Procedure
1 The vocabulary exercise before should have prepared the students for the listening exercise so you can go straight into it. Focus attention on the students’ answers to the functions list (a to t) and play the tape twice if necessary.
2 The follow-up exercise on explaining the roles to each other should provide an opportunity for recycling language work on question forms and talking about jobs (from Unit 2).
3 Exercise 3 does not produce clear-cut answers and the main purpose of the exercise is to discuss the different tasks and practise using the vocabulary. The answers given below for this exercise are suggested answers only.
Answers
Travel agents-acdfgkmnrt Tour operators-behijlopqs
(possible answers)
lo 2s 3e&h 5] 6b
7p 8q 9ù 10 j
Reading The tour operator“s in-tray
Procedure
1 Before you start this activity, get the students to brainstorm all the different ways in which people
communicate with one another (face-to-face, gestures, telephone, fax, memo, notes, letters, e-mail, recorded message/answerphone, etc.). Then relate each one of these ways of communication to a tourism situation (e.g. someone making a hotel reservation — phone or fax).
2. Make sure that students read the introduction about Going Greek and understand what type of tour operator it is. Ask a few simple comprehension questions.
3 See what ideas they come up with for the five situations and then get the students to quickly skim the five texts to check if they were right. Don’t give them too long to do this, as the aim of this stage of the activity is to improve skim-reading skills.
4 Exerciset'3 and 4 give an opportunity for more intensive reading of the texts. Answers should be discussed in pairs or groups. Exercise 4 gives an opportunity for dictionary work — finding the location of abbreviations can sometimes be more complicated than people first think.
Answers
aphone message b memo c e-mail
dletter e fax message
letter = a and f fax=dande
phone message = b andi e-mail = h and j
memo = c and g
@ CV = curriculum vitae re = concerning
GMT = Greenwich Mean Time — base from which time throughout the world can be compared encl = enclosure
a,$.a.p. = as soon as possible
Internet = computer network of information and communication
testimonial = formal written statement describing someone’s character, ability to work, etc.
PS = postscript ~ a short addition to a letter Dept. = department
attn. = attention (for the attention of ...)
database = large collection of information stored ina ~
computer system
PR = public relations
Extension activity :
In order to practise/revise the CV writing introduced in Unit 2, the students could write the CV for Colin Brandon applying for the resort representative job. Some information is given in the covering letter but students will need to invent other information. The main practice should be in the design and layout of the CV. This could be done for
homework.
Output task Tour operator's replies
Procedure
1 Even though this is a writing activity it should be done in pairs in order to encourage communication and support. However, if time is limited it could, of course, be set for homework.
2 Make sure the correct format is used for each text-type ~ students merely have to imitate the layout of the original
in the Student’s Book. Get them to compare each other’s final product. Some possible models can be found on page 79 and photocopied for comparison if you wish.
Extra activity : :
For further practice get the students (still in pairs) to produce further texts, each requiring a reply. Here are some suggestions:
Tour operator's fax to printers asking when brochures will be ready.
Letter to travel agent enquiring about travel insurance.
Internal memo to travel agency staff about their own holiday plans.
Phone message from customer to travel agent wondering when tickets will be ready.
E-mail enquiry from company asking about business class flights to Tokyo.
Pairs should prepare one of the texts and then pass it'to another pair for a reply.
SECTION2 Negotiations
eeaeouuae
Warmer
1 Photocopy (or copy onto the board) this list of advice on how to behave in a business meeting ~ some of the
advice might be good, some might be bad. Add some of
your own if you want.
Never turn up late.
Men should wear a suit and tie, women a skirt or suit (never trousers).
If you're the host, offer everyone a drink (alcoholic if possible).
Shake hands with everyone at the start of the _ Meeting.
Start with some friendly social chat — about their family or their journey.
Always start with the most important point you want to make.
Make certain everyone has a glass of water.
Dot make the room too warm.
Sit at a round table, not face to face.
If you have people from different countries, make sure everyone speaks in English.
2 Get pairs or groups to discuss the advice and say whether they think it is good or bad ~ or rank it in terms of importance.
