TOPIC 1: Explain the three reasons tour conducting appeals to many people. What are the disadvantages of a career in tour conducting?TOPIC 2: Name six specific personality traits that are common tour conductors. TOPIC 3: Why do some people prefer to be a guide rather than a tour conductor? What are some of guiding’s liabilities?TOPIC 4: Choose a notable building or other attraction with which you are acquainted or interested in. Pretend that you are a guide there and must give groups an introductory talk of about 5 minutes. TOPIC 5: What are five general activities that can be used to keep a group occupied?TOPIC 6: Why do tour members place such importance on their hotel? Why is a hotel important to the tour operator? Why is tour business important to a hotel?TOPIC 7: Identify the typical problems that may confront a tour manager during his or her arrival lobby duty. How can each be solved?TOPIC 8: What must a tour manager do before a group arrives at the airlines terminal?TOPIC 9: List the materials you’ll need to manage a multiday tour.TOPIC 10: What are the most common problems in doing “lobby duty” or checkin for hotellodged groups? Suggest solutions.
Trang 1ENGLISH FOR TOURISM 1
SPEAKING - TASK 1
The pie chart shows the average tourist spending breakdown in Britain
At first glance, it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was the hobbies and basic needs of the tourists
As can be seen from the chart, the percentage of the spending on accommodation accounts for almost 35% of the total spending because there are many festivals, concerts, events and places to see in Britain
Tourists usually stay many days in Britain to go to these festivals and events, therefore they require accomodation
Accomodation also include additional services such as free bike storage, laundry, drinks, Internet costs and room service to meet the needs of the customers
A large portion of the budget (24%) is spent on eating out Britain has many popular restaurants that offer high quality and tasty foods Tourists often go to expensive restaurants where food is cooked by very popular chefs
The proportions for shopping and travel within the UK have a quite similar spending breakdown, at 19% and 14% respectively
Tourists probably tend to do more shopping at home rather than in Britain where the prices are much higher Britain has lots of low cost public transportation that allows tourists to get to the most popular places
Trang 2Another type of spending is entertainment, but this accounted for only 5% Many festivals and events are free, and would explain why not a lot is required to be spent on entertainment
Interestingly, only a small minority (4%) is left for other services because in the accommodation already includes most of the basic services
Trang 3SPEAKING – TASK 2 MAKE A SHORT PRESENTATION
Hoi An is a Ancient Town in Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast region,
in the Quảng Nam Province Hội An is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO Hội An translates as "peaceful meeting place"
Hoi An city has warm weather the whole year with its average temperature of 29 Degree Celsius The city only has two main seasons: rainy and dry seasons instead
of four seasons like in Northern Vietnam Hoi An’s dry season from February to May is the best time to visit the town because its weather becomes very beautiful with moderate temperature, less rain and warm sunshine
Hoi An is a small peaceful town, it is easy to remember street names and get
around town The best way to experience Hoi An, many have said, is to rent a bicycle
This service is offered at most tour companies and hotels and it costs about 20,000VNĐ per day Cyclos are not as abundant as Hue and maybe a good way to slowly experience Hoi An beauty and take photos An hour trip would cost about 30,000 VND Then, Taxi is a good option if you want to get from one place to another fast
One of the great pleasures of any visit to Hoi An is strolling along the beautiful streets of the old town at night under the flickering lights of the many beautiful lanterns These simple colorful lanterns are both part of Hoi An culture and Hoi An today Besides, Cua Dai beach is closest to Hoi An, is very beautiful and is well worth a visit to cool off when the heat starts to get to you
Hoi An has many bars and night clubs Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre, a place which attracts a lot of visitors Moreover, you can cruise on Hoai river, it’s a great experience for you If you are lucky enough to arrive at the town on the 14th day of a lunar month, Hoi An will be much more charming with its Full Moon Festival and “Old Street Night” exclusively available on that day
Wandering around the ancient town, you could enjoy all Hoian cuisines, such as
“caolau”, “my quang” (special noodle of Quang Nam), “banh beo”, “banh vac”, “com ga” in all restaurants in Hoi An, but to enjoy the cuisine of best quality, it is advisable to find out more local options
Trang 4SPEAKING – TASK 3 BOOK A HOLIDAY TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
Hello, can I help you?
Yes, we’re looking for a holiday in September We want to find a nice place to relax because our work is very stressful
OK, well What about going to Lao Chai and Ta Van in Sa Pa? Sa
Pa is such a quiet and peaceful place Especially in September, you can see beautiful scenes of rice terraces that look like a work of art, you will be impressed by the waterfalls and mountains… Yes, we thought that In fact we saw that at Internet and TV It is very beautiful but it’s along flight, isn’t it?
