C1 Advanced email example, marked

Hi!¹

Thanks for your email. I am writing to give you my feedback about the project in Portugal. I want to say thank you for the opportunity.

The best part of the project was working with the children in the summer camp. They were very funny and their parents were also very friendly. I learned a lot about Portuguese culture. We worked in the morning from 9 to 1 and in the afternoon we prepared activities for the next day. The food was good too, especially the fish. Also the other volunteers were very nice and we did a lot of activities together in our free time, for example we went to the beach.

There were some problems.² The accommodation was not very good because the rooms were very small and there was not enough showers³ for twenty people. Also the timetable changed a lot and sometimes we didn't know what to do. Also the internet in the house didn't work very well, so it was difficult to call my family.

In general I think the project was very good and I recommend it to other people. The coordinators were very kind and they helped us a lot. I would like to do it again next year if it's possible.

See you!⁴

Marta

Dear Ms Ferreira,¹

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on last month’s project in Portugal. Overall, it was an immensely rewarding experience, and I hope my feedback proves useful.²

Without doubt, the most worthwhile aspect was working with the children at the summer camp. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and seeing their confidence in English grow over the week was genuinely moving³. I also valued the chance to work alongside volunteers from so many different countries. The training session on the first day was also extremely well run and gave us the confidence we needed.

That said, there were a couple of issues that I feel should be addressed.⁴ The accommodation, while clean, was rather cramped, with only two showers for twenty volunteers. More importantly, the daily timetable changed at very short notice on several occasions, which left us unsure of our responsibilities.

With this in mind, I would suggest⁵ sharing a weekly plan before the project begins and appointing one volunteer each day to pass on any changes. This would also make it easier for new volunteers to settle in. It might also be worth looking into larger accommodation, even if this meant a slightly higher contribution from participants.

I would be delighted to take part again next year, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further details⁶.

Kind regards,

Marta Ruiz