Essays and letter writing within the Ghanaian Junior High School English Language curriculum

Introduction

The Ghanaian Junior High School English Language curriculum includes essays and letter writing to provide students with essential communication and composition skills. These writing forms develop students' ability to articulate their thoughts and prepare them for real-life situations that require effective written communication. This lesson offers a comprehensive guide to mastering essays and letters, focusing on their types, structures, and key features as outlined in the curriculum.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Understand the different types of essays and letters.
2. Identify the features of informal, semi-formal, and formal letters.
3. Write clear and well-organised essays and letters.

Introduction to Essay Writing

Writing in English, or composition, means putting words together to share information or ideas. It starts with creating sentences, then combining sentences into paragraphs, and finally joining paragraphs to form a longer piece of writing.

Composition can be spoken (oral) or written. However, during exams, we focus on writing because it is easier for teachers to grade and keep records. Writing well shows that you can also speak well, even though the opposite isn’t always true.

Everyone writes differently because we all have unique ways of expressing ourselves. The English language has many words, so there are many ways to write about the same topic. You should always aim to be creative and original in your writing.

An essay is a piece of writing that expresses your thoughts on a topic. Essays can be grouped into two main types:

1. Letter Writing Essays: These include formal, informal, and semi-formal letters.
2. Non-Letter Writing Essays: These include descriptive essays, narratives, expository essays, argumentative essays, reports, speeches, and more.

Hints for Writing Essays

1. Understand the topic: Make sure you know exactly what you are supposed to write about.
2. Use the correct tense: Check whether the essay should be written in the past, present, or

future tense.

1. Choose your words carefully: Use important and related words to explain your ideas clearly.
2. Stick to the topic: Do not add unnecessary information.
3. Write clearly and simply: Your sentences should be easy to read and understand.
4. Quality over quantity: It’s better to write a short, well-organised essay than a long, confusing

one.

1. Organise your ideas: Arrange your points in a logical order and follow the specific format of

the type of essay you’re writing.

Letter Writing

A letter is a type of essay written to communicate with someone. There are three main types of letters:

1. Informal or Friendly Letters: Written to close friends, pen pals, or family members you feel free with.
2. Semi-Formal Letters: Written to people like your former teacher, an older friend, or someone you don’t know well but respect.

Parts of Letters

Informal Letters

• Address: Write your address at the top right corner, followed by the date.
• Salutation: Start with "Dear" and the person's name, like "Dear Nana" or "Hello Ama!" For older relatives, you could write "Dear Auntie Akosua."
• Body: The body has three parts:
  • Introduction: Mention why you’re writing or refer to something that happened recently.
  • Main Purpose: Explain your reason for writing, like sharing news or asking a question.
  • Conclusion: End with a polite wish, like "Hoping to hear from you soon."
• Ending: Use phrases like "Yours affectionately" or "Yours lovingly."

Semi-Formal Letters

• Address and Date: Same as informal letters.
• Salutation: Use "Dear" followed by the person's name or title, like "Dear Mr Mensah."
• Body: Write respectfully and avoid using short forms like "I'm" or "can't."
• Ending: Use "Yours sincerely."

Formal Letters

• Address: Your address is on the left side, followed by the recipient’s address below it.
• Salutation: Start with "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam."
• Body: The body is divided into four parts:
  • Heading: State the topic of the letter in capital letters.
  • Reference: Begin with a reference to why you’re writing, like an advert you saw.
  • Main Purpose: Clearly explain why you’re writing and what you want to achieve.
  • Conclusion: End with a polite remark.
• Ending: Use "Yours faithfully" unless you know the person’s name, in which case you use "Yours sincerely."
• Signature: Sign your name, then write it in full underneath.

Assessment

1. Essay Writing: Write an essay about "My Favourite Teacher," making sure to follow the hints for writing essays.
2. Letter Writing:
   • Write an informal letter to a friend, telling them about a fun activity you did recently.
   • Write a formal letter applying for permission to use the school library after closing hours.