Sourcebook

Theme: Travels
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Andrea Karime Ballona Alba.
Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro
3rd Semester

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 The theme of this sourcebook is ‘Travels around the world’ this theme is very
important when you are teaching a second language and also it is versatil to incorporate
in another lesson plans in order to fit different levels (basic, intermediate and advanced)
and ages. It could be used to teach grammar, vocabulary, also for practice speaking,
listening, writing etc. The theme it is easily to find in textbooks, videos, blogs,
audiobooks and another web tools.

As a student of a foreign language it is important travel to a place where the

target language it is speaking. This is with the purpose to really acquire and familiarize
by talking, speaking and listening another person's. In addition, students can talk to
each other about various topics related to Travel, such as asking for directions to a
place, how to explain to a person how to get to a place through descriptions, the
advantages and disadvantages of the place they traveled to, as well as the things that
they liked or not; they can learn about different cultures and traditions through travel.

The theme can be used for students to comprehend and practice various skills
such as speaking, writing, listening, grammar and to expand their vocabulary. We can
say it can help students to increase their language and learning skills. Students can
practice and learn about different situations when they travel, so the subject is very
authentic and versatile. A big advantages is that there are many activities that can be
done in a classroom related to this topic such as: that students work on a blog where
they tell their travel experiences (not necessarily international), descriptions of famous
places, Role player games, give them a map and they can practice how to follow or give
instructions. As a teacher we can incorporated in many types of classes with a big a lot
of technological resources.

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 Table of Contents

Source Lesson title Skill Level Activities

addressed.
1) Images. Instructions Listening High Beginner. Vocabulary,
while ( focus), predicting,
traveling. speaking follow
instructions,
listening.
2) Reading. Culture in a Reading Low Reading, main
neighborhood. (focus), Beginner. ideas,
speaking. scanning,
conversation.
3) Blog Travel Writing High Free writing,
(Tumblr) experiences (focus), advanced. tenses and
grammar. grammar..
4)Youtube Travel phrases Speaking High Video,
video. (focus), intermediate. roleplayer,
listening, discussion.
pronunciation.
5) Book Beautiful and Writing, Low Discussion,
ugly places in grammar intermediate.. book, match
the world. (focus), questions.
vocabulary.

How to follow directions.

Source Rationale: The purpose of this image (map) is for the students learn how to use
the prepositions of place by follow and give directions. The image helps the students to

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locate themselves in a place and follow the directions using the correct vocabulary that
the teacher gives them.

Activity 1: Listening and follow the instructions.

Audience: ESL students- 12-14

Level: High beginners.

Students: 10

Time: 50 minutes

Goal: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Familiarized with the vocabulary of the place prepositions and being able to follow or
give directions.

2. Improve their listening skills.

Objectives: At the end of the class students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate their ability to receive directions and follow them by tracing a line in a
map to get from one place to another with 90% accuracy.

2. Recognize the differences in the vocabulary provided by the activity with 80%
accuracy.

3. Demonstrate their ability to give instructions by talking with their classmates in a

short conversation with 80% accuracy.

Language Skills: Listening (focus), speaking

Materials:

· Handout for each student with the image of the street map.

. The solved map for the teacher to give them the directions.

Caveat:

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Advanced- For advanced students, it could be a good a idea that the students write the
instructions so other classmates could follow them and also with an activity where in
pairs a student will have to guide another one, who will have his/her eyes closed, with
directions. This activity improved the speaking and listening abilities of the students in
a dynamic way.

T: teacher Ss: students.

Procedures:

Time Procedures
Introduction to lesson. T will give the
instructions of the activity and some
5-10 minutes example, also answer questions if is need
it.
Listening.
T will give the students handout with the
image of the map, the students must look
the map and start looking for names,
places etc.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/
1Si0aahmDiJzptBaMobpS6d6k1ScrGQna
20 minutes AY37TTWza90/edit?usp=sharing
T will start give the instructions for the
students, repeating the directions if is
necessary. The students must start tracing
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 the lines in the map by following the
directions.

Speaking
In pairs, the students could start practicing
how to give directions with the correct
20 minutes vocabulary by making their own directions
on the map.

Assessment: The teacher will assess the students by asking them directions on how to
get to X place on the map provided and also by listening the conversation with their
other classmates

Contingency plan: If the image of the map is not clear or the handouts are missing, the
teacher could draw a simple map of a street on the blackboard; pass the students one by
one to the board and follow the directions given by the teacher tracing a line.

