Cover and Application Letters

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By popular demand ... covering letters! Consider the format, common vocabulary and tips below, but remember there is no perfect way to write a cover or application letter.

Here is mine (based on what we looked at in class):

Dale's Covering letter


Start out by studying this simple tutorial, How to Write a Good Cover Letter, from an excellent Canadian reading, writing and spelling site, The Learning Edge .

Complete the reading, vocab and comprehension exercises. Print the model letter for your own reference.

FORMATS:

In class we looked at some Business Letter Formats : Full Block, Block and Semi-Block. Personally, I prefer Full Block formatted letters, but you can experiment by using the samples I gave you in class.

There are lots of samples on the internet (too many) ... search through these if you want to read more.

Dictation and Spelling:



Download the dictation-cloze sheet

Spelling words: apply, application, position, advertise, enclose, enclosure, resume, interview, forward, sincerely


TIPS: KISS RULE


Composing a good cover or application letter is the biggest challenge.

Remember the KISS rule : "Keep it simple, stupid!" :-) A covering letter is just "a letter in support of your application" -- and that is what you must try and write.

DON'T just repeat information that is already in the application form or your resume;

DON'T ramble;

DO emphasize (i) your strong points : qualifications, experience that fit the job description. Be brief, clear and firm.

Keep one question in mind as you write: Why are you right for the job?

GRAMMAR

We came across the confusing issue of (Phrasal) VERBS that take -ing vs. Verbs that don't (eg. to look forward to doing something)

Look up and study these units from Essential Grammar 3rd.ed, Murphy:

Unit 53, 54, 55C and Unit 60


(We will look at Unit 60 in class next week)

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Meetings 2

Reading Text: The Nurses' Strike

In our meeting last week (see below) you decided you would like to read, discuss, write about and learn about issues related to the current Nurses' strike here in Victoria.

Click here to read the article (ABC)

Click here for the (listening) comprehension sheet (we will do an exercise in class)



Focus questions:

What is industrial action?

What is protected / unprotected industrial action?

(Look here for the answers)

What is Fair Work Australia? (look here : http://www.fwa.gov.au/)


Dictation and Spelling:The World of Work and Unions



(Adapted from The World Times, Vol.2, No.7, 1993 - VALBEC)

Print out the cloze/listening exercise here (fold, listen, write and check)

Spelling words and patterns: union / fair / unfair / awards / agree / disagree / agreement / employment / unemployment

(we will focus on prefixes and their meanings this lesson)


1. Minutes

Last week we watched a meeting and learnt about the role of the Chairperson. Yannick took minutes (notes of what was said at the meeting)

Click here to see Yannick's minutes

2. Actions

Some of the actions to be taken (if I remember rightly were) ...

* Inclusion of the following for learning (rest of 2011 / & 2012 ...

newspaper articles / formal letters / resume writing / creative writing / grammar/ continue with Dictation / continue with Spelling

3. Grammar

At our meeting you agreed to study the following items from Essential Grammar in Use (3rd Ed), Murphy :

Past Modals

Would have (pg.83)

Could have (pg.65)

Should have (pg.79)

Note: Check your answers at the end of the book!

We will review the use of Past Modals in class. Still unsure how to use Past Modals? Look at this review at ESLGold.com

Meetings 1

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Watch this video about a meeting. Compare your notes from class.

Print out the activity sheet (Exercise 1, 2 and 3 below) or follow here ...

Exercise 1 (Spelling and Dictionary work): Here is the vocabulary from our last class (use your dictionary if you are unsure of their meaning). Learn to spell ...

agenda / chairperson / apologies / secretary / minutes / correspondence / treasurer / finances / manager / officer / board of directors / committee of management / Annual General Meeting (AGM) / business arising / quorum / to move / a motion / to second (a motion) / point of order

tip: Add words to your sound pattern lists (eg. -ai- /-ies / -ence / - ea- / -ei- / etc )

Exercise 2: (Notetaking) : Watch the beginning of video again (the meeting from start to finish). Note down the key phrases used by the Chairperson.

