Ethical Travel American English Teacher

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ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
ETHICAL
TRAVEL
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1 Warm up
What’s happening in the image at the top of the page? Why do you think this person is there?
Now, look at the two images below. Tell a classmate what you can see in each and answer the
questions below.
Picture 1 Picture 2
1. Who do you think the people in the images are?

2. What are they doing there? Think of a few reasons why the people in the photos are together.
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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
ETHICAL TRAVEL
2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match each adjective to its correct definition.
1. dishonest a. very silly
2. sincere b. not telling the truth or cheating
3. miserable c. very sad or uncomfortable
4. ridiculous d. very angry
5. furious e. acting in a truthful way and saying what you really mean
6. awkward f. embarrassing or difficult to deal with
7. beneficial g. difficult to do or understand
8. complicated h. helpful for improving a situation
Part B: Write the most likely adjective from Part A in each sentence.
1. This math problem is too for me. Can you help me?
2. I don’t think he’s . Every time I see him on TV, I think he’s lying.
3. I was about two hours late, and my mom was absolutely !
4. I think having volunteering on my resume would be really for applying for jobs
in the future.
5. Flying cars? That’s a totally idea.
6. Do you think telling a friend they did well when they didn’t is a nice thing to do or a little ?
7. I had been sick in bed for two weeks, and I felt totally .
8. I always feel a little when I’m in a new place and have to make new friends.
Part C: Discuss these questions about vacations and travel with a classmate. Try to use the word in
bold in your answer.
1. Have you ever been on vacation and the weather was miserable? Where? What did you
do?
2. Is there anything that visitors to your country do that makes you furious?
3. What’s the most complicated journey you’ve ever taken?
4. Do you think having more and more international tourists is always beneficial for a
country?
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ETHICAL TRAVEL
3 Listening
Part A: You are about to hear a radio program with two teenagers discussing the pros and cons of
voluntourism. What do you think voluntourism is?
Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3
Listening tip
Think about the topic before you listen. What do you know about the topic? What vocabulary
can you remember about the topic? Look at the images and the questions. What do they show
you? Can you predict any answers before you listen?
Now, listen to the radio program. Who thinks voluntourism is a good idea, and who is less sure?
Part B: Listen again and complete the sentences with one word you hear in the radio program.
1. The presenter thinks it’s of people to only volunteer because it looks good for
them.
2. Tau, however, thinks the majority of volunteers are and want to help.
3. Beth thinks the children feel when volunteers leave them.
4. Tau says it’s not that learning about other cultures will bring peace to our world.
5. Beth is when she thinks about companies that treat volunteers badly for their
own benefit.
6. It was very when one volunteer discovered that his work didn’t really help anyone.
7. Beth says that it’s important to involve local people if organizations want to make sure that a
project is .
8. The presenter says that the program has taught him that this topic is .

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Part C: What were the pros and cons of voluntourism mentioned in the radio program? Listen again
and make notes or use the transcript to help you.
Pros Cons

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
4 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match each word to its correct definition.
1. unethical (adj.) a. the amount of carbon dioxide used and its effect on the
environment
2. slum (n) b. something that is wrong to do and against normal standards
3. threatened (adj.) c. all living things in a specific area
4. (in) captivity (n) d. the act of damaging something so badly that it stops existing
5. mammal (n) e. being the cause of something
6. carbon footprint (phrase) f. understanding of a topic or situation
7. awareness (n) g. a situation where animals are kept in places like zoos
8. responsible (adj.) h. likely to be hurt or damaged
9. destruction (n) i. a very poor area where houses are in very bad condition
10. ecosystem (n) j. an animal that has warm blood and doesn’t lay eggs
Part B: Write the correct words from Part A in each sentence.
1. When people fly instead of using the train, their carbon is much bigger.
2. Many such as sharks are from too much fishing.
3. Should animals be kept in or be left in the ?
4. Humans are for much of the of the world’s rainforests.
5. There’s not enough of the damage we are doing to our local

when we throw trash on the ground.
6. in some cities don’t have running water or electricity.
7. Using wild animals in circuses is because it causes unnecessary anxiety.

