Title: Diapositive 1
1Advanced English Course for Professionals in the
Tourism Industry Sarah Strange
2Introduction
- Having a good understanding of the mindset of
your foreign clients is key to a successful tour - Dont let your usage of English cause other
people to consider you stupid, ignorant or even
worse, rude! - English is constantly evolving and has become the
lingua franca of much of Europe (visitors from
all over the world)
3Introduction
Britain and America are divided by a common
language! Oscar Wilde
4Contents
- Meet Greet
- Getting Started
- Welcome on board
- Giving Instructions
- Describing Locating Things
- Apologizing
- Dealing with Questions
- How to say Goodbye
- Little gems
- Reference
5Meet and Greet
Introducing yourself to the group You only
have one chance to make a first good impression
6Introducing yourself to the group
- Hello, Im Sarah your guide for today
-
- Who is in charge of this group? (not responsible
for) -
- Hello/good morning/good afternoon, are you from
? - (name of organisation)
- Im looking for Mr./Mrs. X, the tour leader
- (shaking or not shaking hands?)
-
7And if YOU are late?
- Im terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. I do
hope you havent been waiting too long. - Will you excuse me just a few moments then well
be on our way? (if you need to use the washrooms)
8Its none of your business!
Who are you?
- Where are you all from? Are you the Tax
Office group? - Table of languages /nationalities
- Who are the Americans?
- Dont confuse English with British!
-
9Nationalities Languages
- Generally speaking nationalities and languages
are the - same Germans speak German, Italians gt Italian,
etc. - Exceptions
- The people of the Netherlands and Dutchmen speak
Dutch which is also their language (v.
GermanDeutsch) - Luxemburgers speak French, German and
"Lëtzebuergesch!
10Our European neighbours
- Be careful with
- Danes speak Danish
- Finns speak Finnish
- Frenchmen or The French (not French people)
- Spaniards speak Spanish
- Swedes speak Swedish
- The Swiss speak ..
- Turks speak Turkish
- What about Kosovo? The jurys still out!
11Whats an American?
- Canada
- The States
- Mexico
- Latin America
Be careful about sensitivities!
Canadians North Americans The States
Americans Mexico Mexicans Latin America
Brazilians, etc.
12Who are the British?
- Great Britain Northern Ireland speak English
- but comprise 4 distinct countries
13ENGLAND English Englishmen/ Englishwomen NORTHE
RN IRELAND British (Not Irish!)
IRELAND/EIRE (independent since 1921) Irish.
They may speak Gaelic SCOTLAND British, Scots,
Scottish. (not Scotch thats their best
export!) And some speak Gaelic WALES British,
Welsh Welshmen/Welshwomen. They speak Welsh
So when in doubt call us British or The Brits
rather than English!
14Getting Started
Off we Go !
15Going with the flow
- Those of you already here can now make your own
way to the coach and take your seats. - Im so sorry to rush you but we need to be on our
way now so we can keep to our schedule. - I dont want to rush you but as we have such a
busy schedule, please can we go straight to the
bus or it will leave without us and its a long
way back to Brussels/Bruges, etc. - Im afraid I shall have to jolly you along a bit,
we do have a plane to catch!
16Outside the coach
- Hello! How do you do?
- Welcome on board!
- Im so pleased to meet you!
- How are you today?
17 May I have your attention please?
- Can you all hear me at the back? (not pfff
pfff) - On behalf of my colleagues, X and Y and our
chauffeur José, I would like to extend a very
warm welcome to you all - Welcome to Brussels, Belgium!
- Today we shall be going on a tour of Bruges/city
tour.
18 Explaining facilities on the coach
- Is everybody comfortable?
- Are you all warm enough?
- Is the coach too hot?
- Would anyone like the air conditioning switched
on/off?
19What to say when ..
- If the on-board facilities are not available
I am delighted to tell you there will be
restrooms on arrival at our destination! (dont
draw attention to this!) - Would those of who havent already done so,
please now return to their seats (as its
dangerous to remain standing) - It is a lot safer than standing up and you will
have a better view!
20Travel? Trip? Journey? Voyage?
- Travel (v) to change location. e.g. Do you
have to travel a lot for work? - Trip (n) often 'holiday' (short distance) e.g.
How was your trip to Ghent? Or Are you all on a
business trip this week? - Voyage (n) is usually a long sea journey, rarely
a verb. e.g. The voyage to the Belgian Congo took
over six weeks. - Journey (n) used more in British English than
American English the distance between 2 or more
points. Rarely used as a verb. e.g. The journey
from Ostend to Virton takes 3 hours.
