2.4
SCENARIO
A STUDY TRIP
22
SITUATION
1
Read the situation below. What kind
of things can go wrong on a trip like this,
do you think?
Westlake is an American university.
Two years ago, the university organised
a study trip to Poland and the Czech
Republic, so that students could learn
about the countries’ culture and history.
Unfortunately, the organisers made many
mistakes and the trip was not successful.
This year, they will take another group of
students (aged 18–21) to the same area.
They want to avoid the mistakes they
made in the past.
2
a
Read the notes written by one of
the organisers about the previous trip.
Which problems, if any, did you discuss
in Exercise 1?
2
b
Match each problem in the notes
with one of these categories. You can use
each category more than once.
theft money information
communication climate
misbehaviour organisation
3
In small groups, discuss these questions.
Compare your answers with another group.
1
Which were the most serious problems?
Rank them in order of seriousness
(1 = most serious, 6 = least serious).
2
Which of the following do you blame for
each problem?
the organisers the students
bad luck
none of the above
4
a
2.6
Listen to a conversation between
Douglas and Kevin, two organisers of the
previous trip. Which problems from the
notes do they talk about?
4
b
Listen again. Make notes on the
topics they discuss. Use these headings.
•
Student relations
•
Hotels
•
Student behaviour
•
Free time
My notes
New
Edit
Student complaints
1
Not enough information about what to eat in
restaurants.
2
Not enough opportunities to interact with Czech and
Polish students in the same age group.
3
Exceptionally cold weather in Prague. Students didn’t
have suitable clothing for the weather conditions.
4
Hotels OK, but students didn’t like sharing rooms.
Several didn’t get on with their partners. Many
arguments – unhappy spirit in the group.
5
Very little information about the historical sites. No
discussion after the visits with group leaders about what
the students had learnt.
6
No maps of the cities were provided.
7
Saturday night, a group of students caused a
disturbance in the hotel restaurant when they
complained about the food impolitely.
8
Cash problems. Some students ran out of money.
Didn’t expect such ‘high prices’ in both countries. Some
borrowed friends’ credit cards to buy presents. Parents
complained at the end of the trip.
9
Cameras and mobile phones stolen in the underground.
One student lost all his documents.
Had to spend a day at
the embassy.
10
Not enough free time during the trip.