References

https://www.lingokids.com/english-for-kids/giving-directions

http://elidevia.blogspot.com/2017/

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 The world in One Neighborhood.
2) Reading.

Source Rationale: This reading includes an article of a place in Toronto where you can
find people for around the world coexisting with each other making it a multicultural
place. This text is an authentic material for students and gives great importance to
cultural diversity, as well as can provide an idea, to students, of what life is like in other
parts of the world.

This reading can be well adapted to create question, for students to recognize the main
ideas of the text and to describe a place.

Activity 1: Students will read the text and answer questions about it.

Audience: ESL students. 14-15

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Level: Low Beginner.

Students: 16 students

Time: 30 minutes

Goal: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Find the main ideas of a text .

2. Understand the description of a place and practicing how to apply it.

3. Practice their reading skills.

Objective: At the end of the class students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate their ability to search the main ideas of a text in a multiple choice
questions with 90% accuracy.

2. Demonstrate their ability to find specific things by scanning the text with 90%
accuracy.

3. Use the appropriate vocabulary to describe a place in a real conversation with 80%
fluency.

Language Skills: Reading (focus), Speaking.

Materials:

· Reading

· Handout

· Internet

Caveat:

Intermediate – The same text could be used for students to give their opinion regarding
each paragraph. With the reason that the reading that the student does is of
understanding. The main focus would be Reading and free Writing the other subskill.

Procedures:

Time Procedures

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 Introduction to lesson, T will explain the
5 minutes
activity to the students.

Reading and answer.

Individually, Ss will do the reading about
15 minutes the Kensington Market and answer the
questions about it.
Reading:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/
12STv8hbp8l19SxAckY7NqQLMwt7l7l
RmMtrRtGNz9kQ/edit?usp=sharing
Speaking
In pairs, Ss must discuss about the
5 minutes
reading and the importance of the
multicultural places as Kensington
Market. T will observe the students
discuss.

Assessment: The teacher will assess the students by using a Key answer sheet and by
monitoring the students while they are discussing the questions.

Contingency plan: If students spend too much time answering the questions the teacher
could leave the pair discussion for homework and the next class, students have to tell
the conclusion of their talk.

MATERIALS
 Handout 1
 Handout 2
 Answer key

Handout 1.

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Read the article and answer the following questions.

THE WORLD IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.

1. The sidewalks are crowded with people chatting in Cantonese. An indian man
sells spices from his corner shop. Brazilian music plays loudly from a café. Is it
China? India? Brazil? No, it’s Kensington Market, a neighborhood in Toronto,
Canada. Kensington Market was once an Eastern European and Italian
neighborhood, but the area changed along with its residents. First came to
Portuguese, then East Asians, then people from Iran, Vietnam, Sudan, Brazil, the
Caribbean, and the Middle East.

2. Today, the neighborhood is truly multicultural- you can hear more than 100
languages on its streets. New residents bring many new traditions. “What’s
really cool about Kensington is that as soon as you’re in it, you feel as though
you’re not in Toronto anymore” says one resident. “I think what makes
Kensington Market unique is that it’s always changing,” says another.

3. It isn’t surprising that the area in and around Kensington Market is becoming a
popular place to live. The rents are reasonable, the neighborhood is exciting, and
it has good public transportation. There are apartments of every size and for
every budget. It has inexpensive stores, fun cafés, fresh fruit and vegetable
markets, and restaurants with almost every type of cuisine. As one resident says,
“This place is the heart of Toronto”

Answer the following .

1. Reading comprehension.

Read the article. Then write the number of each paragraph next its main idea.

a. ____ The residents and their traditions make Kensington Market a multicultural
neighborhood.
b. ____ People from all over the world live in kensington Market.
c. ____ The neighborhood has many good characteristics.

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 1.2 Scan and check (✔) the countries that are not mentioned in the
text.
( ) Argentina ( ) Mexico ( ) Brazil ( ) China ( )Sudan ( ) Spain

1.3 Scan and check (✔) the things you can find in Kensington Market.
( ) Inexpensive stores. ( ) Many differents cultures.

( ) Good schools ( ) Interesting old buildings

( ) Beautiful beaches ( ) Good public transportation

( ) Great markets. ( ) A big forest.

( ) Good restaurants. ( ) A beautiful lake.

1.4 In pairs discuss if you know a similar neighborhood as Kensington

Market (Describe it).
1.5 -. Discuss what is the importance of a multicultural places in one
country or region.
References.