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
5 Reading
You are going to read an article called ‘Unethical Travel’. Look at the headings below. What do you
think you will read about in each section?
1. Visiting the poor
2. Swimming with dolphins
3. Hurting plant life
4. Flying
5. Meeting elephants
Now, read the article and write the correct heading 1-5 for each section a-e.

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Unethical Travel
5 Things to Avoid on Vacation
Vacations can change the way you see the world and give you experiences you would never get at home. But
with increasing frequency, people are trying to make sure that their vacations don’t have a negative impact on
the places they love visiting, the people they meet, or the animals that live there. Here are five things you might
choose not to do on vacation.
A
Many tourists love to take a ride on one of these massive mammals when they are on vacation, but they can suffer
from living in captivity. As wild animals, they walk with their families over huge distances. According to Peta, an
animal rights organization, they are typically kept in small spaces and separated from their friends and loved ones.
Happily, things are changing, and after meetings with Peta, the online travel company TripAdvisor decided to stop
all ticket sales to these types of events. Let’s hope that all other big travel companies do the same. The best place
for these amazing animals is in the wild.
B
These intelligent mammals are lots of fun, and many people dream of playing with them in the water. But be
careful. They are often taken from their families in stressful ways and live much shorter lives when living in a
pool than when they are in the ocean. Charities, such as the WDC, focus on protecting sea mammals and raising
awareness of the problems these animals have in captivity and in the wild. They say that dolphins should not
suffer for human entertainment, and a responsible boat trip would be a better alternative for tourists.
C
A city break in a faraway destination is a popular vacation choice, but be aware that some unethical companies
organize visits to the poorest parts of a city so tourists can "see what life is like". It is known as slum tourism. The
trips are often described as educational, and some do help the community, but many bring no money to the people
in the area, don’t respect locals, and don’t help tourists understand why there is so much poverty. If you decide
to go on a trip like this, check that the organization works with local people in helpful ways.
D
Coral reefs are in crisis. Many are so badly damaged they will never grow back, and two-thirds are seriously
threatened. Global warming is the major cause of coral reef destruction, but fishing and tourism are also responsible.
Check where you are going to stay. Some hotels are built on top of coral reefs, and others empty waste directly
into the water around them. The WWF asks tourists not to do activities such as water sports, boating and diving
in the area, which could do further damage to this beautiful ecosystem.
E
It is a difficult thing to hear, but air travel has a terrible effect on the environment. The environmental group
Germanwatch have measured that one person taking a flight from Germany to the Caribbean and back produces
around four thousand kilos of CO2. That’s the same amount as 80 people living in Tanzania produce in a year!
Travelers can try to reduce their carbon footprint by paying more for their tickets, and some travel companies
donate money to tree planting or alternative energy projects with every flight booked. But it’s not necessary to
cancel all your trips! Overall, travel gives us amazing experiences, which we all want. However, we should also
check information and ask questions about where we are going so our vacations can be great for the world, too.
Adapted from: The Independent, PETA, uk.whales.org

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Part 3: Look at the questions below. Read the article and decide if the questions were answered in
the article or not. Find, write, and discuss the answers with a classmate.
1. Where do animals often live when they are kept in captivity?
2. Where should elephants live?
3. How long do dolphins live when they are in the wild?
4. What is more beneficial than swimming with dolphins?
5. What should we check if we visit a poor part of a city as a tourist?
6. What do tourists do when they visit slums?
7. What causes the most destruction to coral reefs?
8. Will coral reefs grow back?
9. Which nationality produces more pollution than others?
10. Is it possible to reduce your carbon footprint when flying?
Do you agree with all the points in the article? Will avoiding doing these things really change things?
Rank the activities to avoid in order (1-5) from most important to least important, in your opinion.
6 Speaking
You want to go on vacation with your friends. Talk to the travel agent and decide on the best vacation
for all of you.

