Season’s Greetings & Best Wishes for the New Year

Cheers to a wonderful holiday and an amazing year ahead!

Battle of Destinations: Digital Presence & Online Reputation

1. Type of activity

• Mandatory assessment: Critical analysis activity in class (small groups).
• Optional assessment: Portfolio (individual).

2. Active methodology

• Task-based learning.
• Analysis of real cases.
• Portfolio.

3. Teaching unit

Digital tourism & social media

4. Learning objectives

• To identify and compare digital promotion strategies.
• To develop critical analysis skills for digital messages and user reviews.
• To summarise information and represent it visually.
• To work collaboratively on research and idea presentation.
• To improve written expression.

5. Activity description

In groups of 2 or 3 students, you will analyse the digital communication of two real tourist destinations, comparing their presence on social media and online reputation through reviews and brand image. In class, choose two tourist destinations (cities, regions, or countries) that have an active presence on social media and a significant number of user reviews (Tripadvisor, Google Reviews, etc.). With your group:

1) Analyse the type of content published on Instagram, TikTok, or other platforms: what formats do they use? What tone or style? What target audience do they seem to have?

2)     Collect real user opinions and assess the overall tone (positive, neutral, negative).

3)     Make a critical comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of each destination’s digital communication and online reputation.

4)     Create a comparative visual infographic summarising the key points (using Canva, Genial.ly, or similar).

5)     Print your work as a poster for an exhibition of all infographics in the classroom during the next session, and discuss them orally in a class debate.

Afterwards, you may write or record a final reflection for your individual portfolio, evaluating the activity and explaining how you used AI tools (what was used, how, and why).

6. Tasks to complete

• Research on social media and review websites.
• Debate and selection of the most relevant points.
• Visual design of the infographic with clear sections (images, data, real quotes, icons…).
• Print the infographic as a poster for display and discussion in the next class.
• Final evaluation and reflection.

7. Use of AI

• ChatGPT or Copilot: Help with formulating comparison questions or identifying patterns in reviews.
• Grammarly or Quillbot: Review short texts for the infographic.
• Canva or Napkin: Collaborative creation of the infographic.
• Google Gemini or Claude: Classify reviews according to user sentiment.

8. Learning resources

• Official social media accounts of tourist destinations.
• User review platforms: Google Reviews, Tripadvisor, Booking.
• Canva, Genially, Figma, Piktochart (visual creation).
• ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grammarly.
• Extracts from the book English for International Tourism. Upper Intermediate.

9. Assessment tasks

• Group poster with comparative infographic.
• Optionally, oral evidence (3 minutes) and/or written evidence (150-200 words) for the individual portfolio.

10. Assessment criteria

• Infographic poster: Non-graded indicative evaluation of the following aspects: language use, task achievement, active participation and collaboration within the group, responsible and reflective use of AI tools.
• Portfolio (optional): Oral evidence (3% of final grade) and/or written evidence (3% of final grade) based on these criteria: task achievement, creativity, argumentative ability, and critical thinking. For oral evidence, fluency and pronunciation will also be assessed.

11. Remarks

• It is advisable to limit destination selection to a predefined list to avoid repetitions.
• Infographics can also be shared in the collaborative space of the virtual campus instead of printing them.

Hotel Branding Pitch Challenge

 1. Type of activity 

• Mandatory assessment: Group presentation (pairs).
• Optional assessment: Portfolio (individual).

2. Active methodology

 

• Task-based learning.
• Flipped classroom.
• Simulation.
• Gamification.
• Portfolio. 

3. Teaching unit 

Hotel branding & customer experience 

4. Learning objectives

 

• To improve formal oral expression with visual support.
• To develop a coherent hotel brand proposal.
• To practice persuasive and descriptive language in professional contexts, integrating visuals to reinforce the message.
• To improve formal written expression. 

5. Activity description 

In pairs, you will design and present a boutique hotel proposal aimed at a professional audience (investors or agencies). On your own and using any AI tools you choose, create a fictional boutique hotel (urban, rural, luxury, eco-friendly, etc.) and prepare an oral pitch of no more than 5 minutes to convince a professional audience of its potential. In class, you must present: 

      1)     The brand name and identity.

2)     The distinctive concept.

3)     Key services.

4)     Target audience and customer experience.

5)     Location and visuals. 

You will vote for your favourite proposal at the end of all the presentations, explaining your reasons orally, which will be shared with the rest of the group. The winning proposal will receive a prize. 

Afterwards, you may write a final reflection for your individual portfolio, including a summary sheet and evaluation of the activity, also explaining how you used AI (what was used, how, and why). 

