English Lesson (Speaking and Listening): "Describing a Tourist Spot"

LESSON: TRAVEL ENGLISH
Topic: “Describing a Tourist Spot”
- With French translation (Audio: American and British accents)

Vocabulary
A. Delightful - Very pleasing and enjoyable [Délicieux / Délicieuse, Agréable]
English Sentences
- Food: The cake was absolutely delightful. Le gâteau était absolument délicieux.
- Things: The trip was delightful. Le voyage a été agréable

B. Accessible - Easy to reach or use [Accessible]
English Sentence: The library is accessible to everyone. La bibliothèque est accessible à tout le monde.

C. Cozy - Comfortable and warm [Douillet / Douillette]
English Sentence: The living room is very cozy with its soft lighting. Le salon est très douillet avec son éclairage doux.

D. Affordable - Not too expensive [Abordable]
English Sentence: The new restaurant in town is very affordable. Le nouveau restaurant en ville est très abordable.

E. Diverse - Varied and different [Divers / Diverse]
English Sentence: The city has a diverse population. La ville a une population diverse.

F. Exotic - Unusual and interesting [Exotique]
English Sentence: She loves trying exotic foods. Elle adore essayer des aliments exotiques.

G. Enchanting - Very charming and delightful [Enchanteur / Enchanteresse]
English Sentence: The story she told was enchanting. L'histoire qu'elle a racontée était enchanteresse.

H. Enjoyable - Pleasant and fun [Agréable]
English Sentence: The movie was very enjoyable. Le film était très agréable.

I. Scenery - Natural surroundings and views [Paysage]
English Sentence: We admired the beautiful scenery. Nous avons admiré le beau paysage.

J. Breathtaking - Amazingly beautiful [À couper le souffle]
English Sentence: The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking. La vue du sommet de la montagne était à couper le souffle.

K. Scenic - Beautiful landscapes, like a picture [Pittoresque]
English Sentence: They took a scenic route through the countryside. Ils ont pris une route pittoresque à travers la campagne.

L. Views - Panoramic sights or perspectives [Vues]
English Sentence: The hotel offers stunning views of the ocean. L'hôtel offre des vues magnifiques sur l'océan.

M. Bland - Dull or lacking in interest or flavor [Fade]
English Sentence: (Usually used for food) The soup tasted bland and needed more seasoning. La soupe avait un goût fade et avait besoin de plus d'assaisonnement.
- People: His has a bland personality. [Il a une personnalité insipide.]
- Place: The village was bland. [Le village était fade.]

N. Rundown - In poor condition or needing repair [Délabré(e)]
English Sentence: The old house looked rundown and abandoned. La vieille maison semblait délabrée et abandonnée.

O. Overall - Considering everything, in general [Global / Globale]
English Sentence: Overall (globally), the project was a success. Globalement, le projet a été un succès.

P. Charm - Appeal or attractiveness, often in a quaint way [Charme]
English Sentence: The little village has a lot of charm. Le petit village a beaucoup de charme.

Q. Overshadowed - [Éclipsé(e)]
English Sentence: Her talent was overshadowed by her shyness. Son talent était éclipsé par sa timidité.

R. Drawbacks - [Inconvénients]
English Sentence: Every job has its drawbacks. [= means that her shyness was more noticeable or had a greater impact than her talent, thereby drawing more attention away from her talent.] Chaque emploi a ses inconvénients.

S. Despite - even though [Malgré]
English Sentence: Despite the rain, we enjoyed the picnic. Malgré la pluie, nous avons apprécié le pique-nique.

T. Pleasant Contrast - A nice difference that is enjoyable [Contraste agréable]
English Sentence: The spicy food provided a pleasant contrast to the sweet dessert. La nourriture épicée offrait un contraste agréable avec le dessert sucré.

U. Inhospitable Staff - Unfriendly employees who are unwelcoming or unhelpful [Personnel inhospitalier]
English Sentence: The inhospitable staff made our stay unpleasant. Le personnel inhospitalier a rendu notre séjour désagréable.

V. Overlook - To fail to notice or consider something [Négliger]
English Sentence: Don’t overlook the details in the contract. Ne négligez pas les détails du contrat.

W. Welcoming - Friendly and inviting [Accueillant(e)]
English Sentence: The host was very welcoming. L'hôte était très accueillant.

X. Ambiance - The atmosphere or mood of a place. [Ambiance]
English Sentence: The restaurant had a cozy and welcoming ambiance. Le restaurant avait une ambiance douillette et accueillante.

Guide Questions
1. What did the speaker say about his/her trip?
2. How did he/she describe the following: the city, the hotel, the atmosphere, and the scenery?
3. What was his/her complaint?
4. Overall, what does he/she think of the place?

 

Transcript
During my trip to a foreign country, I found the experience to be quite delightful. The city was clean and accessible so it is convenient to explore. I stayed in a cozy, affordable hotel. The diverse mix of local and exotic cultures created a unique atmosphere that was both enchanting and enjoyable. The scenery was simply breathtaking, with peaceful parks and scenic views. It is perfect for taking photographs. Although some areas were a bit bland and rundown, the overall charm of the city overshadowed these minor drawbacks. In addition, the locals were absolutely friendly. Despite the average, flat landscape in some parts, the luxurious restaurants and cafes offered a pleasant contrast. There were a few annoying and stressful moments, like dealing with the occasional inhospitable staff or cold weather, but you can easily overlook them, especially if you consider the overall unique and welcoming ambiance of the place. (149 words)