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Traveler A: You are very concerned about the state of the environment and want to make
sure that your traveling doesn’t increase your carbon footprint. You would like to see a
famous city, though.
Traveler B: You are an animal lover and would like to see and photograph some animals in
the wild on your next trip. You would love them to be animals you have never seen
before.
Traveler C: You love sports and the ocean. Your ideal vacation is traveling somewhere on
a boat. You are a bit afraid of wild animals.
Travel Agent: You have three vacations available. One is a wild fishing trip in the Pacific
Ocean, another is a safari vacation with the chance to ride elephants and visit traditional
villages. The last vacation is a camping trip in your own country. The safari vacation is the
most expensive, so you prefer to sell that one.
7 Supplementary writing
Write a short essay on the pros and cons of one of the following topics:
1. Traveling by air
2. Using wild animals for entertainment
Follow this plan for your essay:

• Paragraph one: Introduction
• Paragraph two: Pros
• Paragraph three: Cons
• Paragraph four: Your opinion

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ETHICAL TRAVEL
8 Project: ethical vacation
You are going to plan a European Safari. Choose a country from the list below:
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Germany
• Italy
• Poland
• Romania
• Scotland
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• The Netherlands
Your teacher will show you a selection of European Safaris. Choose a safari and complete the table
below.
Country Price What you can do? What will you see?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
ETHICAL TRAVEL
Transcripts
3. Listening
Presenter (Rupa): I am here with two fantastic young people who are ready to give their opinions
on something called voluntourism. This is when people travel to another country,
usually a country much poorer than their own and volunteer for a short time. So,
Beth, this sounds like a good thing. What’s the problem?
Beth: Hi there, Rupa, and thanks for having me on your show. Well, there are actually a
lot of problems with voluntourism. One of them is that some volunteers do it just
so they can look good.
Presenter (Rupa): Look good?
Beth: Yes, maybe on social media or for when they write university or job applications.
These are not good reasons to volunteer for something.
Presenter (Rupa): I hadn’t thought of it like that. It sounds a bit dishonest if that is the reason. Tau,
hi there. You are thinking about volunteering abroad. Does what Beth says make
you doubt your decision?
Tau (Africa): Hello Rupa. I know what Beth means, but I think most people are sincere when
they say they want to help others. It might also make you feel good, but I don’t
think there’s anything wrong with that.
Presenter (Rupa): Beth?
Beth: There’s nothing wrong with it, but you have to be very careful not to make things
worse. Sometimes volunteers do work they aren’t trained for and take jobs away
from local people. Sometimes they go to make friends and play with younger
children. But the volunteers are only there for a short time. Imagine how the
children feel when the volunteers leave. Miserable.
Presenter (Rupa): We haven’t spoken about the environmental impact of all that travel either. Tau,
what’s your opinion?
Tau (Africa): Well, people already travel to go on vacation. Can’t those holidays help local
people? I believe that the more people connect with others across the world,
the more we can learn about each other’s cultures and believe in each other. I
don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that this will help us as we try to keep peace in
our world. Don’t you think so, Beth?
Beth: I completely agree, Tau, and there are some international charities that work to
connect people. But there are also some organizations that have been created just
to take volunteers’ money. The volunteers think they’re doing something good,
but really their work and money don’t help the community. It makes me furious.
Presenter (Rupa): Yes, there have been some news stories about that.
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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Beth: That’s right. And the big problem in all those cases, in my opinion, was that the
volunteer organizations had all the power and money. They made all the decisions.
I know one volunteer who worked in a rural village to dig a well so the locals could
have water and not walk to the river each day. Sounds great, right?
Tau (Africa): Well, yes, actually.
Beth: I know, but on his last day there, he asked a busy mom who lived in the village if
she was happy about it. She didn’t want to tell him at first, but they talked and, in
the end, she told him. She enjoyed the walks to the river with other moms. They
chatted about important things and made decisions together on those walks. He
felt really awkward. He had thought he was helping, but if his organization had let
the community be more involved before the project, maybe he could have been
doing something else, something really beneficial.
Presenter (Rupa): Well, that’s a really interesting point. I think what I have learned today is that
