The Topic: Personal Experience of Education and Training for a Career Base your conversation on the following:
State your intended career.
What type of education or training have you had (are you having) for a career. Outline the subjects and the level you have reached.
How long will/did this education and training last?
Did you experience any difficulty in obtaining this education in relation to: availability and distance? cost?
Who supplies this education?
How will this qualification assist your career?
If you could start all over again, would you make the same choices? If not, what would you choose?
Roleplay
You are the principal of a Business School. You have been contacted by the Recruitment Manager of an international bank. Discuss the bank’s requirements and explain what your school can do to ensure a steady supply of suitable new entrants.
Topic 8. - Travel and tourism TOURISM IN A NATION ’S ECONOMY
1) What are the benefits of tourism for the economy and society?
• tourism is an economic commodity which creates wealth and gives employment • stimulates development both in the destination country and in the home country
promotes economic activity (industrial and agricultural sectors; providing transport, retailing, entertainment; making of souvenirs, etc.)
• increases the provision of facilities and accommodation (hotels, restaurants,sports facilities, wellness facilities, cultural programmes, festivals, etc.)
• tourism can improve the image of an area (parks, sports facilities, cultural events) • creates jobs in hotels, restaurants, entertainment, construction industry
• foreign currency is brought into the country (‘invisible export’)
• income for the local economy (tourists go shopping, spend money in hotels, restaurants, on transport, entertainment
• attracts foreign investments in hotels, catering units, venues for sporting andcultural events, transport infrastructure - roads, railways and airports
• the revenue from tourism can be used for local development projects • the new services and facilities are also available for local people • increases knowledge of other peoples’ life and culture
• an essential means of bringing people together, leads to better understandingamong the peoples of the world; greater chance of a peaceful future
• boosts national pride
2) What are the negative effects of tourism?
• mass tourism and the development that goes with it can lead to pollution andspoil the natural beauty and attraction of a place
• over-exploitation of areas like the Mediterranean seaside • man-made attractions as well as the art heritage can be spoilt
• development costs are often higher than originally planned leading to debts thathave to be paid off by the whole population
• use of facilities often cost a lot and cannot be afforded by local people (mayresult in adverse feelings towards foreigners)
• tourists spend money abroad, not in their home country while they are away • greater number of people can create security problems, higher crime levels • high levels of unemployment in off-season times in certain areas
3) Why is tourism part of the ‘invisible trade’?
• it means the exporting and importing of services (= invisibles e.g. tourism,banking, insurance, shipping, etc.)
• it cannot be seen by tourists before they buy (when a tourist buys a package tourabroad, he is buying more than a simple collection of services, i.e. aircraft seat, hotel room, three meals a day, the temporary use of a strange environment, the culture and heritage of the region and other intangible benefits)
• visible trade: the exporting and importing of tangible goods (= visibles e.g. cars, furniture, food, etc)
4) Traditional forms of tourism • ‘Sun, sea and sand’ tourism
• sightseeing tourism
• visiting friends and relatives
5) What are the new developments in tourism?
• maintain the quality of tourism by providing adequate facilities and servicesfrom transport to qualified/well-trained staff
• promote new areas and forms of tourism such as rural or cultural/urban tourism • the elimination of visas and border checks between EU member states
• the introduction of the common currency • air travel has been liberalized
• wellness / thermal tourism: thermal spas, baths • activity holidays: skiing, sailing, scuba-diving, hiking • festival tourism
• passive sport tourism (when you attend famous sporting events - Olympicgames, world championships, etc. - as a spectator)
• survival holidays, all kinds of adventures
• eco-tourism: to learn about different places and environments, to do conservationwork, voluntary work
• back-packing holidays: to travel as cheaply as possible (camping sites, youthhostels, cheap transport)
• ethnic tourism (participate in the life of different ethnic groups)
• business travel (conference tourism, incentive tourism - when companies financetrips abroad for an employee as a recognition of their work)
6) Why do so many people travel nowadays?
• have more money, depending on one’s financial situation • more time
• travelling is easier and faster
• on business, for pleasure, for relaxation, for education, for health • to see other cultures, to learn other languages
7) What documents do you need if you go abroad? • valid passport or ID, visa, travel insurance 8) Where can you change currency?
• banks, foreign exchange offices, travel agencies, tour operators • finding favourable exchange rates
9) How can you take money with you when travelling abroad? • taking currency notes
• debit or credit cards (safe)
• bank transfers (for longer trips, rather expensive)
• traveller’s cheques (easy to use; protect you from losing cash and theft, can bestopped and replaced in 24 hours, bought at banks, travel agencies, foreign exchange offices, accepted worldwide - shops, banks, restaurants, hotels, etc,)
10) Rural Tourism
Have you ever longed for a holiday far from overcrowded places where you can enjoy the quietness and beauty of nature and experience unique things at the same time? Well, the place for your ‘challenging but idle’ holiday is the Hungarian countryside.
Rural tourism in Hungary has a lot to offer the holiday maker. First of all, there’s undiscovered nature. Regardless of whether you choose a mountain village or a settlement in the flat regions of the country, a number of biking and hiking trails will invite you to discover the wonders of natural landscape, the specific flora and fauna that remain hidden from the eyes of the ‘sight-hunting’ traveller.
