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How to send an email to a British teacher? How to compose an email in English?

When studying abroad, one of the most common ways to communicate with schools and teachers is through email. Emails are used to convey various information, such as school activities, exam details, or visa-related matters. While teachers or schools may not always provide information in person, they often notify students through email. Therefore, sending emails is a responsibility of the school and teachers, while actively checking emails becomes your own duty.

Here are some guidelines for sending an email to a British teacher:

1. Use a professional and polite tone: Begin with a respectful      greeting, such as "Dear Professor [Last Name]" or "Dear      [Teacher's Name]."

2. Clearly state the purpose: In the email's subject line, briefly      mention the topic of your email. In the body of the email, clearly and      concisely explain the reason for contacting the teacher.

3. Be polite and respectful: Use appropriate language and show      respect for the teacher. Avoid using slang or informal expressions.

4. Use proper email etiquette: Include a polite closing, such as      "Thank you" or "Best regards," followed by your name.      Make sure to proofread your email for any spelling or grammar mistakes      before sending it.

When composing an email in English, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Use a formal tone: Avoid using overly casual language and      maintain a professional tone throughout the email.

2. Keep it concise: Be clear and to the point in your message. Use      paragraphs to organize your thoughts and make the email easier to read.

3. Use proper grammar and punctuation: Pay attention to correct      grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Proofread your email before sending it      to ensure clarity and accuracy.

4. Be mindful of cultural differences: Consider cultural norms and      customs when addressing teachers and in your overall communication style.

Remember, effective communication is essential, so taking the time to compose a well-written and respectful email will help you convey your message clearly and professionally.

 

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Therefore, studying in the UK, one of the essential tasks to be done every day is checking your email. It is generally recommended to check it once in the morning and once in the evening. Of course, if your email can receive new messages on your phone like text messages, it will immediately notify you, and you don't have to open it every day. You can open it when you see the notification.

First of all, on the first day of class, each teacher will introduce themselves and provide their contact information, including their email address. Some teachers may emphasize that they will primarily communicate through email and expect everyone to check their emails regularly. If you miss some important information such as room changes, class cancellations, items to bring, exam schedules, etc., because you haven't checked your email, it will be your responsibility. It will be counted as absenteeism if you miss a class or absence if you miss an exam unless you have a significant special circumstance, in which case appropriate supporting documents should be provided.

In the UK, teachers in schools generally use the school's email. What is a school email? It is an email with the school's word or abbreviation as the email suffix. For example, the official email suffix for Coventry University in the UK is @coventry.ac.uk.

Of course, some teachers may find the school email inconvenient and provide their personal email as well. Remember to copy down all the information provided by the teachers during class, as it may be useful in the future.

Some may wonder why teachers don't use Facebook, WhatsApp, or phone calls. That is because these methods may involve the teacher's privacy, and the content may not always be available or easily identifiable. Also, not every teacher is willing to provide their personal social contact information. They may recommend calling the front desk of the respective department and ask to be connected. Of course, the working hours in foreign countries are very punctual. Once, during a paper consultation in the classroom, the teacher had to leave for home before we finished. In the end, I walked with her, chatting about my paper on the way.

So how do you send emails to teachers?

1. Language of the email:
        Always write the email in English. You are studying in the UK, where the      courses are in English, and the teachers also communicate in English.      Therefore, your email communication with the teachers should also be in      English. Avoid using languages that the teacher cannot understand. If you      really want to use such languages, for example, to express respect and      blessings to the teacher, it is better to provide an English explanation      of the sentence after writing it in an unfamiliar language.

2. Email format:
        An email is something that cannot be easily taken back, which means the      email represents your image and has a certain influence. So, when sending      an email to a British teacher, pay attention to the format. For example,      many of my classmates in the UK, when the teacher assigned a task to record      a presentation as a video and send it to the teacher's email, they treated      it as a normal email and used the usual format. I thought it was normal to      address the teacher, state the purpose, and sign off because I felt like      sending an email was similar to writing a letter. However, the next day,      the teacher was unhappy in class. He said, "I hope that next time you      send an email, even if you don't want to address me, please try to write      who you are, why you are sending this email, where the materials are, to      represent your image."

