do your dc have penpals overseas?

[ZZZen]

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)?

We have just sponsored a little girl in Ghana. My dd has been writing to her tonight. Don't know how it will pan out but I am hoping it will give her a glimpse of how other people live, and yes maybe not the most efficient way of giving money to charity but i thought it might raise my kids' awareness. The money goes to help the community that the child lives in rather than to her personally. The organisation (plan-uk) translates the letters for you apparently.

Years ago there was an organisation that used to organise international penpals. I remember that they used to produce little leaflets on thin blue airmail type paper, with flags of the world as a border. There was a questionnaire designed to match people up. This is going back years to when I was in primary school, but I found quite a few people that way.

I really can't remember what they were called, but it was really popular at my school.

That sounds like a good programme Mummyella.

Never heard of that organisation llareggub or never come across it. I wondered actually if dc ever write with snail mail these days or if it is just out of fashion.

llareggub, I remember that - weren't they in Finland or somewhere like that? I had some penpals from there.

I had loads in France as I was learning French and the only way it helped was to get the penpal to correct my letters! They would come back covered in red ink corrections!

My DSSs MSN other children they met at ski-school, language school etc.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

so emails is the way to go then?

So first I need to teach her to type I suppose

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)

ds in yr 7 btw

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

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

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.

Not this one though!!!

www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/penpal.html

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?

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.

International Youth Service? IYS

found this

scroll down

IYS closed last year, this site explains why

international pen friends

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.