6. Tasks to complete

 

• Brainstorming: concept, name, values, aesthetics.
• Writing descriptive texts (facilities, services, value proposition).
• Creating visuals and digital supports.
• Public presentation.
• Final evaluation and reflection.
• Pitch challenge: voting and justified selection of the preferred proposal. 

7. Use of AI

 

• Concept creation: ChatGPT or Copilot for generating name lists, style inspiration, brand values.
• Writing: service descriptions with support from Grammarly or DeepL Write.
• Visual generation: Canva or Bing Image Creator for mockups, logos, visual aesthetics.
• Reflection: text review with Grammarly. 

8. Learning resources

 

• Hotel brand websites, Booking, Tripadvisor
• Canva, Bing Image Creator, Unsplash
• ChatGPT, Copilot, Grammarly, DeepL Write
• Extracts and examples from the book English for International Tourism. Upper Intermediate 

9. Assessment tasks

 

• Oral presentation (5 minutes per pair).
• Digital visual support (minimum 1 logo + 2 visuals + 1 textual description).
• Optionally, individual written portfolio evidence (summary sheet with the proposal + reflection and evaluation of 150–200 words). 

10. Assessment criteria

 

• Oral presentation: Oral 1 (6% of final grade) based on these criteria: language use, thematic development, communication resources, fluency, and pronunciation.
• Portfolio (optional): Written evidence (3% of final grade) based on these criteria: task achievement, thematic development, creativity, argumentative ability, and critical thinking. 

11. Remarks

 

• Avoid “cliché” hotels and aim for innovative or niche ideas.
• Visuals should not be overly cluttered but clear and aligned with the brand.
• The tone should be professional yet creative.

Desafío creativo: Branding hotelero

1. Presentación: En pequeños grupos, los estudiantes diseñan y presentan una propuesta de hotel boutique dirigida a un público profesional (inversores o agencias).

2. Objetivos de aprendizaje:

-Mejorar la expresión oral formal con apoyo visual.

-Desarrollar una propuesta coherente de marca hotelera.

-Practicar el lenguaje persuasivo y descriptivo en contextos profesionales, integrando elementos visuales para reforzar el mensaje.

 3. Descripción de la actividad:

Por vuestra cuenta y con las herramientas de IA que queráis, cread un hotel boutique ficticio (urbano, rural, de lujo, ecológico, etc.) y preparad un pitch oral de máximo 5 minutos para convencer a un público profesional de su potencial. En clase debéis presentar:

1)   el nombre e identidad de la marca,

2)   el concepto diferencial,

3)   servicios destacados,

4)   público objetivo y experiencia del cliente, y

5)   ubicación y elementos visuales.

Al finalizar todas las presentaciones, tendréis que votar por vuestra propuesta favorita y explicar oralmente los motivos, que se pondrán en común con el resto del grupo. La propuesta ganadora obtendrá un premio.

4. Tareas a realizar:

-Lluvia de ideas: concepto, nombre, valores, estética.

-Elaboración de textos descriptivos (instalaciones, servicios, propuesta de valor).

-Creación de elementos visuales y soportes digitales (mínimo 1 logotipo + 2 elementos visuales + 1 descripción textual).

-Presentación oral en público (5 minutos).

-Valoración y reflexión final.

-Desafío pitch: Votación y selección justificada de la propuesta favorita.

 5. Uso de la IAg:

-Creación conceptual: ChatGPT o Copilot para generar listas de nombres, inspiración de estilo, valores de marca.

-Redacción: descripción de servicios con apoyo de Grammarly o DeepL Write.

-Generación visual: Canva o Bing Image Creator para crear bocetos, logotipos, estética visual.

 6. Recursos de aprendizaje:

-Webs de marcas hoteleras, Booking, Tripadvisor

-Canva, Bing Image Creator, Unsplash

-ChatGPT, Copilot, Grammarly, DeepL Write

 7. Observaciones: Se recomienda evitar hoteles “cliché” y buscar ideas innovadoras o de nicho de mercado. Los elementos visuales no deben ser excesivamente recargados, sino claros y alineados con la marca. El tono debe ser profesional pero creativo.

Tourism Hotspot Analysis

 1. Type of activity:

• Mandatory assessment: Group presentation (in pairs).
• Optional assessment: Portfolio (individual).

2. Active methodology:

• Task-based learning.
• Real case analysis.
• Flipped classroom.
• Portfolio.

3. Teaching unit:

Tourism trends & global destinations

4. Learning objectives:

• To improve formal oral expression with visual support.
• To develop strategies to describe trends using data and graphs.
• To synthesise information.
• To structure a presentation.
• To improve formal written expression.

