Travel: Purpose, Impact, and Change

Length: 90 minutes

Skills: Speaking, Vocabulary, Critical Thinking, Reading or Listening

Focus: Expressing complex ideas about travel, using advanced vocabulary and hedging language

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • Discuss the changing role of travel in modern society
  • Use advanced vocabulary related to travel, tourism, and global mobility
  • Express nuanced opinions using hedging and formal argumentation
  • Critically analyze the impact of modern travel trends

Reading: The Evolving Purpose of Travel

Warm-Up Discussion (10–15 minutes)

Prompts (Pair or Group):

  • What kind of traveler are you: adventurer, planner, cultural explorer, or relaxation-seeker?
  • How has your approach to travel changed in the last 10 years?
  • Do you think travel is a necessity or a luxury today?

Ask students to share one travel experience that had a lasting impact.

 

Vocabulary: Modern Travel (15 minutes)

Introduce and elicit discussion on the following C1-level travel vocabulary:

  • Overtourism
  • Sustainable travel
  • Digital nomad
  • Transformational travel
  • Voluntourism
  • Culture shock
  • Jet lag vs. travel fatigue
  • Off the beaten track
  • Bucket list destinations
  • Slow travel
    • Activity: Match terms to definitions, then ask:
      Which of these trends have you experienced? Which are positive or problematic?

Reading or Listening Task (20 minutes)

Option A (Reading):

Comprehension Tasks:

  • What are the main points the speaker/writer makes?
  • Which arguments do you agree or disagree with?
  • Identify examples of hedging or cautious language (e.g., “It might be argued that…”)

Speaking Task: Travel Dilemmas (25 minutes)

Instructions:
Groups choose or are assigned one of the following debate-style prompts:

  • “Tourism is destroying the planet.”
  • “Working remotely while traveling is not real cultural immersion.”
  • “The best kind of travel is uncomfortable travel.”
  • “Travel should be limited for environmental reasons.”
  • “Spontaneous travel is more rewarding than planned travel.”

Steps:

  1. Prepare arguments for or against the statement
  2. Use hedging and persuasive expressions
  3. Present and then switch roles for rebuttals

Functional Language: Expressing Nuance (10 minutes)

Focus phrases:

  • It could be argued that…
  • There’s some truth to the idea that…
  • Not everyone would agree, but…
  • While that may be the case, it’s also worth considering…

Activity:
Rephrase strong opinions into nuanced ones.
Example:

    • Blunt: “Voluntourism is a waste of time.”
    • Nuanced: “There’s growing concern that voluntourism may do more harm than good if not carefully planned.”

Wrap-Up & Homework (5 minutes)

Final Discussion Prompt:

  • Has your attitude toward travel changed after today’s discussion?

C1 Travel Worksheet

Part A – Warm-Up Discussion (10–15 minutes)

Work with a partner or small group. Discuss the questions below. Take notes to help share your ideas later.

  1. What kind of traveler are you:
    • Adventurer
    • Planner
    • Cultural explorer
    • Relaxation-seeker
      → Why?
  2. How has your approach to travel changed in the last 10 years?
  3. Do you think travel is a necessity or a luxury today?

Share one travel experience that had a lasting impact on you.
→ What made it meaningful?

Match the Travel Vocabulary Terms to Their Definitions

Select the correct definition for each term:

1. Overtourism
2. Sustainable travel
3. Digital nomad
4. Transformational travel
5. Voluntourism
  1. ___ Overtourism
  2. ___ Sustainable travel
  3. ___ Digital nomad
  4. ___ Transformational travel
  5. ___ Voluntourism
  6. ___ Culture shock
  7. ___ Jet lag vs. travel fatigue
  8. ___ Off the beaten track
  9. ___ Bucket list destinations
  10. ___ Slow travel

A. Travel with the goal of personal insight or change
B. Extreme exhaustion from travel, distinct from disrupted sleep patterns
C. A person who works remotely while traveling long-term
D. A destination many people want to visit before they die
E. Helping communities abroad while traveling
F. Promotes environmental and cultural responsibility
G. Psychological discomfort when adapting to a new culture
H. Tourism that overwhelms a destination’s resources
I. Travel done mindfully, with fewer destinations and deeper experiences
J. A place not visited by many tourists

Task 2: Discussion

  • Have you experienced any of these types of travel or trends?
  • Which do you consider positive, and which may be problematic?

Speaking Task: Travel Dilemmas

Debate Prompts (choose one):

  • “Tourism is destroying the planet.”
  • “Working remotely while traveling is not real cultural immersion.”
  • “The best kind of travel is uncomfortable travel.”
  • “Travel should be limited for environmental reasons.”
  • “Spontaneous travel is more rewarding than planned travel.”

Step-by-step:

  1. Decide your position (for/against).
  2. Prepare 2–3 key arguments.
  3. Use hedging and persuasive expressions.
  4. Present your argument. Then, switch sides and rebut.

Useful language for debate:

  • It could be argued that…
  • There’s some truth to the idea that…
  • Not everyone would agree, but…
  • While that may be the case, it’s also worth considering…
  • From a different perspective…

Functional Language: Expressing Nuance

Task: Rephrase the strong opinions into more balanced or nuanced ones.

 

      1. Blunt: “Voluntourism is a waste of time.”
        → _____________________________________________________________
      2. Blunt: “Digital nomads ruin local economies.”
        → _____________________________________________________________
      3. Blunt: “Overtourism is the fault of cheap flights.”
        → _____________________________________________________________
      4. Blunt: “Traveling just for Instagram is pointless.”
        → _____________________________________________________________

Final Reflection 

Discussion prompt:
→ Has your attitude toward travel changed after today’s discussion? In what way?

Homework:

Write a travel article, blog post, or opinion piece (250–300 words) on one of the following:

  • “The Most Meaningful Journey I’ve Taken”
  • “The Future of Travel: Sustainable or Selfish?”
  • “Why Travel Still Matters in a Globalized World”

Encourage the use of at least 5 new vocabulary items and 3 expressions for expressing nuanced opinions.

Homework – Writing Task (Optional)

Choose one of the following prompts and write 250–300 words. Include at least 5 new vocabulary items from today’s class and 3 examples of hedging language.

  • “Has travel lost its original meaning?”
  • “What makes travel truly transformational?”
  • “My ideal travel experience in the future”

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