1. Has everybody got a copy of the agenda?
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Exercise 3 (Comprehension):

1. What is the objective of the meeting?

2. What is the reason for running the meeting in a formal way?

3. What does "without further ado" mean?

4. What does "I'd like to open it up for discussion" mean?

5. What is a "motion"? What is another word for "motion"?

6. What does "all those in favour" mean?

7. What does "all those against" mean?

AGENDA - A Class Meeting

Here is a copy of the agenda for our next class. Print it off and bring it to class next week. Also bring your five items for discussion.

Meeting Agenda for 17 November, 2011 Class


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Report Writing 3 : Accidents

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In class this week we looked at Accident Reports using the example of the fitter and turner being injured while using the lathe. (See Beisler, Sheeres and Pinner, Communication Skills , 2nd Edition, 1985).

Here is the Dictation based on that exercise for you to practice again:



Here is the cloze text for you to print, fold, practice and check.

GUIDED WRITING

You applied the model to the situation shown in the Worksafe Video above.

You are an Inspector employed by Worksafe to investigate the accident.

Here are the Notes we took together and used.


In pairs you used the Notes and Report model to write a report. (Excellent!)

Here is my final version of the report for you to compare your own:



How similar or different is your report? Have you followed the model? Have you included:

Terms of Reference
Introduction
Procedure (interviews)
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations

NOW YOU WRITE A REPORT ON YOUR OWN

1) Watch the video below.



2) Submit your final version using the form



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Report Writing 2 : Cats and People

Cats and people dictation text (Print, fold, fill in the gaps ... and check your answers)

Spelling : Playing with words ...

We have started organising spelling lists in class. Congratulations! Now take some time off studying to have fun practicing your spelling with these games and activities ...

Here is a list of the 500 most commonly misspelled words.

Want to improve your typing skills? Type against the clock using the first 125 words.


For fun (super easy) ... X-Ray the suitcases at an airport (practice simple common words)


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International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA Chart)


This chart can help you sound out words using a dictionary




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Phoneme Checker


Confused about letter sounds and sound combinations in English?

Click here for small letter sounds and combinations

Writing Short Reports : Aussie Icons

Aussie Icons: Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars

Welcome back to the Reading and Writing website! Watch the video above. It is a TV Commercial from the 1970s for Holden Cars - the Holden is still an "Aussie icon" but its sales have fallen over the years.

Discussion: What is an icon? Can you think of other products made in Australia which are iconic? What do you think about Aussie icons in our multicultural society? Do they appeal to you? Are they relevant to you?

Exercise 1: In class we read about the "Aussie Tinnie", highlighted topic sentences, ordered information, and took notes to write a short report. Look at the poster below and choose another "Aussie icon". Here are some icons you might like to write about:

(difficulty: medium) Sydney Opera House

(difficulty: medium - hard) Vegemite

(difficulty: easy) Kylie Minogue

(difficulty: easy) Boomerang

Take some notes, order your information and write a first draft. Bring it to class for proofing and editing.












Exercise 2: After having reviewed and edited your first draft. Type up your report and send me your final copy using the form below



Dictation & Spelling

Click here for the "Aussie Tinnie dictation" sheet we used in class last Thursday. (Word Doc 13kb)

1) Print out the sheet 2) fold it in half and 3) play the sound file below 4)fill in the gaps.



Spelling

Next week we will start creating some spelling lists. For the time being write down and learn these words from the dictation. (Can you think of others that follow the various patterns?)

ea

seats
feature

ow

bow
cowl

sh

shelf

ck

jacket

ai

drain-hole

ew

few

sight words to learn:

their / there / they / they're

where / wear / were / we're

If you are really keen to work on commonly misspelled words, play this video a few times through and study some of the words (but don't try to remember too many at once)



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Summarizing Texts / Spelling Review

SUMMARIZING & MIND MAPS

This week we are using MIND MAPS to summarize "difficult" texts. In class we looked at a "mind map" or "spider" when we read the story about Gold.

