ADVANCEDTravel Lesson Plan (ESL): Warm-up (Pair Work)

1)Where are you planning to go for your next holiday?

2)Is there a place you’d never visit again? Where and why?

3)Do you prefer traveling independently or with a group on an organized tour?

4)What do you know of the following countries: Uganda, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Jordan?

Travel: The Top Four of Lonely Planet’s “Countries To Visit in 2012” List

1. Uganda – Stability is returning to this African nation after dictatorships and civil war. Tourists can discover snow-capped mountains overlooking sprawling jungles, savannah bordering vast lakes, and the source of the Nile River. Wildlife, once hunted to the brink of extinction, is also returning with a vengeance. The capital city of Kampala is said to be one of Africa’s safest. Tourists are cautioned however that Uganda has little tolerance for homosexuality and travel to the northeast remains ill-advised.

2. Myanmar (Burma) – Burma revised its boycott on independent travel in 2010. The country, bordered by mountains and white-sand beaches, now welcomes tourists. Timeless towns and countless pagodas can be found in the center among the fervently Buddhist locals. Although the boycott is over, tourists should remain cautious.

3. Ukraine – One glimpse at the glorious Old Town Kiev will be enough to make you forget the grim stereotypes you may have of this former communist country and home of Chernobyl. High among its attractions is Crimea – a region, linked by ferry to the port city Odessa, for sun tanning and relaxing on the Black Sea amidst rugged mountains and ancient ruins. Beer in Ukraine is also cheaper than water.

4. Jordan – Jordan is more than the UNESCO World Heritage site Petra, a complete ancient city carved into a mountain from the 6th century BC. Jordan also boasts Wadi Rum, an elevated valley cut into stone in south Jordan, and the cities of Jerash and Madaba. Although still rifewith poverty, Jordan is one of the most friendly and welcoming nations in the Middle East.

Travel: Unconventional Tourism

New kinds of tourism have been gaining interest and significance lately. One example is ecological tourism (eco-tourism); a responsible form of travel that aims to reduce the negative impact it has on pristine environments and indigenous communities. Also, space tourism is expected to become a billion dollar industry in the next decade. Virgin Atlantic plans to begin flights to space in 2013. (325 words)

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Travel Lesson Plan ESL: Follow-Up Questions

1)Which country selected by the Lonely Planet appeals to you the most? Which does not?

2)True or False: Myanmar has reversed its ban on homosexuality.

3)What is Crimea?

4)True or False: Wadi Rum is an ancient city carved out of stone.

5)What is the aim of ecotourism?

6)Have you been an eco-tourist? Would an eco-tour interest you?

7)If you had 200,000 US dollars, would you spend it on a seat aboard a space flight?

Match the words with their meaning as used in the article.

  1. sprawling
  2. savannah
  3. the brink (of sth)
  4. with a vengeance
  5. fervently
  6. grim
  7. boast (verb)
  8. rife
  9. pristine
  10. indigenous
/
  1. a flat area covered in grass with few trees, especially in Africa
  2. passionately; ardently
  3. almost in a very new, dangerous, or exciting situation
  4. full of sth bad or unpleasant
  5. native; aboriginal
  6. unpleasant and depressing
  7. have sth impressive you can be proud of
  8. fresh and clean; in its original (good) condition
  9. to a greater degree than is expected or usual
  10. spreading in an untidy way

Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence. (good for homework)

government / crush / uprising / e.g. The government plans to crush the uprising.
sprawling / cities
wildlife / savannah
economy / brink
return / with a vengeance
fervently / God
boast / UNESCO
glimpse / pristine
indigenous / grim

Travel Lesson Plan ESL: World Tourism Rankings(Group Work)

Which 10 countries do you think ranked highest in the world tourism rankings? Try to guess with a partner. (Answers (from 2010) on the bottom of next page.)

Travel Lesson Plan ESL: The Foreign Visitor (Pair Work)

Option 1: A foreign VIP client of your company will visit from this Thursday to next Monday. Your boss has given you an unlimited budget to show your country to the client. Design the best itinerary you can for the visit.

Option 2: You met some friendly aliens on a recent space flight. You invited them to visit Earth sometime. Yesterday, they contacted you. They’d like you to give them a 5-day tour of your planet. Design the best itinerary you can. (Transportation will not be a problem as you can use their spacecraft.)

Travel Lesson Plan ESL: Role-play #1 (note: each student reads only his/her role.)

Student A: / You want to take your wife/husband on a trip this weekend. First, decide where you want to go. Then, phone your travel agent to reserve a plane ticket and hotel. Also, ask for recommendations of things to do there.
Student B: / You are a travel agent. Student A will soon phone you. Try to sell him/her one of the below travel packages. (He/she will tell you the destination.)
Option 1: round-trip, first class, $950. Hotel: Hilton, $250/night, *****
Option 2: round-trip, economy class, $310. Hotel: Doug’s Inn, $99/night, ***

Travel Lesson Plan ESL: Role-play #2

Student A: / You have just arrived at your hotel. Go to reception. Tell them you: 1) you have a reservation, 2) you want breakfast in the morning, and 3) you need to be woken up at 7am.
Student B: / You are a hotel receptionist. Welcome the guest to your hotel. Kindly tell him/her that there is a problem: you cannot find his/her reservation because of a computer system problem.

Travel Lesson Plan ESL: Discussion Questions

1)Problems: What problems do tourists commonly have? What problems have you had when traveling?

2)Airlines: Which do you prefer and which do you avoid?

3)Nationalities: who are the best and worst tourists?

4)What is the stereotype of people from your country?

5)UNESCO: What UNESCO sites does your country have?

6)“When in Rome do as the Romans do”  do you believe in this saying?

7)Cuisine: What unusual things have you eaten abroad?

2010 Tourism Ranking: France (76.8m), US, China, Spain, Italy, UK, Turkey, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico (22.4m)

--Travel Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

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