Richards, J. C., Hull, J., Proctor, S., & Bohlke, D. (2013). Interchange: Students book.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

Travel experiences.
3) Blog (Tumblr)

Source Rationale: The use of Tumblr as a learning tool for a second language students
can be great advantage because in this platform you can do many things. For this
activity students must write their experiences about traveling by adding pictures, videos,
etc.

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Prior to the completion of this project, students should already be familiar with the
platform and how it works.The students can use as many blogs for inspiration they
want.

Activity 1: Free writing.

Audience: ESL students- 20-25

Level: High Advanced.

Students: 5

Time: 15 minutes (Students must work on their blogs for 15 minutes after each class)

Goal: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

4. Improve their writing skills applying all the correct grammar, vocabulary and
tenses seen in class.

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 5. Improve their Free writing skills and abilities to describe and explain things with
details.

Objectives: At the end of the class students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate their ability to free writing using the correct grammar by making a blog
describing their travel experiences with 90% accuracy.

2. Recognize and explain all the advantages and disadvantages of several things about
the travel by answering points of the assignment with 90% accuracy.

Language Skills: Writing (focus) Grammar.

Materials:

· A computer with access to internet for each student.

. The teacher must have all the blogs names of the students and the hashtags that
their are using on the platform.

. A guide with the things that are expected about this project.

Travel guide.
-Good experiences.

-Bad experiences.

-Tips

-Description of the places.

-Photos

-Videos

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Caveat:

Age 12-15 - For younger students, it could be a better idea that the main focus of the
activity is the vocabulary they used instead of the grammar and the correct use of tenses.
The teacher must be constantly monitoring the work of her students and give them
immediately feedback.

T: teacher Ss: students.

Procedures:

Time Procedures.
In the first session of the activity T have to explain
the project and answer questions about it.
20 minutes. Things to evaluate
The time they have to do it
The way to evaluate
 The due date.
Before the end of the class the students must work
15 minutes on their blogs for 15 minutes. Students can work as
long as they want on their homes.

Assessment:

Since this work is not for a single class, the teacher should give constant feedback to
students about their works, as well as help with ideas and new ways to personalize their
web pages.

the feedback should be only on their grammar since it is what the teacher will qualify.
The students will must submit a minimum of one paragraph (5 lines) per class.

Contingency plan: If the computers or the internet are not working the teacher must
leave the progress work for homework. The next class the teacher need to check that all
the computers and the internet are working well before the class.
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 Phrases to use when you travel
4) Youtube.

Source Rationale: For a student of a second language it is important to travel to the

country where that language is spoken. With the motive of practicing and knowing new
ways of expressing themselves, as well as acquiring one hundred percent living real
situations.

The teacher must provide the students authentic material in order to students can use it
in their lives.

For this activity a Youtube video will be used where a functional vocabulary is shown
when you travel to a country where the Target Language is spoken. Also the video is
useful for students to practice their pronunciation.

Activity 1: Listen and practice.

Audience: ESL students 15-18

Level: Low intermediate.

Students: 10
Time: 60 minutes.

Goal: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Improve their pronunciation and vocabulary in a fuently way.

Objectives: At the end of the class students will be able to:

1. Identify and create the correct phrases for each situation by doing a Role player game
with 80% accuracy.

2. Predict the vocabulary need it by playing the game ‘I’m going to…. and i’m
bringing a….’ with 80% fluently.

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Language Skills: Speaking (focus), pronunciation, vocabulary.

Materials:

· A computer with access to internet for each student.

. The link of the video or the video downloaded on all the computers.
. The guide for the situations for the Role play game.

Role play guide.

Activity 1. With the vocabulary of the video in pairs representante a conversation (7
minutes at least) for each situation provided.

6. You are on a restaurant in a new country.

7. You are leaving the restaurant.
8. You go to shopping clothes.

Activity 2. I’m going to...

After they done this Role player game the students should be placed in a circle.

This game only works when just a few people in the circle know the rules. The teacher
is going to say "I'm going camping and I'm bringing...she says something that starts
with the first letter of her name. The next person has to bring something starting with
his/her name. If they don't say a word starting with their initial, the 1st person says
"Sorry, you can't come." and moves to the next person. Whenever someone uses their
first initial, they get to "come along", if they don't, they can't come. The game continues
around the circle, but on every turn the person must bring something else (as long as it
starts with their letter.) This game can also be played alphabetically.