21Views from the coach
- What you see out of the coach window is the
scenery - La nature translates as the
countryside - Landscapes are painted by Van Eyck or Monet
- But you can talk about areas of outstanding
beauty or scenic views
22Please ask us nicely
- May I suggest we meet in half an hours time in
front of the Cathedral? - It would be a good idea if everyone could be back
at the coach by 2 p.m. - Please would you be kind enough to meet me at the
bus at 2 p.m.? - It would be nice if we could all meet up again at
the bus by 2 p.m.
23Asserting authority
Im sorry, but I really have to insist that
everyone be back here by 3 p.m. Please
understand that we absolutely have to be at the
24Giving firm Instructions
- I hope I can count on your understanding/
cooperation as we need to be back at the bus by 3
p.m. (to avoid the rush hour traffic). - I would appreciate it if you could get back on
the coach as soon as possible. - It would be a great help if ..
- Please hop on board! (en voiture, Simone!)
- If you look to your left, you will see
Attention, dont say look left! (it sounds
military) - On your left, you will see -
25- Where not permitted, you might say before
entering the church/museum - Just in case you are not aware of it, may I
remind you that photography is forbidden here - Id just like to point out that flash photography
is not allowed here - You are welcome to take photographs without flash
inside
Taking Photographs
26Pickpockets!
27- Just a friendly word in your ear
- I wouldnt want your day to be
- spoiled
- A word to the wise please look after all your
personal items - As in any tourist area/large city, please take
special care of your personal belongings - Just a friendly word of advice, please watch your
cameras/handbags around here
28Describing locating things
How ?
What ?
Where ?
29Describing Works of Art
At the top, at the bottom, in the centre
This painting is by attributed to belongs to
In the foreground in the background
Note the use of perspective/colour/depth
Note the attention to detail / artists skill
30Describing a Painting
- The symbolism in this painting
- The lighting and shading effects
- The (wide) range of colours
- The facial expressions
- The faithful rendering of the landscape
- The artists consummate skill
- The extreme attention to detail
- The skilled use of perspective
- The glowing colours
31Describing a Painting
The Early Flemish Masters are renowned for their
meticulous skill, extreme attention to detail
and masterly craftsmanship.
32Describing a Painting
The translucence of the shroud! The oppressive
atmosphere created at this dramatic moment The
bright colours The realistic depiction of the
scene The skilful rendition of the velvet fabric
33Describing a sculpture
The gentle expression The purity of form The
hallmark of Michelangelo The simplicity of the
work The flowing drapery The relief
34Describing a building
In English a building can be any size
- single or multi-storey
- in brick/stone/glass/wood
- tall/small (not grand or little)
- broad, wide or narrow
- modest, impressive, prestigious and even
multi-functional
35A quick translation
- Un building de grand standing is a prestigious
skyscraper, a tower block or luxury apartment
block - Les bâtiments de lU.E the E.U. buildings
- Cette haute tour this skyscraper
36Describing details
The whiplash design Curves, sinuous lines and
scrolls Inspiration from nature (floral
motifs) Noble materials Exotic wood(s) Enamelled
bricks Wrought iron features Efflorescences
37Architecture
- We talk about styles of architecture
- This is in Romanesque, Medieval, Gothic,
Renaissance, - Baroque, Art Nouveau, neo-Renaissance, post-
- Modernist or functional style but
- Gothique primaire early gothic
- Gothic flamboyant flamboyant gothic
- Gothique tardif late gothic
- Néo-Gothique Gothic revival style!
38Architecture
- Attention
- Fortified ? fortificated
- Romanesque ? Roman
- Medieval of the Middle Ages ? middle aged
- . listed world heritage (Unesco) site ? is part
of the Unesco
39The use of prepositions
To go, to run, to drive, to sail, to bike
(cycle), to fly TO
Not theres a cinema in front of my house but
theres a cinema opposite my house First floor
to the British upstairs to the Americans
ground floor
40Directions
- Straight down this street
- Keep going down here and its on your left
- Take the next/second street on your right
- Keep to the right you cant miss it.
- Its right ahead of you
- Its just over there/just opposite
- Its on the other side of the road
- It will take you about 10 minutes to get there/to
the church.
41Questions?if you dont know the answer
- Im sorry, I cant help you
- Im afraid I dont know but Ill find out
- I cant tell you, Im afraid.
