Unity and Reconciliation

Lessons

Senior 4 · English (Languages)

Unity and Reconciliation

5 lessons

Lesson 5 of 5

Yours Faithfully: Formal and Informal Letters, the CV, and a Project on Stories That Teach

45 min

Let's begin

The same news can be written twice and sound like two different people. "Guess what, we finally opened the peace garden!" is how you tell a cousin; "I am writing to inform you that our club has completed the peace garden project" is how you tell a district officer. Choosing the right register, the level of formality, is one of the skills examiners and employers look for first. In this lesson you compare an informal and a formal letter written by the same student, see the curriculum vitae (CV) she sent with the formal one, and then plan this unit's project: a collection of stories that teach.

Before you read

When did you last write a letter or a long message by hand? To whom, and why?
What is a CV for? Who reads it, and how long do you think they spend on it?
List three differences you expect between a letter to a friend and a letter to an organisation.

Text A, an informal letter

Written by Ganzaa for this lesson; the writer and the organisation in both letters are invented.

Huye
3 May 2027

Dear Keza,

Thanks so much for your letter and the photos from Kampala. Your new school looks huge! I'm sorry it's taken me ages to reply, but this term has been crazy.

Remember the rubbish dump behind our dining hall? It's gone! Our unity club spent six Saturdays clearing it, and last Friday we opened a peace garden there, with benches and a tree for every class. I gave the opening speech. My hands were shaking, but people clapped (maybe just because it was short, ha ha).

The best news: there's a youth peace network in town that trains volunteers to run dialogue sessions for teenagers during the holidays, and I'm going to apply. I'll have to write a proper formal letter and a CV. Wish me luck!

Write back soon and tell me everything about your new friends.

Lots of love,
Teta

Text B, a formal letter

Groupe Scolaire Rebero
P.O. Box 000, Huye
12 May 2027

The Coordinator
Rebero Youth Peace Network
Huye

Dear Sir or Madam,

Subject: Application to volunteer as a youth dialogue facilitator

I am writing to apply for a place in the volunteer facilitator programme advertised on your notice board on 5 May 2027. I am a Senior 4 student taking the Languages combination at Groupe Scolaire Rebero.

For the past two years I have been an active member of my school's unity club, and this year I was elected its secretary. In April I helped to organise the transformation of a disused dump into a peace garden, which involved coordinating thirty volunteers over six weeks. I have also completed my school's peer mediation training and have since mediated four disputes between students. These experiences have taught me to listen patiently, to remain impartial and to help others find their own solutions.

I would welcome the opportunity to attend an interview at your convenience. Please find my curriculum vitae enclosed. Thank you for considering my application.

Yours faithfully,

[signature]
Teta Mireille Uwase

Comprehension

Why did Teta write each letter? State the purpose of each in one sentence.
Find three pieces of information that appear in both letters.
Find four features of informal language in Text A (for example, a contraction).
In Text B, which details make Teta's claims believable to the reader?
Why does Text B end with "Yours faithfully" and not "Yours sincerely"?
Text A says "I'm going to apply"; Text B says "I am writing to apply". Explain the difference in tense and tone.

Show answersHide answers

Text A: to reply to her cousin and share news. Text B: to apply for a volunteer place and ask for an interview.
Any three: the unity club; the peace garden replacing the dump; the opening in late April or early May; the youth peace network; her plan to apply; the CV.
Any four: contractions (It's, I'm, there's, I'll); informal words ("crazy", "ages", "huge"); exclamations ("It's gone!"); a joke ("ha ha"); direct address and questions ("Remember …?"); the closing "Lots of love"; the first name only.
Precise facts: two years in the club, elected secretary, thirty volunteers over six weeks, mediation training, four disputes mediated.
Because she does not know the name of the person she is writing to and began "Dear Sir or Madam".
"I'm going to apply" (a plan, with a contraction) suits a chat with a cousin; "I am writing to apply" (present continuous for the purpose of the letter, no contraction) is the formal opening formula.

