‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Lisa says

One of the things I love most in life is travelling. It’s exciting

meeting new people, seeing different places and experiencing
different cultures too. I’ve been to a lot of places but when
people ask me my favourite it’s very difficult to choose.

I love Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, which

has a Carnival each year - one of the world’s
most awesome parties! In Brazil I also love the
Amazon, which is wild, remote and full of life. I
had a wicked time there doing the most amazing
activities like fishing for piranhas and swimming
with pink river dolphins!

But then of course Italy was special for me too because I stayed with host families
each time I went. So there I experienced real Italian culture (and ate the most
amazing food).

Then I also have special memories of LA. I went there with my best mate and we
saw Slash from Guns and Roses play live on Sunset Boulevard TWICE – he rocks!
That same holiday I went to the Burning Man festival in Nevada, which is one of the
most mental places I’ve ever been.

So I’ve had a lot of great times. The only problem with travelling is leaving my
friends and family for weeks or months. I’m always gutted to say goodbye to
everybody. It would be better if my mates could come and visit me when I go
abroad. But flights are so expensive, which really sucks. And anyway, my friends
are always skint!

Photos by Vera Tyler.

Article by Lisa Tyler
Published with their permission.

© www.teachitelt.com 2014 21420 Page 1 of 6

 ‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Comprehension

Read the text again and find:

1. three reasons why Lisa likes travelling

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2. one city Lisa loves, and why

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3. two things she did in the Amazon

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4. two reasons why Italy was special

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5. two memories Lisa has from America

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6. one problem she has with travelling

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7. one reason why friends don’t usually visit Lisa when she is in another country.

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 ‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Vocabulary

Some of the vocabulary in the text is very informal. This is fine when speaking or writing to
friends, but not when giving a presentation or writing an essay.

Find the informal synonyms in the text for these words/expressions:

1. wonderful/amazing
..................................................................................................

2. wonderful/amazing
..................................................................................................

3. friend
..................................................................................................

4. is wonderful/amazing
..................................................................................................

5. extraordinary/insane
..................................................................................................

6. disappointed
..................................................................................................

7. is a great shame
..................................................................................................

8. never have any money

..................................................................................................

Speaking

Discuss the following question:

What’s most important when travelling?

 a clean room/bed
 good food
 safety
 transport
 having plenty of money

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 ‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Speaking and/or writing

Make notes about a journey or holiday which was important to you. Then do one or both
of the following tasks:

1. Tell your partner about your adventure. Try to use informal language.

2. Write an account of your adventure. Try to use formal language.

Piranhas Pink River dolphin

bfurlong 2008 Zemlinki! 2006

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bfurlong/2370815801/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zemlinki/256675975/

Rio Carnival Burning Man festival

Sergio seLusaVa Carioca 2007 Haydn Curtis 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/selusava/399791856/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotosbyflick/3964988597/

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 ‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Teaching notes
Level: pre-intermediate (B1).

Age: teenagers / young adults.

Aims:
 to practise reading skills
 to understand colloquial language and the difference between an informal and a
formal register
 to recount a travel experience.

Time: approximately one hour (depending on extension activities).

Procedure

Lead-in

Introduce the topic with a mind map about different reasons for travelling. You might want
to remind students that travel is usually a verb or an adjective and that if it’s a noun, it’s
uncountable. This could also be an opportunity to elicit or explain the differences between
travel, trip and journey.

Comprehension

Hand out the reading text. Ask the students to read through quickly to understand the
writer’s reason for travelling and where she has been.

Give out the question sheet. Students work alone then compare with a partner. They
should help each other with any words they don’t understand.

Answers:

1. meeting new people; seeing different places; experiencing different cultures

2. Rio de Janeiro, because of the annual carnival
3. fishing for piranhas (a type of fish); swimming with pink river dolphins
4. real Italian culture; real Italian food
5. the concert on Sunset Boulevard; the Burning Man festival
6. leaving her friends and family
7. no money

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 ‘Why I travel’ by Lisa

Vocabulary

With help, students can usually work out the meanings of the colloquial words from the
context.

1. awesome
2. wicked
3. mate
4. rocks
5. mental
6. gutted
7. really sucks
8. are always skint

Speaking

Students could rank the factors in pairs and then in fours. This could become a whole
class discussion.

Speaking and/or writing

Ask students to think of a journey or holiday which was important or interesting to them. It
doesn’t matter if it’s just a day out so long as they can make notes and relate their
adventure to the class.

Variations:

 Students write about their adventure using a more formal register.

 Students share tell a partner about their adventure who then tells the class, but this
may not be practical with big groups.

The text can also prompt a discussion about music festivals and music more generally.

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