Off the beaten track - discussion

Partner A

 Have you ever joined a conversation club to practise your English? Can you describe how the
sessions developed? Have you joined other clubs? Would you recommend any of them? What are the
benefits and drawbacks of joining a club? What other activities have you done to improve your
English?
 Are you an intrepid traveller? Do you enjoy going off the beaten track and visit secluded
coves and unspoiled beaches? Or do you prefer going on package holidays? What are the pros and
cons of either way of travelling?
 Do you like surprise parties? Have you ever been to one? How was it? Who was the life and
soul of the party? Where there any party animals or party poopers? Are there any wet
blankets among your group of friends? Have you ever been to a stag or hen do?

Partner B

 Are you an inveterate traveller? Do you enjoy going gallivanting? Do you prefer to travel
with friends or single-handedly? What are the swings and roundabouts of solo travel?
 Have you ever visited a place or attended an event that didn't live up to the hype? Have you
ever had to lodge a complaint or a compensation claim?
 What's your opinion about the following overgeneralizations: "young people avoid
interaction," "young British holiday makers are all beer-swilling lager louts," "no-frills airlines can
have a nasty sting in the tail", "there is a new generation of couch potatoes who spend all day on the
sofa looking at their smart phones and eating ready meals", "young people don't dress up for
special occasions anymore." What other stereotypes can you think of? Are any of these stereotypes
positive? How fair do you think they are?

Glossary:

intrepid: /ɪnˈtrepɪd/ very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties. E.g. an intrepid explorer.

off the beaten track: far away from other people, houses, etc. E.g. They live miles off the beaten track.

secluded: /sɪˈkluːdɪd/ (of a place) quiet and private; not used or disturbed by other people.
E.g. a secluded garden/ beach/ spot, etc. We managed to find a fairly secluded spot for our picnic.

cove: /kəʊv/ a small bay (= an area of sea that is partly surrounded by land). E.g. a secluded cove.

unspoiled: /ˌʌnˈspɔɪld/ also unspoilt /ˌʌnˈspɔɪlt/: (of a place) beautiful because it has not been
changed or built on. E.g. unspoiled countryside. It’s a country of stunning landscapes and unspoiled
beaches.

the life and soul the party, etc. the most amusing and interesting person at a party, etc.

party animal: someone who enjoys parties and party activities very much and goes to as many as
possible. E.g. Sarah's a real party animal - she likes to dance all night.
party pooper: /ˈpɑːti puːpə(r)/ a person who does not want to take part in an enjoyable activity and
spoils the fun for other people.

wet blanket: /ˌwet ˈblæŋkɪt/ a person who is not enthusiastic about anything and who stops other
people from enjoying themselves.

stag/hen party/do: a party that a man/woman has with his male/ her female friends just before he/
she gets married, often the night before.

inveterate: /ɪnˈvetərət/ (of a person) always doing something or enjoying something, and unlikely to
stop. E.g. an inveterate liar. He was an inveterate traveller.

go gallivanting: to go from place to place enjoying yourself. E.g. You're too old to go gallivanting
around Europe.

single-handedly: on your own with nobody helping you. E.g. She single-handedly saved the town
from disaster.

swings and roundabouts: used to say that there are advantages and disadvantages whatever
decision you make. E.g. If you earn more, you pay more in tax, so it's all swings and roundabouts. What
you gain on the swings you may lose on the roundabouts.

hype: /haɪp/ advertisements and discussion on television, radio, etc. telling the public about a
product and about how good or important it is. E.g. marketing/ media hype. Don't believe all the
hype—the book isn't that good.

lodge something (with somebody) (against somebody/something) (formal) to make a formal

statement about something to a public organization or authority. Submit. E.g. They lodged a
compensation claim against the factory. Portugal has lodged a complaint with the International Court
of Justice.

claim (for something) a request for a sum of money that you believe you have a right to, especially
from a company, the government, etc. You can make a claim on your insurance policy. to put in a
claim for an allowance. a claim for £2 000. Make sure your claims for expenses are submitted by the
end of the month. Complete a claim form (= an official document which you must use in order to
request money from an organization).

swill something (down) (informal) to drink something, especially alcohol, quickly and/or in large
quantities.

sting in the tail: an unpleasant feature that comes at the end of a story, an event, etc. and spoils it. E.g.
the Budget comes with a sting in the tail—future tax increases.

couch potato: /ˈkaʊtʃ pəteɪtəʊ/ a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching television.

ready meals: a meal that you buy already prepared and which only needs to be heated before you eat
it.