Informal and formal letters compared

Feature	Informal letter	Formal letter
reader	a friend or relative	an organisation, an official, an employer, a newspaper
addresses	your town (or address) and the date	your full address and date, then the recipient's title and address
greeting	Dear Keza, / Hi Keza,	Dear Sir or Madam, (name unknown) / Dear Ms Mukeshimana, (name known)
subject line	none	Subject: … (or Re: …), in bold
vocabulary	everyday words, phrasal verbs, contractions: get, find out, I'm	full forms and precise words: receive, discover, I am
sentences	short; exclamations and questions to the reader	complete and complex; no exclamations
organisation	news in any order	purpose → details → request or next step
closing	Lots of love, / Best wishes, / See you soon,	Yours faithfully, (after Sir or Madam) / Yours sincerely, (after a name)
name	first name only	signature and full name, sometimes your role

The layout of a formal letter

This is the layout used in most English-language textbooks. Some offices prefer other layouts, for example with the sender's details on the left; if a school or an employer gives you a model, follow it.

Worked example: raising the register

Informal: "Hi! I wanna join your thing for the holidays coz I'm good at sorting out fights. Can I come and see you?"

Greeting and purpose. Replace "Hi!" with "Dear Sir or Madam," and open with the formula: I am writing to apply for a place in your holiday programme.
Replace slang and contractions. wanna → would like to; coz → because; I'm → I am; your thing → your programme.
Replace vague claims with evidence. "good at sorting out fights" → I have completed peer mediation training and have mediated four disputes between students.
Turn the question into a polite request. "Can I come and see you?" → I would welcome the opportunity to attend an interview at your convenience.
Close correctly. Yours faithfully, then signature and full name.

Warning

Common mistakes in formal letters

Mixing the closings: "Dear Sir or Madam … Yours sincerely". Remember: Sir goes with Faithfully, a Name goes with Sincerely.
Capitals: write "Yours faithfully," with a capital Y only. Never "Yours Faithfully" or "your's".
Putting your own name above your address at the top: your name goes only at the end, under the signature.
Writing the date as numbers: write "12 May 2027", which no reader can misread.

Text C, the curriculum vitae

A curriculum vitae (CV; Latin for "the course of life") is a short, organised summary of your education, experience and skills, sent with an application. Most readers spend only a short time on a first look, so a CV must be clear, honest and easy to scan: headings, short lines, and the most recent item first in each section (reverse chronological order).

TETA MIREILLE UWASE
Huye District, Southern Province · Phone: 07XX XXX XXX · Email: a simple, professional address

Profile
Senior 4 Languages student and unity club secretary with training in peer mediation. Patient listener, confident public speaker, fluent in Kinyarwanda, English and French.

Education
2026 to present: Groupe Scolaire Rebero, Huye. Senior 4, Languages combination.
2023 to 2025: Groupe Scolaire Rebero. Ordinary Level.

Experience and volunteering
2027: Organiser, peace garden project. Coordinated 30 volunteers over six weeks.
2026 to present: Peer mediator. Mediated four disputes between students.
2025 to present: Member, then secretary (from 2027), school unity club.

Skills
Active listening and mediation; public speaking; writing minutes and reports; word processing.

Languages
Kinyarwanda (first language); English (fluent); French (good); Kiswahili (basic).

Interests
Debate, storytelling, gardening.

Referees
Available on request.

Definition

Key terms

register (n): the level of formality of language, chosen to suit the reader and the purpose.
curriculum vitae (CV) (n): a short, organised summary of a person's education, experience and skills, sent with an application.
reverse chronological order: the most recent item first, then going back in time.
referee (n): a person, such as a teacher or a former supervisor, who agrees to describe your character and abilities to an employer.
cover letter (n): the formal letter sent with a CV that explains why you are applying. Text B is a cover letter.
enclosed (adj): sent in the same envelope or as an attachment to the same message.

Tip

Make every line of a CV prove something. Start lines with an action verb (organised, coordinated, mediated, wrote, led) and add a number where you honestly can ("30 volunteers", "four disputes"). Never invent experience: a referee or an interview will find it out, and it ends your application. Keep private details off your CV unless they are asked for; a reader needs your skills, not your whole life.

How to write a formal letter, from Learn Easy English (about 9 minutes, 2021). It covers the features of formal language, the format and the layout, then shows a full example. Compare its layout with the diagram in this lesson and note one difference.

Writing

Informal letter (150–200 words). Write to a friend in another school about an activity in your school or community that brought people together. Use at least three features of informal style from the table.
Formal letter (200–250 words). Write to the head teacher to propose an activity that would build unity in your school (a debate, a sports day with mixed teams, a peace garden, a storytelling evening). Give your purpose, two reasons with evidence, and a request. Use the correct layout and closing.
CV. Write your own one-page CV for a holiday volunteer post. Use reverse chronological order and start each experience line with an action verb.

