Question: Your child is learning a second language at school, but they needs some extra lessons. Write a letter to a teacher asking for help. In your letter:
explain why your child needs help.
ask the teacher about their teaching experience and methods.
and suggest a possible schedule for the lessons.
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
Dear Mr Bond,
I am writing this letter to express my concern about my son's upcoming Mandarin exam.
Robert is a young and energetic boy. He is a high achiever in his science subjects such as mathematics and physics but he has struggled to some extent with his social science subjects and Mandarin Chinese in particular. As I'm sure you are aware, without having a decent HSK result, his chances of getting a scholarship at a top-tier university are significantly disadvantaged, as those institutions are always on the look out for outstanding candidates.
I know that many of your previous students were successfully accepted to high ranking universities with great scores in Chinese, in many cases gaining scholarships. I am sure that your excellent reputation is based on your teaching skills and expert methods. However, please can you let me know a bit more in-depth about your teaching experience and the strategies you will use to help my son improve.
Robert is currently working on his math examination and will not be available for any tutoring sessions until the end of April. Could you please advise me about your availability during the months of May and June?
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards
(207 words)
Words: Student letter, corrected & upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.
Image: akshayapatra / Pixabay