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Mediation. The fifth ability.

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Hi Mates,

Mediation is a new ability at the language school since 2019, the fifth to be precise, in which a text in Spanish has to be transmitted in English either through an e-mail (although it could well be an article indeed), or orally, or at least that is what I have seen so far, that it hasn’t been for long.


When you write a mediation, you do not need to summarise all the information given, you only need to give the main points which might suit better with the person to whom the information is sent, according to their interests, hobbies, knowledge, requests and so on.

Task. B2 level.

Write about 180-200 words. At the end of this post, you will find information about how to write a letter and its structure.


This is an example of mediation in which I have to send an e-mail to my English friend Paul, giving him some information about a course that I have found on the internet and it combines Spanish and Arts. In this way, he has the opportunity to learn Spanish, he speaks a little, and Arts at the same time.


The following information about the course is available on the Internet:


Curso guiado por un famoso artista y profesores de español, en el que se tratarán las diferentes formas de arte en España. Seminarios y prácticas que se realizaran íntegramente en español, para practicar el idioma de una forma diferente.
Durante el tiempo que dura la actividad, se visitarán diferentes puntos estratégicos del arte, para valorar sus diferencias.
Como actividad extra, otro día participarás en la elaboración del vino en una famosa bodega en Tarragona, siendo un miembro más del equipo durante todo el proceso.
¿Qué incluye el precio del curso?
Te recogemos en el aeropuerto del Prat o en la estación de tren de Sants en Barcelona, entre las 17 y 21 horas del domingo.
Te llevamos a un hotel único en Barcelona, en habitación individual donde todas las comidas están incluidas y donde además tendrás la oportunidad de probar muchos platos típicos de la comarca.
Disfrutarás de actividades durante todo el día (mañana, tarde y noche), para que a la vez que disfrutas de la experiencia , avances en tu español con mas de 10 horas de inmersión cada día, en la lengua y su cultura .
Por supuesto conocerás Barcelona y sus monumentos y sobre todo sus museos, ¡no nos hemos olvidado de nada! Y donde además de todo esto, podrás disfrutar de otras actividades diferentes dependiendo de la época en la que elijas venir.
Todos los materiales están incluidos, tanto los necesarios para las actividades de artes, como para el aprendizaje del idioma.
Precio del curso: 3.500 euros.
Duración: 10 días.
Fechas disponibles desde 18/09/2018 al 01/03/2019
Curso para adultos sin niños, jóvenes o seniors.
Si quieres más información visita: https://www.itsnotjustenglish.com


And this could well be an example…

Hi Paul,


I think I’ve found an excellent course that suits perfectly with you, where you’ll be able to learn Spanish through the arts, guiding by a famous artist and Spanish teachers. This course will take place in Barcelona for 10 days. You’ll be able to choose a date between September 18th to March 1st.

This is an all-inclusive course which costs 3,500 euros and include all the transfers (they pick you up from the place you choose, the Prat airport or the train station of Sants), accommodation, all meals where you’ll be able to taste typical Catalan and Spanish cuisine. Other important things which are included are, all the necessary materials for this course, all the planned activities and a visit to Tarragona, where you’ll take part in the whole process of winemaking.


In this course you’ll learn Spanish through other interesting activities such as visits to different museums and a wide variety of activities organized for immersion in the Spanish language and its culture.


Even, there is a visit to Barcelona where you’ll visit its monuments, its typical Tapas bars and other activities depending on the period of time you decide to go. Besides, you’ll have activities for more than 10 hours per day to practice your Spanish, a total immersion in our language and culture.


Well, I think this is all I can tell you about this course. How about it?
If you had any questions, let me know. As you can see, this experience could be really good for you.


Love,

Aixa.


Structure of a letter.

As you probably know, there are several kinds of letters such as:

  • Letters of complaint.
  • Letters of request.
  • Letters asking for, giving, refusing or accepting information, an advice or an invitation.
  • Letters expressing congratulations, thanks or regret.
  • Letters of apology.
  • Letters of application for a job.
  • Letters to the editor or authorities, giving your opinion or suggestions.

The style of the letter depends on who it is addressed to. It is not the same to write a letter asking a university for information as it is to write an email to a friend. The passive voice can be used in formal letters, as well as complex sentences, no abbreviated forms, non-colloquial English and so on. Whilst informal letters can include, idioms, colloquial English, abbreviated forms, etc.

Be that as it may, a successful letter consists of:

  • A suitable greeting, depending on the style: Dear Mr Smith, Dear Anne, Dear Sir or Madam…
  • An introductory paragraph, where the reason for writing should be clearly exposed using expressions such as, I am writing to express my strong, I am writing in response to, I am writing to request, I was terribly sorry to receive…
  • A main body, explaining the subject into separated paragraphs using, firstly, according to, as you can imagine, as we all know, for all that, not only, but also…
  • A conclusion, in which you sum up the subject or express what you expect from them using, I expect to hear from you, I hope that this matter can be, without adding I would appreciate…
  • An ending, depending on the style and the greeting. If you have begun a formal letter with “Dear Sir or Madam” as a greeting, you have to end with ”Yours faithfully” or alternatively, you decided to begin with “Dear Mr Smith”, you have to end with “Yours sincerely”. But there are others formal and informal endings such as: best wishes, with love, sincerely, regards, yours…

Here, you will find more examples of letters or click on Tag Cloud, in the sidebar menu.