Objectives and competences
Course objectives:
• Establish the general English-language competence of students relative to the B1/B2 level (because students with various linguistic backgrounds enrol)
• Introduce students to specific tourism concepts and vocabulary
• Improve students' English-language competence in terms of all four skills (speaking, writing, reading and listening), focusing on certain formats (CV, cover letter, job interview, etc.)
• Encourage students to consider and discuss tourism-related topics in English
• Facilitate team-work and problem solving in pairs/groups
• Train students on how to build a good PPT and deliver an effective presentation
• Raise awareness about differences in communication across cultures
• Revise selected grammatical issues in the context of tourism texts, and consolidate them
Competences gained by students:
• Improved communication skills in the English language
• More confident communication in English especially about tourism-centred topics
• Improved team-work skills (listening, communicating, collaboration, critical thinking, leadership, problem-solving, time-management)
• Passive and active use of expanded tourism vocabulary (reading, listening, speaking, writing)
• Enhanced intercultural communication skills
Content (Syllabus outline)
Topics discussed in this course are those covered by the main courses of the programme:
• Travel and tourism
• Types of tourism and holidays
• Tour guides and tourist attractions
• Working in tourism
• Travel agents and tour operators
• Popular tourist destinations
• Transport and tourism
• Online linguistic resources
English for special purposes (vocabulary development):
• Tourism development in the 20th century
• At a job interview
• Writing CVs and covering letters
• Positive and negative impacts of tourism
• Understanding tourism sectors
• Describing attractions and the weather
• Advising clients on making holiday choices
• Understanding the pros and cons of different transport types
• Buying a train ticket at the counter
• Writing a letter of enquiry
• Speaking from notes
• Giving a short presentation
• Taking and confirming bookings
• Reading and compiling brochures
• Writing a day-by-day tour itinerary
• Planning a package tour
• Using online terminological databases, Google Translate, MS Office proofreading tools, Chat GPT for writing tourism-related texts
• Writing texts with culturally-specific topics in English (explaining menus)
Grammar:
• The English tenses (simple/continuous, future, perfect)
• -ing or infinitive form
• Talking about the future
• Collocations
• The English articles
• Multi-word verbs
• Word classes
• Spelling
• Asking questions
• Tag questions and anwers
• Conditional clauses (suggestions and advice)
Learning and teaching methods
This course uses a range of teaching and learning methods, including:
• Flipped learning (students prepare for each class in advance on the basis of instructions in Moodle, using English for Tourism Professionals 1: Study Materials)
• Individual work by students (60 lessons per semester)
o Preparing for classes
o Mandatory mid-term assignments (essays, presentations)
• Seminar work in class (30 lessons per semester):
o PPT presentations (by the teacher and students)
o Watching videos
o Listening to audio clips
o Reading and writing
o Discussions
o Case studies
o Practial language work in pairs and groups
o Role-play
o Research- and problem-based assignments in teams
o Exercises of mixed types (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar)
o Field work
o Guest lecturers – tourism experts
o Students' texts error analysis and correction
o Storytelling
o Mock tests (written, oral)
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and understanding
Study results are shown in a student:
• Understanding English texts and conversations (reading and listening) related to the topics covered
• Confidently and intelligibly speaking and writing about tourism-related topics covered
• Mastering several situations in professional and everyday life in English
Transferable/key skills and other attributes:
• Understanding of discussed professionally relevant topics
• Application of newly learnt vocabulary
• Usage of newly acquired language skills
• Consolidated command of the covered aspects of English grammar
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes:
• Understanding of discussed, professionally relevant topics
• The usage of newly acquired language skills,
• A consolidated knowledge of dealt with grammatical issues
Readings
Gradivo v spletni učilnici Moodle (Materials in the Moodle)
Božinovski, B. (2022). English for tourism professionals 1: Study materials for year 1 (semester 1): professionally oriented bachelor programme ‘Modern tourism practices’ = Angleščina za turistično stroko 1 (115 p.). Fakulteta za turizem. https://estudij.um.si/
Online Oxford Learners' Dictionary https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.
Online Collocation Dictionary https://www.freecollocation.com/.
Priporočena dodatna literatura/Recommended additional literature:
Peter Strutt, Iwona Dubicka, Margaret O'Keeffe (2016). English for International Tourism, Intermediate Coursebook, Pearson.
Miriam Jacob, Peter Strutt (2006). English for International Tourism, Course Book, Longman.
Miriam Jacob, Peter Strutt (2006). English for International Tourism, Workbook, Longman.
Seznam dodatnih študijskih materialov in revij bo razdeljen študentom ob začetku predavanj. // A list of additional study materials (published texts, journals, etc.) will be distributed when the module begins.
Prerequisits
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Additional information on implementation and assessment Written examination. 30%
Oral examination. 20%
Active coursework. 50%
A student passes the course when each segment of the course is graded with a positive grade.
Possibility to pass a colloquium exam