3 Pairs compare with other pairs. ằ
Reading Negotiation techniques
Procedure
1 The warmer should have helped to get students thinking about the style and format of business meetings. Make
Answers
ho Mo ge
Listening 2
sure they understand what a negotiation is — two (or
more) sides with different aims coming to a common acceptable solution. An example may help — e.g Going Greek negotiating with Olympic Coaches about the cost of coaches for their transfers and the level of their discount.
The pre-reading exercise 2 should be done in pairs.
Exercise 3 can be done in groups of four as an information transfer exercise (or ‘jigsaw’ reading), as described in the Student's Book. Alternatively, it could be done as a straightforward reading with all students reading the whole article and then comparing answers.
English-English dictionaries could be used to help with the idiomatic expressions in exercise 4.
Exercise 5 can be done in pairs; exercise 6 with the whole class.
up your sleeve = ideas and points held in reserve, to bring up if needed.
uopneido ino, By
a game-plan = a strategy for how you want the meeting to go and how you will respond to developments.
hard man, soft man = a tactic when two people on the same side take a different approach, with one being tough and even aggressive (‘hard man’) and the other being gentle and friendly (‘soft mar).
Language and behaviour, point 4 Language and behaviour, point 1 Follow up, point 2
Achieving your objectives, point 6 Achieving your objectives, point 6 Language and behaviour, point 5
Preliminary negotiations Procedure
1 Make sure the students understand who the two people are and who they represent. Pictures and simple diagrams on the board can help with this. You could also get them to predict why they might be talking to each other.
When setting the scene for the listening it is a good idea to introduce and check understanding of some of the technical vocabulary that occurs: seat rates, release dates, cancellation charges, time slots, on-board extras, flight schedules (as opposed to scheduled flights!)
Spend time on exercise 1, as it sets a fairly simple gist task for the listening. Get students to think about the language they might hear at each phase.
Play the tape a second time (and a third time if necessary) for exercise 3. Get students to compare their answers before reporting back.
29
Answers fcedagb
1 Subject: charter arrangements for next season Date: Friday 5 April
Time: 10.30
Venue: offices of the airline company
People present: Carla Manson, Peter Nicholson, Jo Greenyer (and secretary to take minutes)
6 Main objectives:
~ review reports on last season
~ get better seat rate for higher volume of business
~ more favourable time slots
~ better in-flight service 7 Preparation required:
~ get reports on last year together
~ take draft brochure
Language focus 1
Arranging a meeting
Rather than give students the expressions for the different functions in this Language focus section it may be a good idea to refer them to the tapescript and get them to ‘hunt for them.
Possible ways of continuing the three sentences are:
Are you free/available this Thursday?
Are you able to come to a meeting on Thursday?
What are you doing this Thursday?
What are your plans for this Thursday?
Shall we meet this Thursday?
Shall we try to fix a time now?
The diary page activity is quite a fun mingling activity.
Make sure students use the target language, both for suggesting a meeting and for responding (positively or negatively).
identifying and proposing areas of discussion Practice
Answers
1 I propose we vote on it.
2 1 want to put forward the following suggestion.
3 Td like to suggest that we offer a larger discount.
Responding to points
It is important that students learn and use these functions in a genuine context. So, as suggested in the Student’s Book, encourage them to think about the proposal that might have preceded each one. They could even write and act out mini-dialogues using the target expressions.
Practice Answers
1 Yes, I see your point.
2 Pm not sure I totally agree with you.
3 Yes, I accept that.
4 I’m not sure about that.
5 Yes, but I’d prefer more commission.
6 Td go along with that.
Responding positively = 1, 3, 6
Expressing reservation = 2, 4, 5
Pronunciation focus 1
Answers
1 Not too bad. We've had a pretty good year.
2 Td rather know in advance what'll be coming up.
3 We'd have preferred some better departure times.
4 Tm sure you'll agree we can make the flight itself a bit more of a selling point.
Pair work
Photocopy the blank diary pages on page 81 and get students to prepare their respective roles by filling in appointments and availability (as suggested in the Student’s Book).
