Many of the exciting possibilities for authentic written communication with other speakers of the same language were already referenced in #12: “writing for the target audience”. Aside from the classic letter writing, modern media has opened up new possibilities of written communication, such as e-mails or sms, which are also well suited for school purposes. The same holds true for using blogs and chat forums, which exist in all languages. However, it is vitally important to be vigilant that students‘ personal data remain strictly confidential as well as to ensure that students stay clear of questionable forums and inappropriate content.
An appealing variation for addressing a real target reader in writing is when students compose (fictitious) letters, e-mails or sms to historical persons or other well-known personalities or politicians, which are then read in class.
Authentic writing assignments also include students‘ creating, designing and writing of greeting cards, e. g. wishes for Mother’s Day, Christmas, New Year or cards to celebrate a national holiday. Other opportunities for practical writing assignments might involve students‘ writing and designing invitations, such as invitations to a parents‘ evening or a cultural event at the school, hosted by the heritage language class.