Click here and then print out this free mind map template (pdf)



Exercise: Take a short text from a course book you are using and summarize it using the mind map template.

In term 2 you will learn more of these summarizing skills




Skillswise (BBC)


Skimming ... 1. Learn to skim a text for important information

Exercise: 2. Try the worksheet activity about Primary School Information

Scanning

1. Learn to scan a text for important information


Exercise: 2. Try the worksheet about the Green Arrow Job Advert

HOME DICTATION : Unit 5

Click here to listen to the dictation called Talking to an Aunt which is associated with Unit 5 of our textbook.

Note: Use your printed Spelling Appendix to help you.

Writing Short Observations

This week we will practice writing an OBSERVATION. This exercise should help you with your study in Child and Aged Care courses.



*Where is the activity taking place?

*Describe the children

*What activity are the children involved in?

*What materials have been provided?

*How would you describe their behaviour?

*How do they behave towards one another?

VOCABULARY:

to be involved in -ing something

to be provided

to take place

to appear / to seem / to look

contented, uninterested, bored, cooperative, independent (other adjectives)



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SPELLING

Use your Spelling Appendix (Unit 4 - Idle Chatter)

1. Use your dictionary to look up words you do not know and colloquial expressions you do not understand

2. What sound are we studying this week? Can you find it in your IPA Chart?

3. Listen to the Dictation : Talking About Football - The Grand Final

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DICTATIONSONLINE.COM

Use this website to do some short dictations at home. I suggest you start at Pre-Intermediate Level and work your way up.

Make sure you read the instructions carefully:

Let's try a dictation together : My Cat Trotsky (Click here)




Activity : Make yourself a Cloze Exercise

Look at the script of My Cat Trotsky. You be the teacher. Copy and paste the text into a new word processor file. Delete some of the words you have problems spelling. Add dashes. Print it out and try listening again until you get the text right!

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GRAMMAR



Do you need to brush up on your Grammar? Use Adele's ESL Corner to review your grammar and also do some listening exercises.

Also look at the MEDIUM LEVEL Grammar exercises for more difficult structures

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Medicines and Medication Records

In the last couple of weeks we studied INCIDENT REPORT FORMS. Now we turn our attention to MEDICATION RECORDS.

Exercise: Look at the 2 MEDICATION RECORD FORMS (STAFF and GUARDIAN) I gave you in class.

Let's brainstorm some vocabulary we need under these headings ...

NAME OF MEDICATION

DOSAGE

TIME GIVEN

DATE GIVEN

CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH MEDICATION IS TO BE GIVEN

ADMINISTERED BY

CHECKED BY

Exercise 1: Add these words to lists in your Spelling Diary


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SPELLING

Using a dictionary and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)




Click here to download the International Phonetic Alphabet Chart (from www.speechmatters.com.au)

Listen to the vowel sounds (Australian Pronunciation) here

Listen to the consonant sounds (Australian Pronunciation) here


Exercise One: Use the chart and the listening links together to learn the ILP


This week we are using the IPA and our dictionaries to help us with spelling. Continue creating your own lists in your Spelling Diary, keep adding new words from your reading.

You might also like to use the Spelling Lists from the Appendix of Idle Chatter 2 (Margaret Von Perger, Oxford ANZ English 1997) to help you build up Spelling Diary. (I will give you a copy of this helpful appendix in class).

Exercise 2: Look up these words in your dictionary and practice pronouncing them with a friend. (Use the ILP Chart to help you)...

grievance
conceited
antique

exquisite
coincidence

physiotherapist
synthetic
sympathetic

build
busy
business

Exercise 3: Add these words to your Spelling Diary

DICTATION : At a Doctor's Surgery

Use the cloze exercise I gave you in class to complete the dictation. You will need to play it several times as the recording is quite long and the men speak fast. Use your Spelling List Appendix to help you.