Give plenty of time for the preparation of roles.
Your main priority in this exercise should be the accurate use of the target language (a freer activity follows in the output task). So keep notes during the role-plays so that you can do any necessary correction and repair work.
Output task Negotiations with a hotel
Procedure
1 Spend a lot of time on the preparation stage with the three groups thinking in detail about their role and the tactics they will employ. The secretaries (group C) are an important group as they will be responsible for keeping the role-play going, so make sure you spend time with them during the preparation stage.
2 For the first phase of the role-play (arranging the meeting and setting the agenda) get the As and Bs to sit back to back and simulate a telephone conversation. You can revise some of the telephone language from Unit 3 at this point. During this phase group C students should listen in and keep notes in order to confirm the meeting time and list the agenda items.
3 For the second phase of the role-play (the actual negotiations) make the situation as realistic as possible, with appropriately arranged furniture and suitable greetings and social exchanges at the beginning. Once the role-plays get going monitor closely but try not to interrupt ~ if you need to communicate pass notes to the secretaries.
4 For the follow up refer back to the reading text to see if they followed the advice there, and if the meetings could have been more successful for either side.
"5 ‘The letters and reports in exercise 4 could be done for homework.
SECTION 3 _ Handling complaints
Warmer
Discuss, in open class or in smaller groups, the following questions:
Have you ever complained, or been with anyone who has complained?
What was it about? Was it resolved successfully?
Has anyone ever complained to you about anything?
How did you respond? How did you feel?
If the students cat think of any incidents, prompt them
with various contexts — shops, restaurants, school, family,
friends. At this stage stay away from specific tourism situations as these will be looked at in the next activity.
Listening 3 Three complaints
Procedure
1 Brainstorm different areas of potential complaint, related to the different jobs as indicated in the Student’s Book. Students should be able to think of these quite easily but might need some'help with vocabulary. Get them to think of the best solutions to each complaint.
2 For exercise 2, pause the tape after each conversation to give the opportunity to note and compare answers. They will only be able to answer d after they have heard all three conversations.
3 Play the tape again for exercise 3 and pause and replay the particular sentences if necessary. Get students to repeat the sentences for pronunciation (particularly intonation) practice. You could also get them to listen for the response to the complaint, as the main focus for students is not how to complain but how to handle complaints (see Language focus 2 that follows).
4 For further practice, look at the photocopiable activity on page 80.
Answers
© Conversation 1
a hotel guest complaining to tour rep b noise and building work
c try to move the guests to a quieter part of the hotel d guest is quite angry
e hotel booking (and brochure?) Conversation 2
a passenger to airline rep
b flight overbooked therefore has to wait for later
flight ,
c try to get passenger on earlier flight with another airline
d very angry (the angriest of the three) e plane charter
Conversation 3
a hotel manager to tour operator
cơ hotel is not featured prominently enough in tour operator’s brochure
redesign on next brochure print run not very angry
brochure design
mt 8 QO
Pm afraid we’re not very happy with the hotel so far.
In fact, to be honest, it’s a disgrace.
Are you supposed to be in charge here?
4 Vm sorry to trouble you but there seems to be a problem.
5 ['m not one to complain...
Extra activity 2
Lost luggage dialogues Procedure
1 On page 80 are two different dialogues which have been jumbled up and put in the wrong order. Divide the class into groups of three or four. Photocopy enough pages so that each group has a copy. (The activity will work better if you cut up the dialogues for each group so that the sentences are on separate pieces of paper.)
2 bò
2 Get the students to put the dialogues in the correct order, stressing that there are two separate dialogues, and giving them the following clues:
a One passenger is more polite than the other.
b One passenger is.a man, the other is a woman, but both are called Dr Higgins!
¢ One passenger has only lost one suitcase, the other has lost two.
3. When the groups have successfully reordered the dialogues get them to read them aloud in pairs a few times, Concentrate on the correct intonation and the right mood. Get the students to try to act out the conversations without looking at the words and then to substitute a description of their own luggage and a different flight number.