these things are complicated, and we need to think about ourselves, the world,
and others before we decide to volunteer in a different country. Thanks to both
of you.
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Key
1. Warm up
5-10 mins.
First, ask students to look at the top image and elicit a few reasons why the man is there, e.g., on vacation, a
scientist, a photographer, or helping turtles. You could teach (sea) turtle and (scuba) diving.
Ask students to discuss the images in pairs and come up with a couple of plausible situations for why each photo
was taken. Teach the word ‘well’ in the third image as it will come up in the listening.
Elicit the topic of the lesson: Ethical Travel. Write ethical on the board. Elicit possible meanings. Tell students that
it is used to describe things that we believe are correct or acceptable. Ask a few questions such as: Is it ethical to
fly very short distances? Is it ethical to sell elephant bones? Is it ethical to keep big wild animals in small places?
2. Focus on vocabulary
Part A
10 mins.
Students work in pairs and match the adjectives to their definitions. As you monitor, focus on pronunciation as
well as meaning. Check answers with the whole class. You might want to focus on the pronunciation of awkward
or the adjectives with four syllables. Miserable is an interesting one as most people use three syllables /mz r bl/
but some people use four /mz r bl/.
1. → b. 2. → e. 3. → c. 4. → a. 5. → d. 6. → f. 7. → h. 8. → g.
Part B
5 mins.
Ask students to read all of the sentences before they decide which word to choose from Part A. Ask them to check
answers in pairs.
1. complicated 2. sincere 3. furious 4. beneficial
5. ridiculous 6. dishonest 7. miserable 8. awkward
Part C
5-10 mins.
Tell students to focus on saying the words in bold as they talk. Students could talk to a different classmate. Try to
encourage students to develop their answers. As you monitor, check that students are using the language in bold,
and make notes of good language use and corrections to use in feedback.
3. Listening
5 mins.
Part A: Listening tip
Read the tip together. Ask students if they normally do these things. Ask them if they think these will help them
with their listening.
Discuss the question together. Elicit the words volunteering and tourism from the class. Check the meaning of pros
and cons. Elicit a couple of possible advantages and disadvantages. Refer students back to the tip and ask them
how thinking about the topic and the images helps with the listening. Use the third image to teach the word ‘well,’
which comes up in the listening.
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ETHICAL TRAVEL
Let students listen and get a general idea of the points brought up.
Answers: Tau generally likes the idea, but Beth is less sure.
Part B
5-10 mins. Give time for students to look at the sentences and discuss what words could go in the gaps. Refer
them back to the listening tip and tell them it’s always a good idea to try to predict answers before you listen. Ask
them what type of words fit in all the gaps (adjectives). It’s up to you if you want to point out that the answers
needed are the adjectives from earlier in the lesson. Students listen and check predictions. Check answers.
1. dishonest 2. sincere 3. miserable 4. ridiculous
5. furious 6. awkward 7. beneficial 8. complicated
Part C
5 mins. Encourage students to read the transcript and listen at the same time. Students could circle some of the
pros and cons in the transcript and then discuss and decide whether voluntourism is a good or a bad thing. The
answers above are not direct quotes but example points that students could extrapolate from the radio program.
Answers:
Pros: It can make you feel good, You can help others/local people, This type of vacation replaces normal vacations,
These types of vacations connect cultures,
Cons: It’s selfish as it’s only to improve the volunteers’ job chances of getting into a university, Take jobs away
from local people, Volunteers are not trained for the work they do, It’s only for a short time, Children may be
sad when volunteers leave, Some companies make money rather than local communities, Sometimes this type of
volunteering doesn’t involve the local community enough.
4. Focus on vocabulary
5 mins.
Students work in pairs and match the words to their definitions. As you monitor, focus on pronunciation as well
as meaning. Check answers with the whole class.
1. → b. 2. → i. 3. → h. 4. → g. 5. → j.
6. → a. 7. → f. 8. → e. 9. → d. 10. → c.
Part B
5 mins.
Ask students to read all of the sentences before they decide which word to choose from Part A. Ask students to
check answers in pairs.
1. footprint 2. creatures ≀ threatened
3. captivity ≀ wild 4. responsible ≀ destruction
5. awareness ≀ ecosystems 6. Slums
7. unethical
5. Reading
5-10 mins.
Ask students to think about the title of the text and then discuss what they might read about and how each topic
might be problematic/unethical. Set a strict time limit (2 mins) for them to skim and put the answers in the correct
places.
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5) Meeting elephants 2) Swimming with dolphins 1) Visiting the poor

