Objectives
- Understand other cultures
- Develop intercultural competence
- Promote critical cultural awareness
- Support reflection on stereotypes
Tasks
- Analyse a country’s/destination’s self image and the implicit view of tourists as expressed through brochures and websites.
- Create/rewrite texts addressed to different target groups
Procedure
- Explore websites to analyze advertising techniques, the language used, proverbs and metaphors
- Compare views of tourists as target audience
- What do they expect from the country visited?
Exercise
Read the following text about Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, one of the Tyrol Leisure Tips taken from the website http://www.ausflug.tirol.at/xxl/en/home/_articleId/1073356/index.html :
“Tiroler Zugspitzbahn
A top-class summit experience
Float up to peak happiness at 2,962 metres above sea level: The legendary Tiroler Zugspitzbahn lets you conquer Germany’s highest mountain in summer and winter in comfort from the Tyrolean side. The cable cover travels a vertical difference of 1,725 m. An international experience in every regard, because the border between Austria and German runs between the Western and Eastern Summits and the wonderful panorama terrace of the restaurant takes in a view of four countries. It doesn’t matter if it’s foggy either: The world of experience – Fascination Zugspitze- gives exciting insights into the history of this unique mountain, from the first ascent to the building of the cable car and its modernisations. The Zugspitze – a destination for people of vision!
How to get there
Via A7: Ulm – Füssen – Reutte to Ehrwald; from Ulm approx. 150 km, toll free;
Via A95: Munich – Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Ehrwald, from Munich approx. 110 km, toll free;
From the south over Fernpass to Ehrwald, from Innsbruck approx. 70 km
Opening times
Summer 2010: 13.05.2010 – 01.11.2010
Operating times
Runs every 20 minutes from 8:40 am to 4:40 pm.”
Answer the questions
- What did you already know about the Zugspitzbahn before reading the text?
- What is highlighted and what is downplayed? What language do they use – a descriptive one or do the descriptions show value through word choice?
Rewrite the text for different audiences:
- For an Austrian traveler
- For an international traveler who wants information about differences between two cultures
References
This lesson has been inspired by: Intercultural Resource Pack. Latin American Perspectives – published by British Council. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/icrp-july07.pdf (25. May 2010)