The Pen Pal Project – Traditional Printouts
Select the far-left side image to view and download the worksheet.
Worksheet Disclaimer: This resource is licensed for non-commercial educational use by public school educators. Redistribution or commercial use is prohibited.
This is an exciting opportunity for your school to participate in the Pen Pal Project, a unique way for you to foster international connections and enhance cultural understanding. By joining this initiative, your students will engage in meaningful communication with peers from another country and learn about different cultures, customs, and traditions. The project helps develop global skills and promotes cross-cultural partnerships that will benefit your students’ futures in our interconnected world.
For an enriching experience, it is recommended that you connect with a school abroad that offers a Japanese language course. This will allow your students to exchange letters in both English and Japanese, motivating them to improve their language skills while building lasting connections with their international pen pals. Here is an example on the Pen Pal Project Gallery.
An ideal Pen Pal Project schedule could look like this:
Additionally, it is encouraged for your school’s English club to take part in this project as ambassadors of the school. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage in cultural exchange while representing their community. Check out the English Club Gallery for inspiration.
If you are interested in initiating this project and are an ALT from the U.S., please start with J-LEAP to connect with the Japanese Language Teacher or the Japanese Assistant Teacher. Alternatively, you may contact The American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) or reach out to Kizuna Across Cultures for additional support.
Together, let’s inspire hope, build confidence, and create memorable classroom experiences. 全員参加で楽しくガンバロウ。
Digital Notebook of the Pen Pal Project
Select the image to view and download the digital notebook.
Worksheet Disclaimer: This resource is licensed for non-commercial educational use by public school educators. Redistribution or commercial use is prohibited.
If you prefer to edit the digital notebook of the Pen Pal Project with your own and your school is equipped with the necessary classroom technology, upgrade to the Premium tier to gain access to this feature. Feel free to also utilize the digital collaborative whiteboard!
Pen Pal Project: AI Companion
If you’d like your students to use AI as a learning support tool and notice they need extra help writing pen pal letters in English, here is an AI companion. It uses easy English and focuses on educational topics, helping students share aspects of Japanese culture with their pen pals. Share it through your school’s cloud platform, like Classi, and provide your students with the following link: https://en.eigoganbare.com/ai-study-hub/
