What do I write to my French pen pal?

What a great way to practice your writing in French by writing to a French language pen pal!

But even when you are learning French, it is still hard to get started on your letter/email because you want to make a good first impression and you want your new pen pal to be interested in writing back to you in the French language.  You should know that everybody has trouble getting started when writing a letter or email.

If you are writing in French to someone who is close to your age, they will probably be interested in some of the same things that you are.  Try to think about what you would want to know about your French language pen pal.

If you ask your French language pen pal some questions in your letter, it will be easier for them to get started when they write back to you.

Here are some ideas to get you started writing in French:

§  Let your pen pal know who you are and why you are writing to them.  Tell them your first name or and your nickname if you have one and that you are learning French.

§  Explain where you found their name and email or street address, so they understand that you are serious about finding a pen pal.

§  Next, tell them your age, and if you are a boy or girl and what country you live in.

§  Write a little information about your neighborhood – for instance do you live in a busy city or in the country or somewhere in between.

§  Talk a little bit about your family – do you have brothers and sisters? – list their names and how old they are.

§  Share with them any hobbies you have or talk about what you like to do in your spare time – maybe you enjoy video games or reading.  Give your French language pen pal some details, like what are your favorite games or books.

§  Ask them if they have a pet – if you have a pet, tell them about it.

§  If there is a sport that you like you can talk a little about that and ask them if they play sports.

§  Things in your everyday life will be interesting to your pen pal.  You can talk about your favorite color, your favorite music or what you like best or least at school.

§  Trips or vacations are another topic you can add to your writing in French.  Have you been on a trip or do you plan to go on vacation?

To end your letter it is best to use something friendly in French language of course, but not too friendly – remember you are just getting to know each other.  Something like “your new friend” or “Cheers” is better than “Love”.

MOST IMPORTANT especially if you are emailing is to keep safety in mind.  Likely your parents and teachers have talked about safety online.  It is a good idea to let your parents know that you are writing in French to a new pen pal and let them look over your letter.