UNIT 3 - English FOR Tourism PDF

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LINGUA INGLESE IUNIT 3 – ENGLISH FOR TOURISMLECTURE 1Course structure: Three stages of tourism (Dann 1996)  Pre-Trip  On-Trip  Post-Trip Genre associated with the three stages of tourism :  Pre-Trip: advertisements, brochures, travel articles, websites  On-Trip: apps, guidebooks  Post-Trip: tr...

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LINGUA INGLESE I UNIT 3 – ENGLISH FOR TOURISM LECTURE 1 Course structure: Three stages of tourism (Dann 1996)  Pre-Trip  On-Trip  Post-Trip Genre associated with the three stages of tourism:  Pre-Trip: advertisements, brochures, travel articles, websites  On-Trip: apps, guidebooks  Post-Trip: trip reports, reviews Theoretical introduction  LSPs/ESP  Discourse, genre, register, text type  The characteristics of English for Tourism as a specialised language English for Tourism: Tradition and Innovation - tradition: guidebooks - innovation: travel blogs, apps Best Travel Blogs (2020) •Nomadic Mat •YTravelBlog •BoardingArea.com •A Dangerous Business Travel Blog •HandLuggageOnly •On The Grid •Expert Vagabond •The Points Guy •Everywhereist Social Media Platform Tripadvisor Apps English Heritage General English  Fuzzy and abstract concept  General English = Essential English - Basic elements of the language (vocabulary and grammar rules) - common core of the English language  BUT nobody needs General English  everybody has their own specific needs ESP: English for Specific/Special Purposes  English in use within more restricted social or professional areas, e g. “legal English”, “business English” etc.  Four characteristics of ESP - meeting specified needs - related in content to particular disciplines - centred on appropriate language - in contrast to general English Characteristic of LSPs

 LSPs = Language for Specific (or Special) Purposes or domain specific languages - The result of diatypic variation = contextual-functional variation - Contextual-functional varieties of the language, functional language used in specific domains of civil, professional, and institutional life and associated with specific topics and disciplinary fields.  Defined with reference to the professional, disciplinary and technical fields to which they pertain (e.g. the language of law, of medicine, of economics)  NO special grammatical of phonological rules  BUT tendency to give reference to certain morpho-syntactic forms, used with abnormal frequency  Specialised lexicon/specific vocabulary: main feature, most distinctive trait of LSPS LSP research: initially focused on specialised lexicon, then research on textual and rhetorical organisation  increased awareness of the complex factors involved in the use of LSPs LSPs – Proliferation of Terms  Special Language (De Saussure)  used to refer to legal language, scientific terminology, etc. – languages with special rules and symbols deviating from those of general language - Microlanguages - Technolets - Languages for special/specific purposes (LSPs) - Domain specific languages - Specialised languages - Specialised discourse (Gotti 2003)  Transition from an uncontextualized (list of words) view of the language to a situational contextualised one e.g., English for Academic Purposes (EAP)  EAP, “English for Academic/Research Purposes”, is a branch of ESP → “It is usually defined as teaching English with the aim of assisting learners’ study or research in the language” (Hyland 2012:412)  Members of the academic community (researchers, students, etc) share a common knowledge of the rules and conventions of academic discourse they use a particular vocabulary particular grammar structures a particular register and they share norms and assumptions, which make communication within the academic community more efficient and effective  A face-to-face lecture, a monographic book, a journal article are all texts produced within the wider domain of academic discourse LECTURE 2 Discourse  There is no universal agreement on the exact definition of the notion  Discourse is: - “language above the sentence or above the clause (Stubbs 1983: 1)  the text is the highest unity of language - a continuous stretch of spoken/written language larger than a sentence, often constituting a coherent unity - a stretch of language perceived as meaningful, unified and purposive, language in use - (viewed) as social practice  bidirectional relationship between discourse and social processes ↓  SOCIOLINGUISTICS: the study of language and linguistic behaviour as influenced by social and cultural factors Discourse Analysis (DA)  Discourse analysis (DA) = the study of whole units or communicative exchanges produced in a particular speech community (Cappelli 2007: 13-14)  Focus on both spoken texts and writen texts  Focus on both language form and language function  discourse analysis is concerned with language in use in social contexts, it studies language in context.  DA stresses the need to see language as a dynamic social interactive phenomenon

