important?
Yes,I think so.Handwriting skills will always be important.Formal letters are needed in business.Writing skills are also needed in writing resumes.We all know that we belong to a global village.Today we have to compete with children all over the world.We have to apply for jobs in multinational companies.So we need good writing skills.Even though technology has reduced the need of writing skills,still,I feel that it is very important in today’s world.

2. Do you think handwriting will die in the future?
No,definitely not.Handwriting will never die.Its need may decrease because of technology;still there will be many areas in which handwriting will be needed.I also feel that,that day is still very far when each and every person on earth will have access to technology.

3. Do you write letters?
Yes,I do.I write e-mails to my friends and relatives.

4. Do you think children should be taught to write like in the old days?
Yes,I think so.Writing is an art,which is going down because of modern technology.Computers automatically check the spelling and grammar because of which children are losing such skills.

5. Compare the way you learnt to write and the children today learn to write?
I learnt to write by joining dots.Even today children learn in the same manner but there are many cursive writing books available these days which were not so common earlier.

6. Do you like reading magazines or newspapers?
I like reading both,but I prefer newspapers because I want to keep myself abreast of what is happening around me.

7. What kind of articles do you read?
I read articles related to sports,health,fashion and politics.First I go through the headlines and then I turn to the sports section.I also read the Gujarati supplement,Which comes on Wednesdays and Fridays because it has local news.

8. Have you ever read a foreign newspaper?
No,I have never read any foreign newspaper.I only read English and Punjabi newspaper.

9. Do you think it is good to read newspapers to learn a new language?
Yes,I think so.I feel that we can learn a new language soon if we try to read the newspaper in that language.It will also tell us about the culture and people of that place.

10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of emails and letters?
There are many advantages of e-mails.They are quicker and cheaper than traditional /conventional letters.You can send e-mail with the click of a mouse.Once the initial cost of a computer and an Internet connection has been met with,e-mails are practically free.Moreover, you can send attachments also with e-mail.Perhaps the biggest advantage of e-mail is that it is eco-friendly as no paper is used.E-mails can also be kept in your inbox for as long as you want.

Disadvantages of e-mails are that they need a person to be computer literate.They also need a good Internet connection.Virus can come into your computer through junk mail/spam.They can also be hacked and they lack privacy.They also lack the personal touch.

11. Will letters be replaced by emails?
I think letters have already been replaced by emails to a large extent.Very few people write letters these days.

12. Do old people prefer letters or emails?
Old people are not very comfortable with using technology.So,I think many old people prefer letters to emails.Having said that,there are some old people who have learnt how to use the technology,like for emails and prefer that to hand written letters.

13. Is it still useful for companies to communicate with letters?
Yes,it is still useful for companies to communicate with letters.There are many people who are not very techno savvy and don’t know how to use emails or technology.So,it is the best way for companies to communicate with such people through letters.

14. Do people in your country write letters?
There are many remote areas in my country,which still aren’t connected well with other parts of the country through technology.In such areas,people still write letters.Also,not all people are comfortable using the technology.For example,many old people prefer letters to emails.

15. What skills does letter writing require?
Letter writing requires a good knowledge of language that is grammar,punctuation and vocabulary.It is also important to know the differences in formal and informal letter writing.