It is two hour flight to Ha Noi When you arrive in HN, our shuttle car will pick you up at the airport and take you on a 9 hour ride to the hotel On the road the car will stop once for a rest You will forget all the stress and fatigue (tiredness) when you see the peaceful scenery in Sa Pa
Sounds good, ok let’s stay with Sa Pa
What type of accommodation are you looking for? I thịnk it will
be better if you stay in local people houses in Sa Pa It will help you blend with the community You can still choose to stay at a hotel, but the prices will be high
I think that it is not convenient to stay in local people houses in Sa
Pa That is why I want to stay at a hotel where the windows have a good and clear view of the outside
The Lan Huong Hotel will meet your needs This hotel is located near the rice terraces and has lots of good service along with bed and breakfast
It sounds great!
I will check availability for you Would you want a twin room or a double room?
A double one for myself and my husband What is the rate, please? It’s 600.000 VND per night
Trang 5CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
CUSTOMER:
TRAVEL AGENT:
That fine I will book it
Could you tell me your name?
Kim Ngan Le
That’s L-E
That’s right
Thank you, please tell me to check it before six tomorrow evening Yes, I will Good bye!
Goodbye
Trang 6SPEAKING – TASK 4 PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS BAVU: BAVU Nicholson
KIMNGAN: Hello BAVU This is KIMNGAN Manson from Sunshine Travel
BAVU: Oh, very well Can I help you?
KIMNGAN: Oh, right, well, in fact that is what I was ringing about I thought we
ought to get toghether and discuss the arrangements for next year
BAVU: Yes, that sounds like a good idea What about Monday, October 26th?
KIMNGAN: No, that’s not very convenient for me I could do the Friday, can you?
BAVU: Yes, that looks good Shall we say 5.30?
KIMNGAN: Yes, that would be fine
BAVU: Is there anything in particular that you’d like to bring up?
KIMNGAN: Yes, I though it might be useful to talk about how many clients we’ll
be sending over and how many coaches we’ll be likely to need
BAVU: Yes, I agree Perhaps we could talk about prices as well
KIMNGAN: Well, I understand what you’re saying, but perhaps we can look at
other ways of making sure you get extra revenue
BAVU: OK, well, we can look at that Was there anything else?
KIMNGAN: Yes, there was one other thing I’d like to bring up the matter of
reliability – we had quite a lot of complaints about late departures, and
we felt we got a bit of a raw deal to be honest
BAVU: Well, maybe, but I’m sure that things will be better now Is that
everything?
KIMNGAN: Yes, I think so – we’ve got a pretty full agenda there I look forward
to seeing you again
BAVU: OK, I’ll see you at 5:30 on the 30th Good bye
Trang 7SPEAKING – TASK 5 COMPLAINT A: Hello Have you settle in ok? Is everything all right?
B: Well, I am looking for you and have some problem to ask you
A: All right
B: I feel annoyed now because of my room In fact, to be honest, It is very terrible
A: Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that What exactly is the problem?
B: According to the brochure, we have to stay in the large and comfortable room but it is not only small but also dirty and the room lacks many things such as towel, soap, remote… I have waited a long time to get that and the attitude of staff is very impolite I did not pay money to stay in as here I need an explanation of you immediately
A: Ok, look, I am really very sorry Let me take some details What is your room number?
B: 308
A: Oh yes, It’s Mr and Mrs John
B: That’right I want to do something to solve the problem
A: I understand your feeling now but I explain for you about the small room As the bathtub in your room is broken and the plumber hasn’t come, morever, kind of your room is full today so the hotel move you to this room Then about dirty room, I will require staff clean up your room right now and go to talk manager to ask about the staff’attitude in hotel
B: Are you wait a minute?
A: Ok, perhaps I’d like a coffee at the restaurant
B: I’ll be right back
Trang 8SPEAKING TEST
TOPIC 1: Explain the three reasons tour conducting appeals to many people What are the disadvantages of a career in tour conducting?
