An OTLA project by New City College that encouraged over fifty 16-19 year old Functional Skills English Level 1 students to take part in a letter exchange scheme at four different New City College Campuses.
The Letter Exchange Scheme was developed to engage and motivate Functional Skills L1 learners to find their own voice and become more confident, proficient writers - who enjoy the craft of writing.
In this penpal scheme, teachers matched their students with those at other campuses with the aim of improving engagement and confidence. All work was proofread before sending, whilst student peer marking also took place. The enthusiasm and engagement shown, was reflected by improved attendance. The strategy of focusing the students on their spelling, punctuation and grammar - to ensure that they got their message across accurately - had a positive impact on their assessment outcomes.
OTLA 6 (English)