Click here to go to the dictation

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Prepare to Write

DICTATION

1. Download the Cloze exercise and print out

2. Listen to the dictation and complete the exercise ...



3. Download the Dictation Script and check your cloze exercise

SPELLING:

Study the dictation script and add words you find difficult to spell to your Spelling Lists. Use the LOOK - COVER - WRITE - CHECK method to learn the words. Write them in new sentences. Use your Dictionary and Thesaurus to find similar words. Find other words that are spelled in similar ways.

WRITING

For the last two weeks we have used FORMS (eg. an Incident Report form) and POST-IT notes (eg. WHILE YOU WERE OUT) to help us write.

I gave you:

a) A model

b) We looked at the form and thought about the required information

c) We made a list of words and phrases for filling in such forms (eg. incident words / action words)

... and you all did a great job!

We are slowly learning to ...

PREPARE FOR WRITING

STEP 1

1. Think about what are you need to write

2. Collect the information you need

3. Find the words /phrases / typical sentences you need

4. Find a model

5. Use the model and your list to help you write

MODEL

2.30 pm 10/3/2011

Dear Bronwen,

You are still out at the Council meeting. I've still got a terribly sore back and managed to get an appointment to see a physio this afternoon at 3 pm. Will try to make it back to the office by 4 pm. I will ring in as soon as I am finished there. You can also catch me on my mobile : 04098765421

Dale

An Incident at the Childcare Centre

Take details left by a childcare worker on this message bank service:



Download the Dictation Cloze exercise. Listen again and fill in the gaps.

Download the Script and check your dictation

Spelling

100 most commonly used words (download)... for study see the video below

Writing : An Incident

In class this week we looked at a typcial INCIDENT REPORT form. INCIDENTS(cut himself, fell over, etc) and common ACTION TAKEN (bandaged wound, placed ice-pack on ..., etc)

Write me a recount of an INCIDENT you experienced. (You do not have to be a childcare worker to do this). What ACTION did you take? SUBMIT your writing task using the form :



BODY PARTS




Click this link to practice spelling body parts

Now try this spelling test --- parts of the body

Messages and Notes

DICTATION & NOTE TAKING EXERCISE:


PRINT OUT the MESSAGE SLIP and take the message

Download and print the DICTATION CLOZE EXERCISE

Download the DICTATION SCRIPT and check your answers


Listen to the message left on an answering service:



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Spelling

Remembering rules and making lists might help you a little, but you need to see and work with words as much as possible. Last week we started working with words we misspell the most. Here is a video of the 100 MOST COMMONLY USED WORDS in English (add them to your Spelling List Dictionary):


The I-Teach-U English videos are good for practice. Find more videos here (click).

Personal Information and Forms

DICTATION - Stavros from Greece

Instruction 1 : Download and print the dictation sheet.

LEVEL 1 (easy)

LEVEL 2 (intermediate)

LEVEL 3 (harder) - Listen and write by yourself


2. Click here to go to the Dictation Site (listen to Dictation 1)

Instruction 2: Download the script and check your dictation

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SPELLING : Personal Spelling Dictionary

In class we started to make a Personal Spelling Dictionary using some vocab from the dication.

Buy an exercise book and create lists each lesson. Start with the -ee- words and the -ea- words from the dictation about Stavros from Greece. Can you think of more words to add to your -ee- and -ea- lists?

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Ozspeller Exercises: Commonly mispelt words

We also looked at a number of small words we commonly misspell. eg. and, with, they, their, etc.

You can slowly work your way through these words each week.

1. DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THIS LIST from Ozspeller.com (stick it in your book)

2. Listen and complete the FREQUENT - LIST 1 exercise

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READING AND WRITING : FORMS

FORMS are everywhere! Studying forms can be a bit boring ...but try this unit of work from BBC Skillswise.

START - CLICK HERE