Three reasons tour conducting appeals to many people are:
- Glamour (sự thu hút):
+ Is paid to travel to the world’s most exotic places, stay in splendid hotels
+ Be independent contractors, choose when & where to work
+ Be the focus of attention of a tour
- Challenge:
+ Make the right decision instantly
+ Deal with irate customers, obstinate hotel clerk
+ Improvise entertainment when a motorcoach breaks down
- Salary and Benefits:
+ Salary: receive salary for each day or an hourly wage as well as tips or commissions
+ Benefits: free transportation, accommodations & most meals (comps or complimentary
+ tipping
+ sales commissions on optionals (add-on)
+ some receive tax deduction or company insurance & other benefits
The disadvantages of a career in tour conducting are:
- Tour conductors live out of a suitcase Home becomes a place where I repack my luggage
- Many tour managers are unmarried Those who are married must adjust a long periods of absence from their families
- Timing and number of tours are unpredictable, so it’s difficult for a tour conductor
to maintain a normal family life
- Face considerable stress because, we are responsible for dozens of people, some of whom maybe difficult or demanding
- The hours can be long In reality, a tour conductor is on duty twenty-four hours a day
Trang 9TOPIC 2: Name six specific personality traits that are common tour conductors
There are six specific personality of tour manager:
- An outgoing personality: tour manager have a positive, energetic and open approach to both people and tasks They usually are quite articulate (ăn nói lưu lót), with a well-developed sense of humor, solid (vững vàng)
conversational skills, and the ability to entertain people with their stories
- Decisiveness (quyết đoán): give quick actions in difficult situations They are
emotionally controlled, calm in the face of a challenge, and able to anticipate
(lường trước) a problem before it arises
- People skills: tour conductor are types who genuinely care about people, listen
to what clients have to say Courteous, patient, sensitive, caring, unselfish, diplomatic, even-termpered, tactful yet firm- a tour director is expected to be
all these things toward both clients and associates
- Organizational skills: a good tour manager must be a good time manager Reports, schedules, deadlines, and money management are all integral parts of
the job
- Research skills: tour managers must keep up on all sorts of facts, including such as postage and phone costs, tipping practices, foreign exchange rates and
the next day’s weather
- A sense of ethics (ý thức đạo đức): be honesty, fair to achieve good
reputation
TOPIC 3: Why do some people prefer to be a guide rather than a tour conductor? What are some of guiding’s liabilities?
Some people prefer to be a guide rather than a tour conductor because a tour conductor do double duty as a guide and have broader responsibilities of tour conducting
Some of guiding’s liabilities:
- Boredom is very high
+ Repeat the same information
+ Feign (giả vờ) surprise at what a visitor feels
Trang 10- If they’re vehicle-driving sightseeing guides, they must concentrate on (tập trung vào) their narration (câu chuyện kể) and driving simultaneously (đồng thời)
- Technology is making guides obsolete
+ At some attractions, visitors rent a portable audio player
+ Use CD player to activate prerecorded commentary
TOPIC 4: Choose a notable building or other attraction with which you are acquainted or interested in Pretend that you are a guide there and must give groups an introductory talk of about 5 minutes
Ladies and gentlemens, my name is Nguyen Ba Vu Today I am here to present to
you about Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An is a Ancient Town in Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast region,
in the Quảng Nam Province Hội An is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO Hội An translates as "peaceful meeting place"
Hoi An city has warm weather the whole year with its average temperature of 29 Degree Celsius The city only has two main seasons: rainy and dry seasons instead of four seasons like in Northern Vietnam Hoi An’s dry season from February to May is the best time to visit the town because its weather becomes very beautiful with moderate temperature, less rain and warm sunshine
Hoi An is a small peaceful town, it is easy to remember street names and get around town The best way to experience Hoi An, many have said, is to rent a bicycle This service is offered at most tour companies and hotels and it costs about 20,000VNĐ per day Cyclos are not as abundant as Hue and maybe a good way to slowly experience Hoi An beauty and take photos An hour trip would cost about 30,000 VND
One of the great pleasures of any visit to Hoi An is strolling along the beautiful streets of the old town at night under the flickering lights of the many beautiful lanterns These simple colorful lanterns are both part of Hoi An culture and Hoi
An today Besides, Cua Dai beach is closest to Hoi An, is very beautiful and is well worth a visit to cool off when the heat starts to get to you
Trang 11Wandering around the ancient town, you could enjoy all Hoian cuisines, such as
“caolau”, “my quang” (special noodle of Quang Nam), “banh beo”, “banh vac”,
“com ga” in all restaurants in Hoi An, but to enjoy the cuisine of best quality, it is advisable to find out more local options
TOPIC 5: What are five general activities that can be used to keep a group occupied?
There are five general activities that can be used to keep a group occupied:
- Giving information: a tour conductor should take the opportunity during long, boring stretches to talk about the destination that lies ahead or the geographic area through which the group is passing
- Playing games: game boards made especially for use on moving vehicles can
be obtained from large toy stores or tour supply companies Many tour managers purchase books of games designed to occupy children on long car rides
- Singing along: you will need sing- along book You could just start each song and let the group do the rest or you might ask someone onboard to lead the song for you You may discover that some client with a golden voice
- Making small talk: people need time to talk to friends, rest, or stare off into space You’ll need that time, too Maybe there’s paper-work to be done and you need to rest your voice
- Telling jokes: the ability to tell jokes well or to be generally funny seems to be
an inborn talent A few recommendations are in order
Avoid any jokes based on race, sex, or ethnicity or that are vulgar in any way
Don’t allow your passengers to tell jokes non the microphone:
Try to tie in your joke to a passing or relevant attraction
Keep your jokes as short as possible
Don’t exclude corny jokes
Draw on personal escorting experiences for humor