Meaning is not conveyed by single sentences but by more complex exchanges, in which participants’ beliefs and expectations, the knowledge they share about each other and about the world, and the situation in which they interact play a crucial part.  Discourse Analysis (DA) is a collection of methods for studying language in actual use in social contexts  emphasis on texts and not just in single words Tourism Discourse  English for Tourism is another branch of ESP  Tourism discourse is a type of discourse in its own right  there are certain practices, norms and values that are conventionalised in the way we use language and other expressive means in order to talk about tourism-related maters (Cappelli 2007: 15)  In the tourism industry, the language of tourism plays a decisive role in determining the success or failure of certain trends and the popularity of certain destinations (Cappelli 2007: 16)  Tourism is grounded in discourse (Cappelli 2007: 33-34) 

Genre  Genre = “A class of communicative events sharing a set of communicative purposes established and recognised by a specific discourse community and exhibiting similar paterns in terms of structure, style, content and intended audience” (Swales 1990: 58)  The classification of texts into genres derives from “the way in which texts are perceived, categorized and used by members of a community” (Swales 1990: 42)  Genre Analysis focuses on elements of recurrent language use (grammar, lexis, rhetorical practices), thus connecting texts with the communities in which they are used  Guidebooks and tourism apps, tourism ads, travel articles, travel blogs, trip report, travel reviews are all examples of genres Register  REGISTERS = different code varieties available to the speaker/reader who can choose the most suitable “level” and variety of language for a given communicative act, with variations in lexicogrammar as well as in style  register imposes constraints at the linguistic level (esp. vocabulary and syntax) ≠ genre (operating at the level of discourse structure).  Thus, register can be defined as a variety according to use (use-related variety). Although register is a complex area, the most common aspect looked at in language learning is the degree of formality Teachers often divide functional language into three working categories, formal, neutral and informal (British Council)  A genre may have instantiations of different registers, and the same register can be used in different genres (Cappelli 2007: 19) Lexicogrammar Lexicogrammar, also called lexical grammar, is a term used in systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to emphasize the interdependence of vocabulary (lexis) and syntax (grammar) (Nordquist 2020). Register vs Genre “Register is used when we view text as language: as the instantiation of a conventionalised, functional configuration of language tied to certain broad societal situations, that is variety according to use static and uncritical point of view. Genre is used when we view the text as a member of a category a grouping according to purposive goals culturally defined [more dynamic and ideological point of view ]” (Lee 2001 46) Text Type  Controversial notion  Text types cut across genres and registers beter defined in terms of internal linguistic characteristics of a text and of the function it performs  Genres are defined in terms of non-linguistic criteria (e g their communicative purposes)  Text types can be defined in terms of linguistic and non-linguistic criteria

Text types can be seen as “cognitive categories” offering ways of conceptualising, perceiving and portraying the world  Rigid categorisations are not possible  a text made of pure text types (e g a totally narrative or descriptive text) cannot be found  one genre always makes use of several text types  Each text type is associated with or characterised by the presence of certain linguistic elements  There is a strong relationship between language, text function and the sociocultural expectations of text users  Numerous contributions to the study of text types  Egon Werlich (1976 in Cappelli 2007 22 23) proposed one of the best-known categorizations:(for further insights into research on text types, see Cappelli 2007 21 32)  Werlich identifies: - description - narration - exposition - argumentation - instruction Descriptive Text Type  Text that has the function of describing a person, a place, a scene etc.  The language is characterised by precise and carefully chosen vocabulary  Descriptive texts are common in literature and songs and, of course, tourism 