Caveat:

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Level Intermediate -For more advanced students, it might be better if the conversation
they are making is more complex and guide the students for another type of
conversation.

T: teacher Ss: students.

Procedures:

Time Procedures.
T need to explain the first activity to the
5 minutes. students and answer questions about it.
Ss will must watch a part of the video
(from minute 3 to 10) and start thinking on
phrases that they can use.
15 minutes Link for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bLlPYnz_Rt4&t=1078s

In pairs the students should start a short

conversation covering the points to follow,
and taking the video as an example.
30 minutes.

The teacher will start the activity of “'I'm

going to …” For this activity it is
necessary that the teacher does not explain
10 minutes what it is about.

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Assessment: The teacher will assess this activities by monitoring the conversation
(vocabulary, pronunciation, fluently) of their students.

Contingency plan: If the computers are not working the teacher must put the video on
her computer and in the proyector or the teacher must give them for homework to watch
the video and in the class they have to do the activities.

References.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLlPYnz_Rt4&t=1078s
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activity/i-m-going-camping.html
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1023470/im-going-to-the-beach-and-memory-game

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 Beautiful and ugly places in the
world.
5) Book

Source Rationale: For this activity conversations from a book is going to be need it.
These exercises will help the students to differentiate the opposite meaning of a word
and the use of adverbs.

Activity 1: Match the words with their opposites.

Activity 2: Match the questions with their answers.

Audience: ESL students 17-18

Level: Low beginner.

Students: 20
Time: 40 minutes.

Goal: At the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Identify the opposites of words and to apply the adverbs in the correct form.

Objectives: At the end of the class students will be able to:

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1. Demonstrate their ability to identify the opposites of words by match them in a
columns with 90% accuracy.

2. Demonstrate their ability to identify the adverbs in a sentences by matching

questions with their answers with 90% accuracy.

Language Skills: Writing (focus), speaking.

Materials:

 Handout with the images of the activity 1

 Handout with activity 2.

It’s a very exciting place!

Activity 1. Match each word in column A with its opposite in column B. Then add two
more pairs of adjective to the list.

A. B.
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9. beautiful ____ a. boring
10. cheap ____ b. crowded
11. clean ___ c. dangerous
12. interesting ___ d. expensive
13. quiet ____ e. noisy
14. relaxing ____ f. polluted
15. safe ____ g. stressful
16. spacious ____ h. ugly
17. __________________ i. ________________
18. __________________ j._________________

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Activity 2. Match the questions with the answers. Then practice the conversation with a
partner. Remember to use adverbs before adjectives.

Adverbs.
extremly
very
really
pretty
somewhat
too
fairly

2.2 Match the questions with the answers.

1. What’s Seoul like? is it an interesting place? ___

2. Do you like your hometown? Why or why not?___
3. What’s Sydney like? I’ve never been there. ___
4. Have you ever been to Sao Paulo?___
5. What’s the weather like in Chicago? ____

a. Oh really? It’s a beautiful and very clean. It has a great harbor and a beautiful
beaches.
b. Yes, I have. It’s an extremely large and crowded place, but i love it. it has
excellent restaurants.
c. It’s really nice in the summer, but it’s too cold for me in the winter.
d. Not really. It’s too small, and it’s really boring. That’s why i moved away.
e. Yes. It has amazing shopping, and the people are pretty friendly.

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Activity 3. In pairs choose one place you know and describe them to your partner using
the words in activity 1

Caveat: For older students the activity could be changed to make it more dynamic. the
activity of the opposites can be oral and look for videos on the matter where the students
afterwards have to discuss the video.

T: teacher Ss: students.

Procedures:

Time Procedures.
T need to explain the first activity to the
5 minutes.
students and answer questions about it.
Ss will answer the match questions for
10 minutes
activity 1 with the themes seen in class.
Ss will answer the match question for
10 minutes.
activity 2.
In pairs Ss will start the conversation of
describing a place using the words and
5-10 minutes adverbs of the activities.

Assessment: The teacher will assess this activities by using a answer key handout. For
the discuss part the teacher need to monitoring the students.
Contingency plan: If the students take a long time in activity 1 and there is no time to
do activity 2, the teacher will have to leave the second activity as homework and in the
next class review it among all of them in addition to doing activity 3.

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 References.

Richards, J. C., Hull, J., Proctor, S., & Bohlke, D. (2013). Interchange: Students book.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

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