Therefore, the email format to British university teachers should be like writing a formal letter. The first line at the top left is the recipient's address, a greeting in the middle, then introduce yourself, state the purpose, etc. Then write a customary closing phrase of a letter, and finally, sign off.

That's about it

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Dear XXX,

Good afternoon, my name is..., my student ID is..., my major is XXX.  I am writing to XXX, please download XXX documents in the below attachment, Thank you and I am looking forward to your kind reply.

Best Wishes

Your Sincerely / Student / Friend,

XXX

If you really want to, you can also leave your phone number below your name.

 

As shown in the image below, I initially wanted to find an example of an email I sent to a British teacher, but I couldn't find it. So I found two recent examples of Chinese and English emails instead. First, here is a screenshot of a Chinese email. Since the recipient is someone I know in real life, I used "亲" as the salutation. However, for most of my emails, I use "亲爱的某某某" (Dear [Name]) or "您好" (Hello).

 

Here, it's important to note that in personal letters in China, if you start an email with "亲爱的某某某" (Dear [Name]), you may be concerned about potential misunderstandings due to cultural differences or other reasons. You may also forget how to write the person's name or be unsure of their surname. In such cases, using "尊敬的" (Respected), "敬爱的" (Dear), "您好" (Hello), or "亲" (for acquaintances) as the salutation is also appropriate. In my case, since I had already called the person in advance to inform them that I would be sending an email, I didn't introduce myself at the beginning but included my name in the email subject and closing.

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Actually, the format of English emails is similar to Chinese emails. As shown in the image below, the salutation in foreign countries is generally "Dear," followed by the recipient's name or a specific department name related to the school or institution. For example, you can write "Dear Student Center" if you are addressing the student center. Ten Sheng Miao reminds you that if you know the academic title of your teacher, such as a doctorate, professor, or other title, you can use "Dear Professor XXX." However, if you are unsure, it's best to use "Dear" followed by the full name to avoid addressing the teacher incorrectly. Alternatively, you can use "Dear" followed by just the first name, or "Dear Mr./Ms." followed by the surname. Please note that you should avoid using "Miss" because it primarily refers to unmarried women, while "Ms." is a title that can be used for both married and unmarried women. Although these two titles sound similar, they are written differently.

 

If you don't know who the recipient of the email is, you can use the general salutation "To Whom It May Concern."

 

This salutation "To Whom It May Concern" can be used in many situations, such as when applying to a university in the UK or when seeking employment in the UK and requiring recommendation letters. Recommendation letters often start with "To Whom It May Concern." Similarly, if you need a student certificate for purposes like opening a bank account or applying for a Schengen visa, the student certificate provided by the school usually begins with "To Whom It May Concern." Some schools even have an online tool for students to automatically download and print their student certificates, so they don't need to personally queue up at the student center. For example, the University of Warwick in the UK offers such a tool.

 

Ten Sheng Miao reminds you that student certificates in the UK are different from those issued by domestic schools. UK universities generally do not require official stamps on student certificates, and these certificates are recognized by UK government agencies, financial institutions, and other private companies. However, student certificates from domestic schools usually need to be stamped for official use.

3. Grammar and Spelling

Firstly, avoid writing everything in uppercase letters. It is sufficient to capitalize the first letter of the first word in the opening sentence. Just like when writing an academic paper, if you insist on writing in all uppercase, it is likely that you are heading towards failing the course. If your entire paper is written in uppercase, the probability of failing is 200%. I'm afraid 100% probability of failure is not enough, so let me offer you an additional 100% guaranteed rate of failure.

Secondly, avoid using abbreviations. Abbreviations might make you think that everyone understands them, but in reality, sorry to say, we don't understand them. For example, the most common ones like "BTW" (By the way) or "ASAP" (As soon as possible) may seem familiar to you, but it's possible that others don't know them. Even if they do, they may choose not to respond because it shows a lack of respect. Remember, your teacher is not your friend; they are your teacher.

Since you are writing an email, you have plenty of time to think about how to write it. You can draft it, make revisions, read it a few times, and then check it before sending. Grammar issues may lead to your teacher not understanding what you are trying to express, resulting in them being unable to provide the answer you seek. Spelling mistakes can also change the meaning of words. While some teachers are intelligent and can guess your misspelled words based on context, most teachers won't bother.