e.g. Orchard Road is the commercial centre of Singapore and one of the most famous shopping avenues in the world It is surrounded by lush tropical and flower gardens A 2 2 km shopping belt, it is flanked by iconic shopping malls, restaurants and hotels, choc a block with retail, dining and entertainment choice for every taste and budget. Narrative Text Type  Narration is generally characterized by verbs in the past tense  Narrative text types include personal experience fairy stories, adventure stories, mysteries, science fiction, horror stories, myths, and legends  Text that has the function of telling a story or a fact . e.g. My first trip out of North America was to Italy I was in college and my (overly kind) mother booked us a 10 day trip through Venice, Florence and Rome Sure, I had seen plenty of movies, but I still didn’t know what to expect when I arrived in Italy for the first time (An American in Rome blog.) Expository Text Type  Text that has the function of analysing explaining phenomena  It presents either constitutive elements which can be synthesised into a composite concept, or those constituent elements into which concepts can be analysed.  The Moscow Metro System or the Moscow Underground as it is otherwise known is the rapid transit transport system that functions in the city of Moscow, the capital of Russia. The transit system also serves the population of Krasnogorks another city that lies next to Moscow.  The Moscow Kremlin, usually referred to as the Kremlin, is a fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west It is the best known of the kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. Also within this complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation.  Dictionary definitions, entries in reference books, keyword outlines and summaries are common text forms belonging to the expository text type.

Argumentative Text Type  Starting from the implicit or explicit statement of a problem, the text presents a major thesis, often in opposition to another thesis - Some people claim that visiting London can be rather expensive, but this is not necessarily the case. - Milan is either Italy's second or first city, depending on who you ask While Rome may be the administrative capital, Milan is the country's financial powerhouse, the home of Italy's stock exchange, at the heartland of the wealthy and productive north Rome may be the capital and the seat of government, but Milan is the business heart of Italy, the place where deals are made The city has always been important, occupied by successive powers, and like most important cities it has been rebuilt many times Consequently it lacks the medieval informal charm of other Italian towns, and is sometimes overlooked as a holiday destination  The text is rich in evaluative language  Comments, interviews, leading articles and leters to the editor are common argumentative text forms Expository vs Argumentative  Expository text type Related to the cognitive function of comprehension (i.e. meant to explain something)  Argumentative text type Related to the cognitive function of judging in answer to a problem (i.e. expressing opinions) Instructive Text Type  Rules and regulations are common text forms belonging to the instructive type  The text aims to influence the reader’s or listener’s behaviour by advising or instructing him or her  Characteristic of instruction is the use of commands or recommendations. Besides imperatives, we find the passive voice, and modals like must, will, should, would. LECTURE 3 Advertising Advertising is the paid, non-personal communication of information about products or services by an identified sponsor through the mass media in an effort to influence customer behaviour Advertising is designed to  Create a distinctive image for the product  Establish product/service superiority ↓ In simpler words, to persuade the consumer to buy the product/service The Advertisement as a Hypergenre There is huge variation in what we call ads (Bex 1996:169)  Handwriten ads, ads published in international magazines, radio and TV commercials, web ads  Ads pursue different purposes, though their function in society is relatively constant Advertising is a hypergenre encompassing various sub genres Formal Characteristics of Advertising 1. Multimodality  the combined utilisation of different semiotic resources/modes of communication within a single communicative process (visual, aural resources for radio and TV ads)  Working with multimodal texts implies the understanding of the interaction of different modes and their grammars in the creation of meaning ↓ Interplay of different semiotic resources in the construction of messages => THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN VISUAL AND VERBAL MODES OF COMMUNICATION CONSTRUCTS COMPLEX LAYERS OF MEANING 2. Brevity/Conciseness (Bruthiaux 2000)

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Language of advertising  constrained by contextual factors, esp. space constraints Requirement to compress content “linguistic ingenuity comes to the rescue” (Bruthiaux 2000: 298) SLOGANS  instrumental in carrying out the argumentative and persuasive functions of ads

