Thank You for Having Me: Email to a Host Family
You stayed with a host family on a language trip. Write an email to thank them and tell them about your journey home.
- Time
- 20 min
- Length
- 80-100 words
Writadia · A2 · Emails
NameClassDate
The situation
Last month you stayed with the Wilson family in Brighton for two weeks on a language course. You are home now.
Your task
Write an email to the Wilson family. Include:
- thanks for something special they did
- your favourite memory from the stay
- news about your journey or your life now
- an invitation or a question
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with "Dear Mr and Mrs Wilson," or their first names if you used them.
- Say thank you and give one specific example.
- Describe your favourite memory with the past simple.
- Add news and a question or invitation.
Useful phrases
Thanking
Memories
News
Ending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- host family
- a family you live with while studying abroadMy host family was very kind.
- kind
- nice and helpful to othersIt was kind of you.
- memory
- something you rememberIt's my favourite memory.
- journey
- travelling from one place to anotherThe journey was long.
Model answer (97 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Dear Mr and Mrs Wilson,
Thank you so much for everything you did for me in Brighton. It was really kind of you to cook Turkish food for me on my birthday!1
My favourite day was when we went to the beach and Tom taught me to play cricket.2 I didn't understand the rules, but I laughed a lot.
I got home last Sunday. The journey was long, but I slept on the plane. My family loved the biscuits you sent.
I hope you can visit Turkey one day. You can stay with us!3
Best wishes, Mert
- A specific example makes the thanks real.
- Past simple for a memory.
- An invitation closes the email warmly.
Teacher notes
Focus: It was kind of you to..., Thank you for + -ing.
Discussion: what makes a thank-you message feel real? (Specific details.)
Extra challenge
Write a short reply from Mrs Wilson with one piece of news about the family.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: host family, kind, memory, journey.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Thank you so much for ...”, “It was really kind of you to ...”, “My favourite day was when we ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I thanked them for something specific.
- I described a memory with the past simple.
- I gave some news.
- I ended with an invitation or a question.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I thanked them for something specific.
- I described a memory with the past simple.
- I gave some news.
- I ended with an invitation or a question.
Writadia · A2 · Emails
Assessment rubric: Thank You for Having Me: Email to a Host Family
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I thanked them for something specific.
- I described a memory with the past simple.
- I gave some news.
- I ended with an invitation or a question.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A2 · Emails
Peer-review sheet: Thank You for Having Me: Email to a Host Family
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I thanked them for something specific. | |||
| I described a memory with the past simple. | |||
| I gave some news. | |||
| I ended with an invitation or a question. |
Questions
- Does the text give all the information asked for?
- Does every sentence start with a capital and end with a full stop?
- Did the writer use and, but or because? Copy one example.
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Writadia · A2 · Emails
Lesson plan: Thank You for Having Me: Email to a Host Family
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: host family, kind, memory, journey.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Thank you so much for ...”, “It was really kind of you to ...”, “My favourite day was when we ...”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (80-100 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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