The Holiday Maze

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THE HOLIDAY MAZE

Holiday maze – Try - Activities © BBC | British Council 2004

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This is a reading and speaking activity. Students make decisions in pairs or groups with the aim of going on a successful holiday. It is based on a 'maze' principle, which gives students different options and a variety of different holiday outcomes.Author: Emma PathareThere isn't one 'correct' answer - different groups find themselves going on different holidays - so you can use the activity several times with the same class. It is an excellent, fun way to practise the 'functional' language of agreement and disagreement, suggestion and negotiation, as well as specific language relating to holidays, in a genuinely 'communicative' activity. It can be used with any level from pre-intermediate to upper-intermediate and beyond.

the holiday maze

ask some more of your friends and go ina big group?

travel as asmall group?

It’s summer! You decide to go on holidaywith some friends. Will you:

One of you wants to bring his sister too. Do you:

decide to ask a few more friends and make a bigger group?

say no? You don’t want the group to get too big.

agree?

There are too many of you – everyone is arguing because they want to go to different places!Will you:

decide to plan the holidayto include all of thedifferent places that people want to go to?

have a big meeting and try to solve the problem?

divide into two small groupsand go on separate holidays?

Everyone is happy now. Should you go to:

Australia?

India?

Italy?

Now nobody in the group is happy. Your holiday will be ruined if you don’t change your decision.

Return to the choices.

You try but it is impossible - you would have to be millionaires! Will you:

ask the advice of someone you all trust?

take a vote on where to go?

go back to the choices?

You are going to Italy! Do you:

fly to Rome and then take trains around the country?

fly to Rome and book a hotel when you arrive?

book a package holiday in a stylish resort by the sea?

You are going to India! Do you:

fly to Delhi, go to the central train station and thentravel by train all over the country, anywhere you wantvery cheaply?

book a holiday through ‘Adventure Holidays Company’, which offers tours of sites such as the Taj Mahal?

book a package holiday by the sea in the beautiful southern state of Kerala?

You are going to Australia! Do you:

book a holiday with ‘Adventure Holidays Company', which advertises tours looking at the wonderful wildlife in the Australian outback?

fly to wonderful Sydney and book a hotel when you arrive?

book a package holiday by the sea which offers scuba-diving and surfing?

India

Italy

One of the friends in your group now tells you thatthey can’t swim and hate the beach! There is nopoint in going on a beach holiday. Go back to you last card and choose again:

You fly to Rome and take the train to the centre of the city. Unfortunately, the Tourist Information Office tells you that it is impossible to book a hotel in summer in Rome. Do you:

change your plans completely and take a cheap flight to Australia?

wait and buy a cheap railcard which lets you travel everywhere in Italy by train?

take the train to Venice which leaves very soonand hope to get a hotel there?

ask some more of your friends and go ina big group?

travel as asmall group?

It’s summer! You decide to go on holidaywith some friends. Will you:

You go to the office to pay for your exciting holiday. The man tells you to go back the next day to pick up the tickets. When you return, ‘Adventure Tours Company’ has disappeared – you have lost your money!

You just have enough money for a cheap holiday in Italy, flying to Rome on a special budget flight and then travellingaround by train from the central station.

try and find another hotel?

check into the hotel anyway?

You fly to Sydney. In the airport there is a Tourist Information Office, where you book rooms in a hotel near the centre of the city.When you arrive at the hotel, you find that it is in what looks like adangerous neighbourhood. Do you:

You arrive late in the evening. A man approaches you at the station offering rooms in what he calls ‘a palazzo'; a palace! Do you:

walk the city until you find somewhere to stay?

refuse and try and find an official Tourist Information Office?

accept his offer?

stay where you are until the morning?

go with him?

You find some benches to sleep on. It is uncomfortableand cold, and you are worried that you might be robbed.A very smart man comes up to you and asks you to go with him– he says he has a nice surprise fo you all. Do you:

return to the airport, go home and wait until next year?

go back and sleep at the station?

You walk and walk but don’t find anywhere to stay. Your luggage is heavy and you are all feeling very depressed. Do you:

You check in to the hotel. The rooms are beautiful with wonderful views over the city. The hotel staff are all very friendly and helpful. You have a fantastic holiday; the holiday of a lifetime!

The end!

The man takes you to a waiting bus. You drive through the beautiful city until you arrive at a gondola station. You all get into a big gondolaand are taken to a wonderful hotel on a canal. The hotel used to bea palace. You have a holiday that you will never forget,in one of the world’s most beautiful cities!

The end!

go to the hotel on the sticker?

give up, return home and wait until next year?

The Tourist Information Office, when you find it,is closed. The name and address of a hotel is ona sticker on the window. You are all tiredand depressed. Do you:

You return to the airport. You have to sleep in the airport for three nights before you can get a flight home. The flight is very expensive;there are only first class tickets available. When you do get home,your luggage does not arrive – it has been lost!Next year you will make some different decisions…

The end!

The ‘nice surprise’ turns out to be a nightmare! The man leads youout of the station, around two corners, and suddenly you are surrounded by five men who take all your money, passports, watches and jewellery. Your holiday is at an end; you go to the police, who send you to your embassy, and you have to pay for the flight when you get home.

The end!

When you get off the bus, you find that you are in the middle of a traditional festival. All the people are having great fun and are very welcoming.You are invited to stay for a free holiday; you accept and have an exciting time that you will never forget!

The end!

try and find a cheap hotel or hostel for the night?

sleep on the station platform?

You arrive at the central train station. It’s late and you are all very tired. You find that there are no trains until the morning. Do you:

We have learned some expressions that can be useful for negotiation:'I think we should . . .''That's a good idea but . . .' 'What about . . .' 'Let's . . .' 'I don't agree with . . .' 'I've changed my mind.'

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the holiday maze

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