Advertising and Tourism  We all like to travel in different ways  for this reason, advertisements target different people with different discursive strategies  Professionals in the tourism industry, and in particular those working in marketing and promotion, in DESTINATION BRANDING know very well that there are different types of travellers and they try to appeal to them by different means Authenticity, Strangerhood, Play or Conflict? (Cappelli 2007:50) 1. The authenticity perspective  search for AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES  tourist = sort of pilgrim  emphasis is laid on traditions, the past and current local life 2. The strangerhood perspective  focuses on the desire of the contemporary self to EXPERIENCE things/destinations that are different from his/her own reality and to do so in an independent way this perspective encourages travellers to distance themselves from their cultural and emotional “centre” 3. The play perspective  tourism play, a game in which popular pleasures and fun are the key concepts 4. The perspective of conflict and appropriation  the focus is on the contrast between societies  the model has been mostly applied to tourism in emerging countries Topics of Tourism  Promotional material in tourism discourse can be categorised according to the topic several topics, often interrelated, can be found  The topics of tourism are generally referred to with acronyms indicating commonly associated topics (Cappelli 2007: 64-65) - RRR  Romanticism, Rebirth and Regression - HHH  Happiness, Hedonism and Heliocentrism - FFF  Fun, Fantasy and Fairy tales - S(S)SS  Sea, (Sun) Sex and Socialisation And also MICE  Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions a type of tourism in which large groups, with a planned agenda, are brought together  These topics can occur together in a single text, they are not mutually exclusive A Few Key Notions HOW ARE THESE PERSPECTIVES AND TOPICS ENACTED BY LINGUISTIC MEANS?  Keywords they often convey primary information and are, therefore, generally short, clear and to the point  be they verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc words evoke specific emotions and conjure up specific topics ↓ Evocative verbs use of the imperative mood to create the “spell effect” (e.g. escape, forget, change, discover)  Euphoria technique (Cappelli 2007:63)  use of positively connoted words (e.g. extraordinary, great amount, more)  Resorting to the “magic” is a very common device  the magic dimension is also built through specific lexical choices  e.g. names of atractions (Mirabilandia, Canada’s Wonderland)  Ego-targeting  this technique has the function of singling out the reader from the crowd, thus making him/her feel unique, or at least privileged  characterised by the use of informal language and a conversational style  Syntax  frequent recourse to parataxis and short, juxtaposed sentences (e g.  This and more awaits you in Los Cabos. Where life is good. And dreams are realized)

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Frequent choice of verbs in the -ing form and use of the imperative mood  Experience your own Renaissance! Explore Colorado Experience / the world’s most exciting in-flight entertainment / Visit Greece / Discover Sicily’s culinary delights!  Use of rhetorical questions  What could be more rewarding than the vacation of your dreams? / Isn’t Bermuda full of high society?  Figures of speech - Rhyme  Travel better. Cheaper. Longer. - Alliteration  Relax, revive and revel in the largest tract of wilderness east of the Mississippi - Parallelism  Discover Los Cabos. Rediscover yourself / Your Time, Our Place (Ireland) - Similes and metaphors  Arrived in search of the ultimate break. Departed having found Paradise (Australia)  All these strategies pursue the fundamental aim of promotional material, i.e. satisfying the AIDA condition (Cappelli 2007:65)  capture Atention, maintain Interest, create Desire and get Action

LECTURE 4 Travel Brochures  Pronunciation first! UK /ˈbrəʊ.ʃər/ US /bro ʊˈʃʊr/  Brochures are marketing booklets.  If ads are often the first contact between a location or atraction and prospective tourists, brochures generally come not much later in the “tourist cycle” →e.g. when a potential traveller contacts a Tourist Information Office, after having been charmed by an advertisement or some other sort of promotional material.  Brochures can vary remarkably in format (paper or electronic, in full colour or black and white, having many pictures or a lot of text), style and purpose → some are meant to inform, others to atract, others to do both. Brochures vs. Ads  English used in brochures is somewhat similar to English used in ads.  Sentences are generally simple, short and to the point  Just minutes from the airport, the hotel is a short stroll from the Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza, the Convention Center and beautiful San Diego harbor. / The Sun Hotel promises comfort and friendly, efficient service.  They sometimes lack the verb and rely on adjectives and nouns to convey the relevant message  The Sun Hotel: Comfortable and relaxed four-star hotel.  Brochures generally contain more informational text compared to ads, because they also serve the purpose of providing “further information” about the atraction or destination at issue.  Whereas ads have to fit in a limited space and the text must be restricted to a few effective keywords, brochures can count on more space → the atraction or destination can be promoted more profusely and useful information can be provided in addition (e.g. contact details). The “Double Soul” of Brochures  Brochures have a “double soul” (Cappelli 2007: 92) →on the one hand, they promote ...