Guerna TS#14

Date/Time: August 20th, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
Location: Dirac Library
Topic/Skill: Speaking & Listening Lesson: Traveling 
Student: Wei Wang


For this lesson we began with a lighthearted icebreaker, Travel Bingo sheet that I create, where Wei reflected on her own past travel experiences (such as trying street food or getting lost in a city) and then expanded on them by answering follow-up questions. This activity not only warmed her up for speaking but also activated her background knowledge, making the rest of the lesson more engaging and personally relevant.

The next segment focused on building travel-related vocabulary through a Packing Challenge. Wei reviewed essential terms such as boarding pass, layover, carry-on, travel insurance, and sightseeing. She then practiced applying these words by “packing” items for an imaginary trip and explaining her reasoning. This contextualized the vocabulary, helping her move beyond simple memorization to meaningful use. We then expanded on this foundation with a detailed Travel Vocabulary Chart that covered planning and booking, airports, transportation, cruises, packing and luggage, accommodation, travel problems, and sightseeing. With the chart, Wei not only learned individual terms but also explored collocations and functional expressions, such as “overweight luggage,” “guided tour,” and “flight delay.”

Listening and real-time reaction practice came next with the Flight Announcement Game. I read sample airport announcements (e.g., delays, cancellations, boarding calls) and Wei had to practice reacting appropriately as a traveler. This exercise pushed her to respond quickly and naturally, simulating the pressure of real-life travel situations. 

Building on this, we moved into a dynamic Role-Play Carousel. Wei alternated between roles such as hotel guest, airline passenger, and tourist, handling scenarios like booking a hotel, reporting lost luggage, and asking for sightseeing recommendations. Adding small “problem twists” (e.g., the hotel being overbooked or a flight being canceled) challenged her to think on her feet and adapt her responses, reinforcing both language flexibility and confidence.

Finally, the session wrapped up with a travel-themed “Would You Rather?” game, which encouraged Wei to practice expressing preferences, weighing options, and supporting her choices with reasons. This activity allowed for more free-flowing conversation and gave her a chance to apply travel vocabulary in a less structured, more conversational way.


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