For example, I myself made a mistake with a word that I still remember vividly after several years. The word was "Brother," and I accidentally wrote it as "Bother." It was such an embarrassing moment. Luckily, I smoothly maneuvered past it. Originally, I wanted to use the word to refer to a close relationship, but I immediately changed my explanation, turning it into an apology for not wanting to bother the other person.

4. Check the recipient's email address

Before sending emails to teachers, schools, classmates, etc., remember to double-check the recipient's email address. Verify that the letters, numbers, and symbols are correct because a momentary lapse could result in you sending your assignment to someone else. A classmate of mine made such a mistake. They had saved the teacher's email address under an English name, and another classmate also had the same name. Without careful checking, they clicked "send," only realizing the mistake when they checked their sent items.

5. Your email provider

As an international student registered at a university in the UK, you will receive your exclusive student email on the day of registration, with a password of your choice. When emailing your teachers, it is best to use your school email because teachers may not open emails from other domains. Additionally, some emails may be automatically filtered into spam or not be received by the school email system.

What should you do if you don't have a school email? You can use an email provider from your home country, such as Gmail, Hotmail, or QQ Mail. It is advisable to avoid using NetEase Mail because there may be issues with the delivery of emails. For example, Coventry University in the UK explicitly states at certain times not to use a particular type of email address, as shown in the image below.

 

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However, not every university will directly inform you which email providers not to use. After all, many countries around the world may have their own nationally developed email services. Therefore, Hotmail and Google Mail are currently more commonly used globally.

6. Email Subject:
        This is quite important. Avoid sending boring or even blank subjects, as      the recipient may mistake it for spam or an advertising virus and delete      it without reading. Instead, make sure the subject highlights the main      point. For example, if you are sending an email to submit a paper, the      subject should be "Submission of [Course Name] Paper." The email      content should not consist only of attachments; it should follow the      format mentioned above. Introduce yourself to the teacher, mention the      academic term, student ID, and the paper you are submitting. Request the      teacher to download or review the attached file. If there are any      inaccuracies or deficiencies, express your anticipation of their assistance      and convey your sincere gratitude. You can include additional relevant      information as well.

7. Email Content:
        Please focus on the key points and avoid lengthy discussions. Keep your      paragraphs separated instead of writing them in a continuous block. Teachers      receive a much larger number of emails daily than you can imagine,      including from students in each semester, both full-time and part-time.      They also receive emails from the school and other teachers, not to      mention numerous annoying spam and advertisement emails, and so on.      Therefore, it is crucial to keep your message concise and focused.

8. After Receiving an Email from the Teacher:
        When you receive an email from your teacher, always remember to reply with      "Good afternoon, I have received your message. Thank you for your      response/help/email," followed by "Best wishes" and your      signature. For instance, if you asked a question and the teacher took the      time to provide a helpful response, they are actually waiting for your      feedback. They may keep refreshing their inbox throughout the day to check      the situation. By replying, you indicate that they have assisted you and      the issue has been resolved. If you still have further questions, you can      continue the conversation in subsequent emails. However, after resolving      the matter, always conclude with a thank-you message to express your      gratitude for their help.

9. Avoid Using Emojis or Jokes:
        Although emails are a textual medium, they are not meant for socializing      or making friends like social media platforms. As an international      student, when sending emails to academic teachers at a UK university, it      is important not to use emoji symbols, emoticons, funny jokes, or other      informal elements.

You can use emojis, share jokes, or exchange funny content privately with teachers once you have a good rapport with them on platforms like Facebook (FB), Instagram (INS), WhatsApp (Whats Up), and so on. As long as you feel the relationship is appropriate and comfortable, it is acceptable. However, Ten Sheng Miao reminds us that some foreigners value personal privacy more and can distinguish between professional and personal socializing. I have a friend who has a very close relationship with their class teacher. They engage in activities together like cycling, traveling, and working out. Their bond is particularly strong, but this varies from person to person. The content and topics of conversation also depend on the individuals involved. For instance, two men can have endless topics to discuss, but what those topics are, well, you can guess...

10. Currently, nothing else comes to mind... I suggest everyone add      their own contributions.