Secondly, you will have the chance to get acquainted with the treasures of Hungarian folk art, music and dance. There is no better place than the countryside if you want to see and try for yourself some of the old handcrafts. Next to the small village museums exhibiting the characteristic hand-made local objects you will always find a workshop with friendly craftsmen encouraging and helping you to make your own ‘gift’. You will have a chance in trying your hand at pottery, woodcarving, weaving, embroidery, straw and wicker plaiting, or making different objects from leather or animal horn. Just imagine how proud you would feel having made your own wicker basket, straw hat or fancy towel with the typical flower of herringbone embroidery. And there is no better recreation after hard work than singing and dancing. In the community centres of most villages there are enthusiastic people, both young and old, who work together on preserving the specific folk music and dance of their area for future generations. Tourists are welcome to join any time.
A further attraction of a rural holiday is equestrian tourism. Cross-country riding is available in many regions, so horse enthusiasts can ride freely and safely, and can partake of the unique and special experience which leaves them with the feeling that riding is at once a sport, a relaxation, an adventure and the conquest of nature.
Last but not least, the eating experience should not be missed. Visitors will find
themselves in a unique culture of gastronomy with a great variety of extraordinary food and drink such as ‘goulash’, stuffed cabbage, fish soup, meat pancakes or plum brandy, to
mention just a few.
Tourist attractions of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County
Situated in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County is a very easy place to travel in, and nobody will have trouble finding a place to stay or eat. Neither will anyone regret having chosen this region as their holiday destination. The attractions of the county are so numerous that it is impossible to mention, let alone describe them all.
Those who are interested in town architecture should not miss the town of Szolnok situated at the junction of two rivers. On the banks of the smaller river, the Zagyva, modern residential buildings have been erected while at the same time the structure of the fishing village that stood here many hundred years before was preserved. A glimpse into people’s lives in those days is offered by the ‘County House’ Museum. The other riverside is richer in remarkable buildings. The three churches on the right bank of the ‘Blond’ Tisza have always been defining features of the town’s skyline: the Franciscan Church built in baroque style which today also hosts organ concerts, the former Synagogue, now home to fine art
exhibitions, and the Calvinist Church with its high tower and St. Peter’s cock on its top. On the way to the town centre tourists’ attention is attracted by buildings in eclectic and classical style recalling the atmosphere of the beginning of the last century. The building the
inhabitants are most proud of is the new theatre, which is one of the nicest theatres in the country.
For nature lovers Lake Tisza with its rich aquatic life, the National Park of Hortobágy - part of the World Heritage - with its ancient fauna and flora, the Birds Reserve at Tiszafüred or the Botanic Gardens at Tiszakürt are a must.
You can also have a cultural holiday in this part of the world. The region is
exceptionally rich in folk art and handicraft heritage, with Karcag and Mezőtúr as world- famous pottery centres. The ‘Artists’ Colony in Szolnok offers an insight into the life and work of contemporary painters and sculptors, while classical, jazz and rock music festivals as well as open-air summer theatre performances provide unforgettable moments for both locals and tourists.
Gourmet tourists will appreciate the gastronomical programmes of the region such as the Szolnok Goulash Festival, the Fish Days of Tiszafüred or the Plum Jam Festival of Szentes.
Sport-loving holiday makers will really be at a loss when making a decision. The abundance of water - both lakes and rivers - has turned this region into a paradise of water sports. Swimming, water-skiing, surfing, sailing are favourite activities for many tourists in the summer period at Lake Tisza, while rowing, canoeing and kayaking are practiced mostly on the Tisza. But it’s not only aquatic sports lovers who find pleasure and relaxation on riversides or lakeshores. Anglers can often be seen there in spring, summer and autumn waiting patiently for the catch, while in winter, when temperatures are well below zero, the waters turn into natural skating rinks.
Biking, hiking and backpacking are further options for those who want to have an active holiday. There are lots of well-marked, shorter or longer hiking trails throughout the county, which are highly recommended as a way to better appreciate the landscape and to escape the crowds that come by car. Likewise, an increasing number of bicycle roads and trails make the area an ideal place for cycle touring. And last but not least, those who want to conquer the air are also welcome to this county. The adventurous lovers of flying are offered curiosities such as sport flights, hang-gliding, hot-air-ballooning and parachuting at a small airport near the county-seat, Szolnok.
LCCI ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS LEVEL 2
The Topic: The Importance of Travel to the Individual Base your conversation on some of the following ideas:
Examine why people travel within their own country and/or abroad? What are the limitations to travel? Cost? Time?
Travel in one’s own country for:
• pleasure, relaxation, experience - name your favourite places • the value of getting to know other people
• understanding and developing your knowledge of national culture • national pride.
Travel abroad:
Greater awareness of travel facilities abroad - widespread advertising. What are the limiting factors of such travel? Cost? Time? Regulations?
Increasing knowledge of languages, geographical areas, food and differing cultures Developing international understanding. Why is this important?
How can the knowledge of other land assist your country?
If you had time and money, where would you like to go and why?
Roleplay
You are the chairman of the Hungarian Olympic Committee. Discuss with the Mayor of Budapest the benefits of hosting the Olympic Games in 2020 and the measures that have to be taken to prepare your capital city for the event
Roleplay
A
You are planning a visit to London in the near future. You meet a representative of the British Tourist Authority at a Holiday Show in your hometown. Tell him/her what sort of holiday you enjoy and enquire what they would recommend to do in England and when they would
recommend you to visit.
B
You are the representative of the British Tourism Authority attending a Holiday Show Find out the type of holiday which would be appropriate and respond to questions concerning itinerary and timing.