- Id like to help, but I have no idea
- Regrettably, I havent got a clue!
- Thats a good question sorry I dont know the
answer! - And if you dont want to answer .
- Mmm, thats a very interesting question!
- Well, well, well who knows!
42I apologise
Please forgive me
I beg your pardon
Im so sorry !
43Errare humanum est!
- Did I say 1928? Im sorry. I meant 1728
- Im terribly sorry I didnt hear you. Could you
repeat your question? (not What did you say?
rude) - Excuse me, I made a mistake/or got it wrong
- Pardon me, Im awfully sorry
- Will you forgive me if we stop for a moment?
- Im afraid we are running out of time
- My apologies but we have to leave now
- I beg your pardon
- I do apologise
44Summing up
- In short
- Briefly
- In a word
- To cut a long story short
- To put it in a few words
- (To put it) in a nutshell
- To sum up
- Ill sum up briefly
45Numerals Figures
46Remember 0 can be pronounced or read in 5
different ways
Zero
Nought
O
Nil
Love
47- Zero degrees centigrade (0C) Ground Zero
- O dates 1302 thirteen-oh-two Tel Ns 057
oh-five-seven is my area code but OO7 can also
be double-oh seven - Nought large numbers/speeds a million has six
noughts from nought to 60 mph in four seconds!
(miles per hour) - Nil (nihil) Nil by mouth. Their project share
was nil. In football Anderlecht - Beveren 3-0
(three -nil) - Love The score in Tennis is 15 -0 (fifteen -
love)
48Talking of Royalty
With Kings, Queens and Emperors we use Roman
numerals
49- Philip III (Philip the Third, Duke of Burgundy)
- The Emperor Charles V (but we say Charles the
Fifth) - Philip II (Philip the Second of Spain)
- Albert II (Albert the Second of Belgium)
- Elizabeth II (Queen Elizabeth the Second)
50- 1000 A.D.one thousand A.D. (Anno Domini)
- 2000 B.C.two thousand B.C. (Before Christ)
- 8000 BCE eight thousand (Before Common Era)
- We are in 2008 (two thousand and eight)
- 1940 19 40 Nineteen forty (not nineteen
hundred and forty!)
What about dates?
51Calendar Dates
When there is no indication of a date, we use an
ordinal number
- For example today is
- Wednesday the 27th of February
- February the 27th
52Organising a meeting point at a specific time
53- Lets synchronize our watches!
- Please check your watches
- Well meet tomorrow at nine oclock/at nine
a.m./in the morning at nine. - Meet me at 4 p.m. sharp / on the dot!
- Well all meet up again at two oclock/two
p.m./at two this afternoon.
54- We must be back here no later than 4 p.m.
- We must be back here at the latest by 4 p.m.
- The bus/coach will be leaving at four at the
latest - Ill expect to see you all back here (at the
coach/bus/hotel) by two p.m.
55At the Restaurant
56- Please let me know if you would like a menu in
English - Do you need any help with the menu?
- Has everyone got a place to sit?
-
- I hope you will all enjoy your meal
- Enjoy your meal!
- Bon Appétit!
57Pouvez-vous ajouter un couvert?
Aperitif Starter or entrée or hors-duvre
Main course (not dish) Poultry, Seafood,
Game Dessert Liqueur
Todays special
58Leaving the Restaurant
- Ask for the check or the bill (not the note!)
- Please dont leave anything behind.
- Is anybody missing? Are we all here?
- Are we waiting for anyone?
- Are we all ready to leave?
- Alright then, follow me!
59- What is the most embarrassing topic for the Brits
?
60What should you call it?
61- Public urinal ( Vespasienne) (avoid!)
- The Loo
- The smallest room (quaint)
- The bathroom (American)
62Where is it ?
- the loo/rest rooms?
- Are there any facilities here?
- where can I wash my hands?
- is the Ladies (room)/Gents?
- Where can I powder my nose?
- the cloakroom? (often in theatres/museums)
- I hear they have a superloo at the station.
- Where can I spend a penny? (old fashioned)
63On no account say
- The bog
- The John (American)
- The Dunny (Australian for outdoor privy)
64- Indicate the way and with a big smile say Last
Orders! - Would anyone like to inspect the plumbing?
- Where can I disappear for a moment?
- Can you show me the geography of the house?
