B1, WRITING ASSESSMENT 7

Popular on the web

Communicative goals:
 Vary the formality of greetings in social media posts.
 Write personal updates on a social media website using an appropriate style.
 Respond to and comment on other people's personal updates on a social media
website.

1. Think about…

1. What social networking platforms do

you use and how frequently?

2. Do you know any famous person on the

web?

3. Would you like to be famous on the

web?

Social Networking platform: Websites

and applications to communicate
informally with others, find people, and
share similar interests.

2. Words matter!

To do well in this lesson it is necessary to learn a number of words. Please complete

the following exercise. At the end you will have increased your vocabulary.

2.1. Underline the expression that best matches the idea of the boldfaced word or
phrase. Have a dictionary at hand!

a. The famous YouTuber SebasAsw was sponsored by American School Way.

- To support a person, organization, or activity by giving money, encouragement, or other

help

- To stop someone from doing something

I&D Team 2018

 b. The clip of the boy who sings like a dog went viral.

- Social media platforms

- Short videos

c. If you want to keep your viewers interested, you have to post frequently.

- A person who watches something

- A person who uploads something

d. I’m really excited, fifty people subscribed to my channel today.

- To give consent to receive notifications, newsletters, etc.

- To refuse to receive information about a person, blog, etc.

2.2. Match the word on the left with the meaning on the right. Write in the
parenthesis the corresponding letter.

Word Meaning
1 Relate ( ) a How well a person, machine, etc. does something
2 Performance ( ) b To find or show connection between two or more things
3 Appealing ( ) c Attractive or interesting
4 Post ( ) d Social media publication

3. Read a bit!
Read the following blog entry about the most famous youtuber Sebas, who describes
his story of how he became an influencer on the social media.

When I was just 15 years old, I saw some people on

YouTube talking about fun things I enjoyed at that
time (sports, movies, and TV programs). I wanted to
be like them and I especially always wanted to tell
people my stories and that they could relate to them
in one way or another as I did - that’s the reason why
I became a YouTuber.

I just started making videos and posting them on the

web and in a way I didn’t realize, those videos gained
more and more viewers and popularity. In a time-
lapse of a year, I was so popular that an important
brand in the city started sponsoring my videos. I just
had to promote the brand in my clips. I became
famous and with some other YouTubers we attended
events and TV programs for people of my generation.

I&D Team 2018

At this moment, I’ve almost finished my marketing major at university and I have come to
the conclusion that social media is effective in persuading people of my generation. I plan
to use this knowledge in the future when creating my own company.

If you want me to give you some pieces of advice, I would tell you that the most important
is to create something people consider “unique”. But that’s not all! If you really want to
succeed, it is necessary to create a social media strategy, choosing the topics and planning;
even the frequency of the posting can influence your performance on the web. Look at the
data, be informed about the public you are addressing: Who is your audience? Are they
young, old, male or female? Create content that is appealing to them.

Those are just some of the tips I can give you based on my personal experience. Anyways, if
you want to know more, subscribe to my social networks (@SebasAsw) for more advice.

Hi, OMG! Thx so much 4 this post. I’ve always wanted to know more about your
experience!!!! LOL  I love your videos. I think they rule. XOXO

Dear @SebasAsw: My husband and I consider your videos really enjoyable and
we like our children watching them as they can learn about English culture and
the experiences you have had during your learning process.

We congratulate you and your sponsor for such an excellent job.

Kind regards. Lupita Lopera

4. Tips for composition:

In this session you will find grammar elements and composition strategies that help
you with your writing production. Read the explanation; this is important for the next
step!

FORMALITY OF GREETINGS

When writing as well as speaking, there are different levels of formality you need to be
aware of. It varies on the person you are referring to and if it is written to a close
acquaintance or not.

I&D Team 2018

The register may vary and here are some elements for you to check when writing so you
can address the others in the best way depending on the situation. Let’s take a look.

FORMAL MESSAGES INFORMAL MESSAGES

 Do not use slang or exclamation  Slang is very common.

marks.  Accuracy is less important.
 Accurate spelling, punctuation and 
grammar.
 Address the person writing a 
salutation using a courtesy title and
the recipient's last name.
 Finish your letter or post including
your full name.
 The beginning and the ending
should be well-structured.
 Do not use contractions.
Address the person writing their
first name or nickname.
You may omit a “closing” for the
text.
 The beginning and the ending
have no rules – it’s your choice.
 Contractions can be used.

*In informal posts or messages people can use words like:

Hi, OMG! Thx so much 4 this post. I’ve always wanted to know more about your
experience!!!! LOL  I love your videos. I think they rule. XOXO

*In formal posts or messages people can use words like:

Dear @SebasAsw: My husband and I consider your videos really enjoyable and
we like our children watching them as they can learn about English culture and
the experiences you have had during your learning process.

We congratulate you and your sponsor for such an excellent job.

Kind regards. Lupita Lopera

Here, a list of some of the most common abbreviations and acronyms that are used
on the web:

I&D Team 2018

 Source: https://www.smart-words.org/abbreviations/text.html

4.1. Taking into account the information above, write 2 comments to the blog entry
written by @SebasAsw. Write one in a formal register and another one in a more
informal style.

I&D Team 2018

 WRITING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a means of communication people commonly use in their daily lives, and
sometimes we forget it requires some strong writing skills. But it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Let’s learn how to write on social media.

 Remember that every time you are posting or leaving a message on the web, you are
reflecting who you are and it could determine your success on social media. That’s why
it’s important to write well.
 When writing be careful about :
o The audience: Who are you addressing?
o Tone: What is the tone of the message you are writing? Is it familiar, formal,
funny, helpful, professional, casual, romantic, etc…?
o Message type: Not all content needs to go on every network. Create some
guidelines on which types of messaging are appropriate on which of your social
networks.
o Length: The perfect message on the web may vary on the platform you are
using. Twitter, for example, limits the characters you can use. Facebook, on the
other hand, allows longer texts.
o Connect to others: Build connections on the web. Relationships and
connections are common on the web. When sharing your post, you may try
starting conversations or replying to comments. People want to share things
their audience will find valuable. This could mean content that’s helpful,
entertaining, or otherwise worth paying attention to. Try writing posts that
convey a clear benefit. If you create how-to content, consider writing copy that
hints at what the linked article will help readers do.

I&D Team 2018

4.2. Let’s now use some of these ideas. Create a plan for your future YouTube channel,
blog, online magazine, etc.

Title:

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Your audience:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Tone:

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Message type:

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Length:

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________.

How you connect to others:

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________.

I&D Team 2018