Tag: travel

Best Beaches in Europe

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is summertime again and what better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day than to go to the beach?  If you find yourself in Europe this summer, here are ten beaches that would make your vacation a memorable one.

Let’s read the article and start a discussion about it. Please it through the link below:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/may/18/europe-beaches-france-portugal-greece-italy-spain-readers-tips

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever been to the beaches listed in the article? If not, which beach would you like to visit and why?
2. What’s the nicest beach you’ve ever been to? Please share your experience.
3. What’s your favorite activity to do at the beach? Why?
4. What do you think is the best way to spend your summer vacation?
5. Do you prefer summer or winter vacations? Why?

Reasons To Study a Foreign Language Abroad

© via The Local ES

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Anybody who is trying to learn a foreign language constantly wants to find a way to speed up the process. There are many ways to do it. Is living and studying it abroad truly the most effective way?

Here are six reasons why one needs to live away from home to learn another language.

https://www.thelocal.es/20170524/6-reasons-you-should-study-a-foreign-language-abroad-esl-tlccu

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you agree that “learning and communicating in the language of a foreign country while living there is without doubt the best way of learning”?
2. What are ways you’ve tried to learn English? Which do you think are the most effective and which are not?
3. Would you consider studying a language abroad or recommend anyone to do it? Support your answer.

Generation Vacation: Holiday with Our Parents

B2 – Upper Intermediate

I bet you have heard of the word “quarter-life crisis” wherein at the age of 25, you are no longer too young to be an adult and you are already too old to be a teenager. Nowadays, it’s becoming more common to stay living with your parents because it’s too expensive to rent on your own. Sometimes, because of generation gap, we experience misunderstanding with our parents.

Here’s a unique article about a boy’s experience traveling with his mom and how this memorable trip changed how he thinks about her.

Read the interesting story below and let’s answer the questions together!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/generation-vacation-happens-millennials-like-go-holiday-parents/

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever traveled with your parents before? If yes, how was it and where did you go?
2. Can you tell me one of your most memorable trips abroad with your parents?
3. Talk about the difference between traveling with friends and family. What are the advantages and disadvantages when you travel with your family?
4. Do you prefer to travel with friends, relatives, or alone? Why?
5. What do you think it was like traveling for our parents “during their time”?

How to Haggle: Successful Bargaining Tips

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service debate the price of a transaction.  Not all purchases are open to bargaining. Typical places where bargaining is common include markets, antique shops, and second-hand car shops.

Click the link and read a few guidelines to help us get the best bargain. Answer the discussion questions that follow:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/how-to-haggle

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is bargaining an acceptable practice in your country?
  2. In what kinds of shops is it acceptable?
  3. Do you like to bargain?
  4. What sort of things have you bargained for?
  5. What’s the best bargain you have got?
  6. What strategies did you use?
  7. Have you ever been ripped off?
  8. What is the bargaining etiquette in your country?
  9. What other negotiating do you do in your everyday life?
  10. What are some reasons people give for wanting a price reduction?

Speaking Activity : Tourism

tour-banner

B2 – Upper intermediate

Tourism is travelling for pleasure. It also involves the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, as well as the business of operating tours.

People will always want to travel. The tourism industry has been growing in the past years and travelling has been a lot of people’s passion and hobby.

Answer the questions below and be ready to have a discussion about tourism and travelling.

Discuss:

1. How important is tourism in your country?
2. What is the biggest tourist destination in your country?
3. What are the benefits of international tourism? Are there any drawbacks?
4. Do you prefer tourism package tours or do you prefer to plan your own vacations? Why?
5. Is it better to go to popular tourist destinations or lesser known tourist destinations? Why?
6. Should a government try to improve domestic tourism or try to attract international tourists instead? Why?
7. What’s the best way to travel when you visit a country? Train, car, bicycle, bus?
8. If you could create a tourism slogan for your country, what would it be?
9. What’s the best way for a country to bring in more tourists?
10. How do you feel about tourists who visit your country?

The London Underground

B1 – Intermediate

Here’s an interesting history about the train network in London. Read the article and study the highlighted words. Be ready to answer discussion questions.

http://www.english-online.at/travel/london-underground/london-tube.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your own words, retell the story behind the London Underground. How was it used during the Second World War?
  2. How reliable is the train network in your country?
  3. Does your train network have its own history? An architectural value? Talk about it.
  4. What monuments in your city or country have been restored over the years? How important are these monuments?
  5. What other historical places do you find interesting and intriguing?

Ancient Mummy Wearing Adidas Boots

B1 – Intermediate

We have heard many stories and have watched a number of films about time travel. But is time travel really possible?

Read the article below about a mummy wearing a specific footwear that has made many people think about time travelling.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1604/160415-time-travel.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think this story is believable? Why or why not?
  2. If given a chance, would you time travel? Why or why not?
  3. Which period of time would you like to go back to? Why?

Top Cities to Visit

B1 – Intermediate

There are many cities in the world that most people like to visit. Perhaps you’ve been to one of them.

It is very important to know some information you can use if you’re planning your next out-of-the-country trip.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about the top 25 cities to visit.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/top-25-cities-to-visit-in-the-world/2760339.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Which of the cities in the article have you been to? Talk about your experiences there.
  2. Which ones do you want to visit one day and why?
  3. Which cities are the easiest and hardest for you to visit and why?
  4. What is your ultimate dream destination? Why do you want to visit this country so much?
  5. What are some of the best things to do when someone visits your city/country?

The Coldest City on Earth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We sometimes travel to places to be able to experience a different kind of weather. Going to the beach to experience warmth during the winter. Or travelling to somewhere cold to beat the heat of summer.

The article below tells of a city about 450 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle that experiences winter for 8 months with temperatures of up to -50° C.

http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/travel/yakutsk-coldest-place-on-earth.htm

Discussion Questions:

  1. In your own words, tell me something about Yakutsk and how it was founded. How do people live there?
  2. What’s the coldest temperature you have ever experienced?
  3. How do you deal with the cold weather?
  4. Would you be interested in visiting Yakutsk?

*Here’s a site you can go to view pictures of Yakutsk: Yakutska in Russia

20 English Words to Not Say When Travelling

Obama

C1 – Advanced

If you are a frequent traveler or you are involved in the e-commerce industry and have an international clientele, better know these English words to avoid unintended double entendre.

Avoid These 20 English Words When in Other Countries

Discuss:

1. Aside from the ones mentioned in the article, do you know of other English terms that should be avoided when travelling?
2. When you travel to a foreign country do you use English or do you use the language of the country?
3. Are there some Spanish words that foreign people often misuse?