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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

do your dc have penpals overseas?

30 replies

ZZZen · 02/03/2009 17:18

Just curious really. Do your dc write to penpals overseas?

If so, do they write in a foreign language and how did it come about (if not through the class teacher)?

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Original poster
ZZZen · 31/03/2009 11:57

I've started teaching dd to touch type. It does seem to make her more willign to email. How clever of your dc to know how to send photos and things, I am very very old and I still don't know how to do that kind of thing

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Hulababy · 29/03/2009 21:08

My 6y DD has a friend in the US who she emails every couple of months. The little girl used to be in DD's class in reception but returned to America part way through Y1. DD is now in Y2. They tell each other their news and share pictures and photos via email.

DD learns touch type as part of her ICT lessons at school, and that is helping her to get faster at typing.

Original poster
ZZZen · 05/03/2009 15:14

Thanks admylin. Didn't know there were cd-roms out to teach typing (but of course there would be!). Didn't really understand what the point of the writing part is. Will investigate!

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admylin · 05/03/2009 07:39

ZZZen, I bought this tippen lernen cd-rom , the schreiben part is really for pre school a,b,c learning sort of thing but the typing section is perfect and the little dragon pops up to say well done or try again although ds switches the sound off for that part! Dd likes it.

I take it you have a German keyboard?

Yurtgirl · 04/03/2009 20:26

I think its fair to say penpalling is less popular than it was but plenty of people are still into it

My cross stitch magazines always have a page of people keen to write to others, who often live all over the world

I think with the internet its a question of being more careful etc but otherwise Id go for it

Original poster
ZZZen · 04/03/2009 20:23

thanks yurtgirl, I've just been googling for them and found they had closed down last June due to a lack of young people interested in having a penpal.

Will have a look at that other site you posted. I ahve not completely written off the idea yet.

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Yurtgirl · 04/03/2009 20:21

international pen friends

Yurtgirl · 04/03/2009 20:19

scroll down

IYS closed last year, this site explains why

Yurtgirl · 04/03/2009 20:16

found this

Tinker · 04/03/2009 20:07

International Youth Service? IYS

Tinker · 04/03/2009 20:05

Yes, I had pen-friends from the Finnish place as well International Friends something? I had 26 on the go at one time. Loved getting the letters and stayed with one in Germany. Think the era has gone though - email and facebook will have killed off letter-writing for most kids now.

Original poster
ZZZen · 04/03/2009 20:01

LOL

Not that one, not yet anyway!

Twenty is a lot! Wow, you must be quite a writer.

Admylin , how are you teaching them to touch type?

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fartmeistergeneral · 04/03/2009 16:18

Not this one though!!!

www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/penpal.html

fartmeistergeneral · 04/03/2009 16:15

I had 20 penpals at one point! Loved it!!

I searched for that organisation (yes Finland) wasn't it IPP or something?? International Pen Pals...or I might have made that up.

I guess things have moved on, but you still can't beat getting a letter through the door (showing age).

What's the alternative these days then? Would love my dcs to write to children abroad.

admylin · 04/03/2009 16:07

I'm teaching my 2 to touch type at the moment ZZZen, it'll be worth it for later when they need to write their homwork up quickly on the PC. Bit boring at first but I got a programme especially for dc.

Dd got a letter today from her best friend in Berlin. She looks every day to see if she has one, it made her go all sad though. Think she must be missing her more than I thought

Yurtgirl · 04/03/2009 12:22

llareggub - I remember that too! I wonder if that organisation still runs?

Emails are fun but I think receiving post through the letter box is more exciting - I used to love it

MaryAnnSingleton · 04/03/2009 12:16

ds in yr 7 btw

MaryAnnSingleton · 04/03/2009 12:15

ds and his classmates have French penpals organised by the school and they write during their French class. Ds' write very good English - miles better than my boy's French (was the same with my own French penpal years ago)

Original poster
ZZZen · 04/03/2009 12:13

so emails is the way to go then?

So first I need to teach her to type I suppose

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Jux · 03/03/2009 13:36

DD has e-pals! Like the sound of the sponsorship programme, Mummyella. Any links or anything?

snorkle · 03/03/2009 12:45

dd does. She just makes friends (both overseas & UK based) on campsites, usually picking up one or two new contacts a year, and writes to them after. Usually snail mail, sometimes e-mail. They mostly don't last more than a couple of letter exchanges though. Communication is always in English as so far she's not made friends with anyone French which is the only language she's studied. Dd isn't a great linguist, but is very sociable.

admylin · 03/03/2009 09:54

Lol, I liked getting the letters more than writing them ! But it wa sgreat to exchange stickers, magazines and photos. I still have a big album with all the nice things I got from around the world at my parents home.

Original poster
ZZZen · 03/03/2009 09:52

I suppose I could somehow change the settings on the pc or something (have no idea about pcs generally though so preferring not to think about it).

Dd could do with the writing practice and it's quite nice getting post, isn't it?

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admylin · 03/03/2009 09:52

I do think the old era of pen-pals and letters has gone. I used to run to the door in the mornings to meet the postman , nowadays, we just switch on our computers, msn or even skype, who needs to write?

Ds has a chat room for his class mates from school and both ds and dd have their own email address.

Original poster
ZZZen · 03/03/2009 09:50

did you like writing to your penpals admylin?

Yes Anna I was wondering if computer age dc ever write letters really.

I'mthinking about organising a Russian penpal for dd but what with the different alphabet etc, as our pc currently is she could not email in Russian. It's a pain transcribing into Latin script.

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