INTERMEDIATE Travel 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 slowly returning to this African nation after dictatorships and civil war. Uganda is
home to Kampala, one of Africa’s safest capitals. Tourists can discover snow-capped mountains
overlooking jungles, savannah bordering vast lakes, and the source of the Nile River. Wildlife, once
hunted to near-extinction, is also returning. Tourists are cautioned that Uganda has little tolerance for
homosexuality, and travel to the northeastern parts of the country is not advised.
2. Myanmar (Burma) – Burma changed its ban on independent travel in 2010. The country, surrounded by
mountains and white-sand beaches, now welcomes tourists. Towns and pagodas can be found in the
center among the Buddhist locals. Although the travel ban is over, tourists should remain cautious.
3. Ukraine – One look at the glorious Old Town Kiev will be enough to make you forget the 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 of 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. Tourists can also enjoy Wadi Rum, an elevated valley cut into
stone in south Jordan, and the cities of Jerash and Madaba. Jordan is said to be one of the most friendly
and welcoming nations in the Middle East.
Travel: Unconventional Tourism
New kinds of tourism have been gaining popularity 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 the
fragile environment 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. (318 words)
[Sources: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe/travel-tips-and-articles/76856, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/spacetourism-1-billion-industry_n_1371354.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism]
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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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
stability
savannah
extinction
tolerance
ban
pagoda
ruin
unconventional
impact
fragile
indigenous
a. a flat area covered in grass with few trees, especially in
Africa
b. unusual; not traditional
c. easily broken; weak
d. acceptance; understanding
e. native; aboriginal
f. a part of a building that remains after it has been damaged
g. the effect sth has on sth
h. a situation in which a type of animal or plant stops existing
i. the quality of being well-balanced and not changing
j. an official rule that says sth is not allowed
k. an Asian temple that looks like a tower with several levels
Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence. (good for homework)
government / crush / uprising
stability / war
wildlife / savannah
extinction / dinosaurs
tolerance / homosexuality
ban / airplane
ruins / pagoda
unconventional / tourism
impact / indigenous
fragile / environment
e.g. The government plans to crush the uprising.
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)
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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:
Student B:
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.
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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