Job Discussion Forums

[Yu]

Have them do a research project where they collect information about a place they would like to be a tour guide.
Have them be aware of tourist sights and some historical significance of them.... (more than they ooohhh aren't sichuan girls spicy when I went to Chengdu).
Have them prepare a presentation for the class highlighting the place they chose for the tour. They should include pictures and an iteriary (I know it is spelled wrong).

[Ariadne]

I'd split the class into groups of 4 or 5 and give them all the same assignment.. A friend or relative is coming to visit you and you need to plan a 12 hour day. Include where and what you will eat, transportation to/from all places, estimate time for all activities, show your guest local attractions and places of historical interest, include costs for your activities. (They will try to include shopping as a major activity, so advise them that there must be something significant about the shopping like locally made handicrafts or the world's best assortment of silks, etc. Going to the local Jusco is not an option.) This assignment can be adjusted to use the student's home town instead. Students will have to think about distances, costs, time, food, and transportation, as well as locations (museums, parks, temples, etc.) of interest. They already have much of the vocabulary but they'll have to use it quite specifically.

I used this idea several times in my classes at a university. The kids had been talking about the Olympics and how excited they were about it. We all had fun with the assignment.

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[Super Mario]

I used to take groups from my Guilin college to Yangshuo on weekends. They had to do an inquiry on what was specific about the backpacker market. They interviewed and surveyed visitors and locals.
Good fun was had by all.