INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Colin Knapp is talking about traveling to the Far East.

Interviewer:Colin, do you travel on business very often?

Colin Knapp: 1travel to Thailand about two to three times per year.

Interviewer:And how long is the flight from England to Thai­land?

Colin Knapp:The flight is about twelve hours.

Interviewer:Uh, huh. Do you enjoy that long flight?

Colin Knapp:It's, it is OK as long as I take plenty of reading, and they normally have three to four films.

Interviewer:And do you watch all the films?

Colin Knapp: Iwatch all the films because I find it very diffi­cult to sleep on a plane.

Interviewer: OK.Do you suffer from jet lag* after the flight?

Colin Knapp:Er, Isuffer jet lag. In Thailand it lasts for about one day.

Interviewer:Uh-hu... and when do you return to England?

Colin Knapp:It is worse, for some reason, and is about three days.

Interviewer:So traveling back to England is less pleasant?

Colin Knapp:It is less pleasant, but that apparently is quite common.

Interviewer:OK. Erm... and what's the reason for your visits to Thailand?

Colin Knapp:It's to teach and to do some business with the University.

Interviewer:Why do you travel to Thailand to do business? Why can't you do that by telephone or fax?

Colin Knapp:Because our discussions are quite complex and it is too complex for telephone and fax.

Interviewer:OK. When you visit Thailand do you experience a culture gap?

Colin Knapp:There is a culture gap, yes.

Interviewer:Erm... can you give me any examples of that?

Colin Knapp:They are very polite people, and so there are times when you may think they agree with you, but they say "yes" because they think it is polite.

Interviewer:Ok. So the way people communicate is different?

Colin Knapp:They communicate in a different way, yes.

Interviewer:Ok. And also can you give people visiting Thai­land any tips for their visit?

Colin Knapp:Erm... always try to be polite, and be respectful, and on first meeting try not to look the person in the eye too often...

* jet lag— tiredness after flying to a place where the time is different.

1. Comprehension questions:

1)How often does Colin travel on business?

2) Which country does he visit regularly?

3) How long is the flight?

4) What two things does he do during the flight?

5) Does he suffer from jet lag?

6) Is jet lag different traveling west-east and east-west?

7) Why does he travel to the Far East instead of doing busi­ness by telephone or fax?

8) What example of a culture gap does he give?

9) What tips does he give for visiting this country for the first time?

2. Work in groups and discuss the following:

— Do you like or dislike flying?

— Do you sleep on a plane or do you prefer to read? Do you always watch the in-flight films?

— What do you know about jet lag?

— Have you experienced cultural differences when you trav­el?

— What are the advantages of face-to-face meetings com­pared to doing business by telephone, fax or computer?

3. Think about your own town or city and discuss the
questions:

1)Where is the nearest international airport?

2) Where is the nearest main train station?

3) How do you get to the airport from your college or place of work? By bus or train?

4) How do you get to the main train station?

5) What routes would you take to the airport and station by car?

Work in pairs playing the roles of a Visitor and a Local Res­ident. Ask and answer questions. Take the roles in turns.

Use:

— How do I get to the airport from here?

— What's the best way to get to the train station from here?

— The best thing to do is...

— The quickest way to get to...

— If you take the... it'll take about... minutes and it'll cost...

— It's not a good idea to... because... (give reason)