The Homestay Thank-You Letter
You are writing a thank-you letter in Japanese to a homestay family after a two-week stay. You must mention one specific memory, one thing you learned, and one promise for the future. Your teacher requires polite register, at least three sentences, and correct use of past tense. You are tempted to write a long list of every activity, but the task limits you to one memory. You have 20 minutes and a 120-character limit.
1. Draft the letter body in Japanese meeting all three requirements.
Read the worked answer
Draft: 「二週間お世話になり、ありがとうございました。一緒に料理を作ったことをよく覚えています。日本の家庭料理の作り方を学ぶことができました。次は日本で皆さんに会いに行きたいです。」
Checklist:
- Specific memory: cooking together (一緒に料理を作ったこと).
- Learning: how to make home cooking (作り方を学ぶことができました).
- Future promise: want to visit again (会いに行きたいです).
- Past tense used correctly: お世話になりました, 覚えています, 学ぶことができました.
- Polite register: ありがとうございました, できました, たいです.
Note: The draft stays near the character limit and avoids listing every activity, as required.
2. Explain why listing every activity would weaken the letter under this task's constraints.
Read the worked answer
Reason: The task specifies one memory, one learning, and one promise. A long list dilutes focus and risks exceeding the 120-character limit, which would force cuts elsewhere.
Better approach:
- Choose the single most vivid memory and develop it slightly.
- Link the learning to that memory so the letter reads as coherent, not as a checklist.
- End with one concrete promise, not several vague ones.
Model reasoning: Cohesion and constraint compliance are marked, not volume. A focused letter with correct past tense and polite forms scores higher than a crowded list that breaks the limit or omits the promise.