A humorous approach
65- Little Gems
- Tips Tricks
- Bits Pieces
66Some Useful Expressions
- To be within a stones throw (à deux pas) of the
main square - Belgian food (cuisine) makes my mouth water
- For those of you who have a sweet tooth, I can
recommend Belgian chocolates - To take French leave (filer à langlaise)
- Please put your best foot forward, we have to be
at the coach by 2 oclock.
67Useful Expressions (2)
- On the one hand . On the other
- Who knows all the ins and outs of Belgian
politics? - Some of these legends should be taken with a
pinch of salt - The word was on the tip of my tongue
- Oysters are not everyones cup of tea!
- To learn something first hand (de source)
68Useful Expressions (3)
- We have to play this by ear (decide as we go
along) - This (legend/building) is as old as the hills
(very old) - Its raining cats and dogs (torrential rain/la
drache) - United we stand, divided we fall! (Lunion fait
la force) - The Manhattan Centre cost the earth to build.
69A few false friends!
Shade
An avalanche of books has been written on this
subject so here are some favourites
- Terrible! - awful or dreadful
- Formidable! difficult to achieve
- Sympathetic friendly, nice
- Eventually in the end
- Classical/classy traditional/chic
Shadow
A classy outfit
Classical Greek architecture
70Shopping
- Please feel free to browse around the shop
- Do have a look round
- If you want any advice, Id be happy to help
- You have plenty of time/50 minutes to make your
purchases - I can recommend our local produce (produits du
terroir)/local specialities - Does anyone want to buy any souvenirs?
71(No Transcript)
72Ring! Ring!
The GSM a question of vocabulary
The latest must have arrivals on the market
are blackberry or I- phone, both of which have
internet facilities.
For Americans its a cell phone The Brits prefer
mobile or phone
73Words that hurt Old ? elderly Slow ?
leisure walkers Handicapped ? disabled or
physically challenged Words that heal !
74EuroEnglish!
- Le camping camp site
- Le smoking dinner jacket
- Le parking car park
- Le standing prestigious
- Le feeling intuition
75Using Please
- Use Please only when you ask
- for something but never when you
- receive something
- Please may I have a beer?
- A beer, please!
- When you give something to someone, avoid please
or the English speaker will assume you want to
ask another question. - Try Heres your beer!
76Using Will
- Will in English is often perceived as an order as
in You will be back here at 2 pm! - so
- Please be back here at 2 p.m.
- Remember where theres a will theres a way!
77While waiting
78- Well, while we are waiting for the last few
members of our group/ the latecomers/ the
stragglers - You can have a last look at the city from the
window - And enjoy the view (ironic)
- We could have a round of the popular party game
Name some famous Belgians!
79Famous Belgians?
80Conclusion
Conclusion
- Ladies and gentlemen, as were nearly back at ,
I would just like to take this opportunity of
saying how much we enjoyed having you with us
today. - I hope you have all enjoyed your day in Bruges.
- Please ensure you take all your personal
possessions with you. - I hope you have all enjoyed your walk with us
today/your visit round the museum, etc.
81Conclusion
- On behalf of my colleagues, X and Y, I should
like to thank you for coming with us today to
Bruges - We hope we shall have the pleasure of seeing you
again on your next trip to Belgium/Brussels, etc.
- Id just like to end by wishing you all a nice
day/pleasant evening/ safe return trip. - Enjoy the rest of your stay with us
- Have a good time in Belgium!
- Get a good nights rest. I look forward to seeing
you tomorrow at 9 a.m. for our trip to
82- And a special round of thanks to our driver José
for bringing us safely back to the hotel/
station/airport today. After all, we couldnt
have done without him! - I think you will agree with me he has done a
wonderful job of looking after us all today - If you have received exceptional service, please
feel free to express your appreciation to our
driver.
(Tips To Insure Prompt Service
83For Reference
84Common Errors in English - Paul Hancock Penguin
Quick Guides ISBN 0-582-46894-9
Sounds Right! - Bertin Deneire ISBN 90-289-2442-1
Expressions et locutions anglaises Pascal
Soufflet - ISBN 2-04-028286-6
- LAnglais utile
- Alan Chamberlain and Ross Steele
- ISBN 2-278-04553-9
85- Sky my husband! Ciel Mon Mari! Jean-Loup Chiflet
- - ISBN 2-86665-020-4
- Merde! By Geneviève ISBN 0-207-14910-0
- Merde Encore! By Geneviève ISBN 0-207-15272-1
86Thank you for your attention
A person who speaks perfect English is
respected but not loved!