3) Hurting plant life 4) Flying
Part 3
5-10 mins.
This exercise gives tests students the chance to understand the text in more detail and discuss the answers.
Encourage students to underline parts of the text that give them answers.
1. small spaces and separated from loved ones
2. in the wild
3. question not answered
4. a responsible boat trip
5. that the visit is beneficial to the local community
7. global warming
8. some will never grow back
10. yes, by paying more
6. Speaking
10-15 mins.
This activity gives students a chance to use much of the language that has been presented in the class in a freer
context. Give out the role cards. Give students time to think about their role and then ask them to try to come
to an agreement together on what vacation to choose. It doesn’t matter if they can’t agree. You could take notes
of nice examples of collocation and language as well as errors in pronunciation and work them into a feedback
stage.
Extension: Students can swap roles and work with different classmates to do the role-play again.
7. Supplementary writing
30 mins. (at home or in class)

Students should choose one of the topics and write a short essay. Tell students to look back at the article for some
ideas. Ask students to try to include words they have learned in this lesson. They should underline these words
in their essay.
8. Project: ethical vacation
Students need to research an ethical vacation. Make sure a selection of countries is chosen, then show them the
website: https://www.europeansafaricompany.com/safaris .
Give them the following link: https://www.europeansafaricompany.com/safaris/standardsafaris
Ask them to work at home, choose a safari, and complete the table. They can talk about the vacations in groups
in the following lesson.
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HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

ENGLISH FOR TEENAGERS · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

1. Who do you think the people in the images are?

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1. dishonest a. very silly

2. sincere b. not telling the truth or cheating

3. miserable c. very sad or uncomfortable

4. ridiculous d. very angry

6. awkward f. embarrassing or diﬃcult to deal with

7. beneﬁcial g. diﬃcult to do or understand

8. complicated h. helpful for improving a situation

3. I was about two hours late, and my mom was absolutely !

5. Flying cars? That’s a totally idea.

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Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

3. Beth thinks the children feel when volunteers leave them.

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Part A: Match each word to its correct deﬁnition.

3. threatened (adj.) c. all living things in a speciﬁc area

5. mammal (n) e. being the cause of something

6. carbon footprint (phrase) f. understanding of a topic or situation

8. responsible (adj.) h. likely to be hurt or damaged

Part B: Write the correct words from Part A in each sentence.

2. Many such as sharks are from too much ﬁshing.

3. Should animals be kept in or be left in the ?

4. Humans are for much of the of the world’s rainforests.

5. There’s not enough of the damage we are doing to our local

6. in some cities don’t have running water or electricity.

7. Using wild animals in circuses is because it causes unnecessary anxiety.

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1. Visiting the poor

2. Swimming with dolphins

3. Hurting plant life

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Adapted from: The Independent, PETA, uk.whales.org

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1. Where do animals often live when they are kept in captivity?

2. Where should elephants live?

3. How long do dolphins live when they are in the wild?

4. What is more beneﬁcial than swimming with dolphins?

5. What should we check if we visit a poor part of a city as a tourist?

6. What do tourists do when they visit slums?

7. What causes the most destruction to coral reefs?

8. Will coral reefs grow back?

9. Which nationality produces more pollution than others?

10. Is it possible to reduce your carbon footprint when ﬂying?

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Follow this plan for your essay:

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8 Project: ethical vacation

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Presenter (Rupa): Look good?

Presenter (Rupa): Beth?

Tau (Africa): Well, yes, actually.

5) Meeting elephants 2) Swimming with dolphins 1) Visiting the poor

30 mins. (at home or in class)

8. Project: ethical vacation

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