Answers
Dialogue 1 (more polite): f-b-o~a-~k-t-d-q-
v~-g-j
Dialogue 2 (less polite): e-h-c-n-—r—-l-~s-u~
m-p-i
Reading Written complaints
Procedure
1 Set the scene by brainstorming possible causes for complaint on a package holiday, using the suggested headings as prompts.
2 Before reading the content of the letters, draw attention to the layout of the two letters. Ask some simple comprehension questions, such as: Who is the letter on page 55 from? Who is the letter to? How do they close the
leHer?.
UOBEI9dOIPOI Bp
31
3 Do exercise 2 and then exercise 3, comparing answers in pairs or groups after each one. Exercises 4 and 5 are intended for class discussion.
4 Follow up with a ‘hunting exercise’, getting the students to reread the letters and look for specific expressions introducing the complaints and responding to them.
The response to complaints will be developed further in the Language focus exercise.
Answers
travel arrangements: flight overbooked, impolite staff, no explanation, no representative of tour company
flight: crowded, little leg-room, no in-flight movie, disgusting food, unfriendly (and clumsy) flight attendant
arrival: no representative of company, 50-minute journey (advertised as 20)
return: coach late, check-in late (separated on plane), luggage mislaid.
travel arrangements and flight: plane had to be substituted because of technical problems arrival: representatives were there
(misunderstanding?}, more people and more drop-offs on coach because of delayed flight
return: local difficulties
~ will suggest there is a company representative at the
next planning meeting `
~ enclosed a voucher for 20% off next Sunsearch holiday.
a-3 b-5 c- 1 d-2 e-4
Language focus 2
Responding to complaints {spoken}
Responding to complaints orally not only involves
understanding and producing appropriate language, it also involves dealing with behavioural features — gesture, body
language, tone and attitude, volume, etc. It may therefore
be helpful to do a little drama-based warmer at this stage.
Here is a suggestion:
1 Divide the class into two groups. Group A should think of something that makes them really angry. They should get themselves into an angry mood by thinking about whatever it is and by using appropriate gestures (stamping feet, banging fists, even screaming). Group B should think of ways of calming people down — not just language, but gesture and touch.
2 Students from each group, pair up and act out an anger/calming encounter.
3 Repeat the activity, this time with group B students being angry and group A calming, Alternatively, group B students could be complaining about something the group A students have done.
As the main aim of this warmer is to create the mood and behaviour of an angry complaining situation you do not need to worry too much about language. In fact, if you are working with a monolingual group the whole activity could be done in their own language.
Answers
The most polite ways of introducing a complaint are probably:
I'm sorry to trouble you, but there seems to be a problem.
I was wondering if you could help me ~ there appears to be a little difficulty.
The most angry are probably:
Are you supposed to be in charge here?
I demand to see the person in charge immediately.
Make sure the students understand the stages of the response (initial reaction — clarification ~ details — explanation — proposed plan) as well as practising the example expressions.
Responding to complaints (written)
Discuss how a written response to a complaint is different from a spoken response (you don’t have to deal directly with the mood of the complainer, time to consider response and action, need for more formal language).
Focus on the four phases of the response as well as the language involved.
Exercises 2 and 3 can be done in pairs or small groups.
If you want the class to get more practice at letter writing, you could set a homework exercise to write the other full letters from which the other extracts are taken (one pair of letters per person).
Pronunciation focus 2
Practise the utterances with exaggerated intonation.
For Practice exercise 2, make sure the students follow the five stages of the suggested response. Get complainers to change their mood (polite or angry}.
If possible, record one or two of the exchanges for feedback and analysis. Use this as an opportunity for training — again, not just in terms of language, but also in terms of how to handle and manage a potentially difficult situation.
Output task Feedback questionnaires
Procedure
1 Before looking at the questionnaire in the book, get the class to think about the areas they would ask about in a feedback questionnaire for a large tour operator running mainly inclusive package tours.
2 Read the questionnaire to see if there were any areas they did not cover in their own design. Check vocabulary as necessary.