Class Absence

Topic: Requests and Apologies 

Mode: Presentational

Level: Intermediate

This activity has three parts, which can be done together or individually. Students will first listen to a sample email. They will then reconstruct an email from a sentence scramble. Students will then write an email to a professor using a given set of parameters.

Sample email 1:

Good Afternoon Dr. X,

I will not be in LLT123 tomorrow morning at 10:20am because I have to go to a doctor’s appointment. I have an ear infection and that was the only appointment time available. I will ask for a doctor’s note to present to you in our next class. I will read the class slides to prepare for the next class. Please tell me if there is anything else important that I will miss.

Thank you,

Student

Sample Email 2:

Good morning Professor X,

I am not feeling very well today, so I will not be able to come to class. I have sent you a copy of my homework that was due today. I will look at the readings to prepare for our next class as well. Please let me know if there is anything else I should do.

Thank you for your understanding,

Student

Part 1: Listening to an email

Instructions to teacher

You will read the passage out loud twice. As you read, the students will answer the following comprehension questions.

Instructions to student

The teacher will read a sample apology email out loud two times. Complete the questions about the email.

Questions:

1. Why is the student missing class?
2. What document will the student bring to the next class?
3. What will the student do to prepare for next class?

Part 2: Email scramble

Students will be given the following sentences to put in the correct order. The correct email can be found in sample email 2.

• Good morning Professor X,
• I am not feeling very well today, so I will not be able to come to class.
• I have sent you a copy of my homework that was due today.
• I will look at the readings to prepare for our next class as well.
• Please let me know if there is anything else I should do.
• Thank you for your understanding,
• Student

Part 3: Writing an email

Instruction to teacher

Before writing an email, students will be asked to answer a few questions. Once they have completed the questions, you may want to show another sample email before asking students to work in pairs to write an apology email based on the following scenario.

Instructions to student

Pre-writing questions:

1. What are some phrases to use to begin an email to a professor?
2. What are some good reasons for a student to miss class? What are some bad reasons?
3. What actions can students take to prepare for the next class after their absence?
4. What other information should students include in their email?
5. What are some good phrases to use to end an email?

Scenario: You are a student in a 210 language class with Professor X. You will need to miss class on Monday for a conference presentation. You have a short writing assignment due on Monday in class. You have two readings to complete before the following class on Wednesday.

Using the scenario above, write an apology email to your professor with your partner. Be sure to include the information we discussed in the pre-writing.