Project: stories that teach (Units 5 and 6)

In Unit 5 you studied how stories for children are built; in this unit you have read and talked about unity, reconciliation and resolving conflict. Now put the two together. In groups of four or five, write and illustrate a short story for children aged 6 to 9 that teaches one value from this unit: telling the truth, sharing, listening before judging, saying sorry, or forgiving in one's own time. The class will bind the stories into one collection and, if your school agrees, read them to a primary class.

Step	What to do	Time
1 Plan	Choose the value, the characters (people or animals) and the setting; write a one-sentence summary of the lesson the story teaches.	1 period
2 Draft	Write 300–500 words in simple sentences, with dialogue, a problem, a turning point and a clear ending. Show the value through what characters do; do not state the moral in the first line.	1 period and homework
3 Review	Swap drafts with another group. Use the rubric below and give two strengths and two suggestions in writing.	1 period
4 Illustrate and publish	Revise, draw four to six pictures, and write a title page and a short "About the authors" in the third person, using what you learned about CVs.	homework
5 Perform	Read your story aloud with clear stress and lively intonation, and ask the young listeners one question about it.	1 period

Rubric	4 Excellent	2 Developing
Value	clear, shown through action, suits the age	stated rather than shown, or unclear
Story structure	problem, turning point and satisfying ending	events listed without a turning point
Language	simple, accurate, varied; lively dialogue	errors or words too hard for young readers
Pictures and layout	pictures match the text and help a young reader	few pictures, or not linked to the text
Reading aloud	clear sounds, correct stress, expressive intonation	flat or too fast for young listeners

✦

Practice

Formal or informal? (a) "I look forward to hearing from you." (b) "Can't wait to see you!" (c) "Please find enclosed my CV." (d) "Sorry it's taken me ages to reply."
Choose the correct closing: (a) Dear Mr Habimana … (b) Dear Sir or Madam … (c) Dear Grandma …
Rewrite in a formal register: (a) "I wanna know when the training starts." (b) "Thanks a lot for your help." (c) "Get back to me soon, OK?"
Put the parts of a formal letter in order: closing; subject line; recipient's address; sender's address and date; body; salutation; full name.
Put these CV entries in reverse chronological order: "2024: Member, debate club"; "2027: Captain, debate team"; "2026: Winner, district debate competition".
Rewrite this weak CV line as a strong one: "I was in the environment club and we did some things."
In Text B, Teta writes "These experiences have taught me to listen patiently, to remain impartial and to help others find their own solutions." Why is this sentence effective in a cover letter? Give two reasons.

Show answersHide answers

(a) formal (b) informal (c) formal (d) informal.
(a) Yours sincerely, (b) Yours faithfully, (c) an informal closing such as Lots of love,
Model answers: (a) "I would like to know when the training begins." (b) "Thank you very much for your assistance." (c) "I look forward to hearing from you."
sender's address and date; recipient's address; salutation; subject line; body; closing; full name.
2027: Captain, debate team; 2026: Winner, district debate competition; 2024: Member, debate club.
Model: "2026: Planted 120 trees with the school environment club and organised a monthly clean-up of the school compound." (Any line with an action verb and a specific, honest detail.)
It links her experience (club, garden, mediation) to the qualities the post needs; it names skills a facilitator must have (listening, impartiality, helping others decide), using the vocabulary of the field; it is a balanced list of three parallel phrases, which sounds confident.

Quick check

A letter begins Dear Sir or Madam. Which closing is correct?

Key points

Choose the register for the reader: informal letters use contractions, everyday words and warm closings; formal letters use full forms, precise words and a fixed layout.
Formal letter: addresses and date → salutation → subject → purpose, details, request → Yours faithfully (Sir or Madam) or Yours sincerely (a name) → signature and full name.
A CV is short, honest and in reverse chronological order; start lines with action verbs and give evidence.
Project: a story for children that shows a value of this unit through what its characters do.

1Before you read

2Text A, an informal letter

3Text B, a formal letter

4Comprehension

5Informal and formal letters compared

6The layout of a formal letter

7Text C, the curriculum vitae

8Writing

9Project: stories that teach (Units 5 and 6)