Writing an Informal Letter

Imagine you have got a letter from an English-speaking friend who asks you what young people in your country usually do in their spare time. Write a reply to him/her and say:

what young people in Ukraine are usually interested in;

if their interests are different from the hobbies of the young people of the 20th century

if boys and girls have the same interests;

what clubs young people attend, what books they read, what music they listen to, what films they watch;

if young people care about the environment/politics/social problems.

Hi, I’m Ania and this is my letter about teenagers spare time.

Hello Jake,

How are you? I hope you’re doing well. Sorry I haven’t written for so long, but I’ve been busy getting ready for my tests. You asked me about activities young people in Ukraine usually do in their spare time. Teenagers in our country have many different hobbies, such as dancing, playing sports games like football, basketball and volleyball, skateboarding and rollerblading. They enjoy doing sports like judo, karate or other martial arts. Such sports as boxing, swimming, athletics are also very popular. Some teens are fond of painting and drawing, doing crafts like embroidery, woodwork, doll-making, pottery, etc. As many people, as many hobbies.

In my opinion, interests of teenagers in the 21st century are different those they were in the 20th century. Teenagers now spend lots of time in their smartphones, laptops, tablets and computers. Our life is too computerized and digitalized and it can’t but influence the way teenagers educate and entertain.

As a rule, the interests of boys and girls are different. In most cases, boys are involved in soccer, boxing, karate and other boys’ activities. At the same time, the girls are engaged in dancing, drawing, singing, etc.

I want to draw your attention to the fact that modern youth spend lots of their time on gadgets and do not read much. In Ukraine, like in any other country, there is no specific genre of books which young people prefer, everyone reads what he or she likes. As for the films, there is also no such genre that everyone would watch absolutely. And the music preferences of Ukrainian teenagers in different groups may be similar. Often it’s pop or rap music.

It seems to me that nowadays teenagers know about human rights more than older people. But at the same time young people in Ukraine don’t go into politics, because they are simply not interested in it.

In conclusion, I want to say that it doesn’t matter what country you are from. If you want to do something for the city or country you were born in, it isn’t a problem. Dream, be active, work hard and realize your dreams.

Tell me about teens’ life in your country. Looking forward to your letter.

Best wishes,
Ania