‘It’s so tactile as opposed to any kind of technology and because the method is so traditional
and long-standing it just seems a lot more real’.
Kate: She said it's tactile. What does tactile mean?
Jackie: This means 'nice to touch' and I think she's talking about the fact that a letters are
real and you can hold them, as opposed to just reading things off a computer
screen.
Kate: And long-standing?
Jackie: We use 'long-standing' when we talk about something that has been taking place
for many years, a tradition can be 'long standing' for example.
Kate: So what do you think? Do you like it when a letter comes through for you?
Jackie: Yes I do actually, I much prefer to receive a real letter rather than an email.
Kate: Well, many people would agree with you and before technology played such a
huge part in our lives, lots of people used to have pen pals. These were friends
who kept in contact through letters, hence the name (pal is another word for
friend).
Jackie: Yes, there are a lot of advantages to having a pen pal including the opportunity
to practise reading and writing in a foreign language, to improve literacy, to learn
more about other countries and lifestyles and to make friendships.
Kate: Many people are still keen in having a pen pal and often use a special
agency to put them in contact with someone in another country they can write to.
Another way of saying this to link up with someone. Liz has a few pen pals
- let's hear what else she has to say…