Tourism: Developing Writing Skills through Collaborative Writing

It is true that I don’t dedicate enough time to writing activities. I ask my students to do small writing tasks but not the real thing, at least not as often as they would probably need. Would it be a plausible excuse to say that I have 148 students and that it takes an awful lot of time, time I don’t have, to correct their essays? No, I know. I need to make amends, and I have started this week.

Haven’t you always dreamed of travelling to exotic off the beaten track destinations? Well, this activity is all about it! I guarantee you’ll not only enjoy writing and presenting your chosen destination, but you’ll also love hearing what your classmates have to say!

This lesson plan, which aims at developing writing skills through collaborative writing, is based on the theme of tourism and travelling.

Topic: Tourism

Level: Upper Intermediate and above

Time:  About 2 teaching sessions

Aims

  • To consolidate and extend understanding of vocabulary associated with tourism and travelling
  • To develop writing skills through collaborative writing
  • To give a presentation in front of an audience

Materials: suggested destinations here

THE TASK

Setting the context. You own a travel company and offer luxury holidays. Business has been bad the last couple of years due to the crisis and you have decided to lower the price of one of your most successful package tours, which happens to be a three-day trip to… (chosen destination)

You and your team have decided to attend the international tourism trade fair in London and try to sell your trip there.

You’ll need to explain the following to the potential customers:

  1. Brief description of the tour
  2. Transport to the chosen destination and once there
  3. Accommodation (options available) and meals included in the price (any extras?)
  4. Brief description of the three-day tour itinerary (sightseeing/ things to do…etc)
  5. Why customers should book with your agency

Display on the walls of the class posters of different package tours. Ask students to stand up and stand next to the tour they would like to take. There should be about 4 students per tour. Suggested  destinations pdf  here.

Writing. Students sit in groups now. Assign the following writing task to the group:

Student 1-

  • Brief description of the tour
  • Why the customer should book with your agency

Student 2 –

  • Transport to the chosen destination and once there
  • Accommodation (options available) and meals included in the price (any extras?)

Students 3 and 4 –

  • Brief description of the three-day tour itinerary (sightseeing/ things to do…etc)

Walk around the class offering help and guidance.

Presenting. Ask students to imagine they are at the International tourism trade fair in London and that they are going to try to sell their trip to their potential customers (the students in the class). Ask all the students in a group to come to the front of the class and read their part enthusiastically.

Buying. Ask students in the class to vote for the best trip.

(below, students trying to sell their trip)

Below, a nice presentation of Nepal created by Noelia Espinosa, Isabel Pardo, Yolanda Alonso and Silvia García. And here’s a link to the beautiful website created by Sharon Calderón as support for her presentation.  Thank you girls!

 

Photo by Kerry Lee Smith

5 thoughts on “Tourism: Developing Writing Skills through Collaborative Writing

  1. Yes, I have been doing these kinds of activities for some years. I usually do a project per term. For example , the last term with the topic films, my students divided into groups have created short videos using the different film genres such as comedy, police, etc. And we are now working the subject of sports. Groups have to invent a sport, its rules, number of participants, clothes carrying (uniforms, colors) aim of the game and skills to develop such force, the strength or coordination etc. Then they present their work to the rest of the class , helping all kinds of support, drawings, images, powert points, etc. Some group have even created a logo.
    These activities are fun and students are forced to think and they build their own learning.
    I love your classes because you work as I like.Thanks again ❤️

  2. That was a lot of fun for me too, Isabel. I am thrilled you enjoyed the activity so much. Perhaps, you can use it in your classes.

  3. It has been a hard job because writing tasks are especially difficult for me, but with this way of working I felt motivated. We have worked very well as a team, we have distributed the tasks, we have searched for information, photos… But the most important thing is that we have enjoyed doing it. We have laughed a lot talking about how we were going to do the presentation, of the Mise en scene because we even considered dressing up as hostesses. This task was really funny.
    Thanks Cristina

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