5. Activity description:

You will work in pairs to analyse a currently booming tourist destination (emerging or rediscovered) and present the causes of its growth orally. Choose a growing tourist destination (city, region, or country). On your own and using any AI tools you wish, search for statistical and qualitative information to analyse its recent evolution. Independently prepare a 5-minute oral presentation with visual support to be delivered in class, including:

1) Description of the destination,
2) Growth data represented visually,
3) Causes of its rise, and
4) Predictions.

Afterwards, you may write an individual reflection for your portfolio, including a summary sheet and evaluation of the activity, also explaining how you used AI (what was used, how, and why).

6. Tasks to complete:

• Information search and selection of significant data.
• Development of a structured oral script.
• Design of visuals (graphs, images, maps).
• Public presentation.
• Final evaluation and reflection.

7. Use of AI:

• Research: ChatGPT for preliminary data and trend ideas.
• Script generation: Structuring ideas in writing and practising oral text with tools like Grammarly or Copilot.
• Visual generation: Creating graphs and visuals with Canva or Flourish.
• Reflection: Text review with Grammarly.

8. Learning resources:

• Official websites: UNWTO, Eurostat, Google Trends, etc.
• Tools: Canva, Flourish, Google Slides
• AI: ChatGPT, Copilot, Grammarly
• Excerpts from the book English for International Tourism. Upper Intermediate

9. Assessment tasks:

• Oral presentation (5 minutes per pair).
• Digital visual support (minimum 2 data graphs + 1 relevant map or image).
• Optionally, individual written portfolio evidence (summary sheet with script or outline + reflection and evaluation of 150-200 words).

10. Assessment criteria:

• Oral presentation: Oral 1 (4% of final grade) based on these criteria: language use, topic development, communication resources, fluency, and pronunciation.
• Portfolio (optional): Written evidence (3% of final grade) based on these criteria: task achievement, topic development, argumentative ability, and critical thinking.

11. Remarks:

• Avoid reading the text directly from the script.
• Originality of the chosen destination will be valued.
• Visual support must reference reliable sources.

Welcome to English level 2

Welcome to the academic year 2025-26. In this introductory session, you will be required to complete two production tasks.

1. Written expression. Write a story in pairs using as many of the following words as possible:

-Actually

-Career

-Despite

-Nevertheless

-If she/he had only known

Swap your texts with another pair after 10 minutes and continue writing them until you have contributed to all the stories. Use your imagination and be creative!

2. Oral expression. Rank the following concepts according to your personal priorities in life:

-Family

-Friends

-Health

-Money

-Politics

-Romance

-Sex

-Sport

-Studies

-Work

Make a list individually and then compare it to other students' choices to reach a consensus and create a single list. Once you've finished, join another pair to follow the same process and come up with a single list you all agree with. Provide arguments for this pyramidal discussion until the entire class produces a consensual ranking.

Happy Easter, Limerick & CETT Students!!!

The Virtual Language Exchange Limerick-CETT has ended, but new friendships have emerged.

Happy Easter, everybody!!!

English Level 2 Project - Stage 4

Once you have described the product/service's features, examined customers' views, and analysed the main strengths and weaknesses (as well as the opportunities and threats, optionally), you must make specific improvement proposals based on your findings, to conclude. It is not necessary to tackle absolutely all the problems that derive from the analysis, but the most relevant ones should certainly be addressed.

Present your improvement plan in a structured way, reporting on the methodology you have followed, cross-referring to data from previous stages, and referencing your information sources. Your suggestions may draw on multiple perspectives, e.g. sustainable development goals and environmentally friendly policies, quality standards, experience design, human resources and corporate social responsibility, revenue management, etc. 

These are some resources that may inspire you.

-5 ways to lead in an era of constant change:

https://www.ted.com/talks/jim_hemerling_5_ways_to_lead_in_an_era_of_constant_change?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

-Two reasons companies fail - and how to avoid them:

https://www.ted.com/talks/knut_haanaes_two_reasons_companies_fail_and_how_to_avoid_them?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

-Interactive risk assessment tool:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/interactive-risk-assessment-tool/

-Innovation checklists:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/innovation-checklists/

-Innovation ability test:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/innovation-ability-test/

Gender equality in the tourism sector

Watch these videos. They illustrate different roles of women within the tourism industry:

-Las Kellys: https://youtu.be/MBBDSPT879Q

-Celebrity Cruises: https://youtu.be/vux_5Hyb_wQ

Reflect on the following questions:

1. How can tourism contribute to gender equality?

2. What are the most pressing issues that affect women in the tourism industry?

3. Are education and training equally provided for tourism managers and employees?

4. Are women represented in tourism policies and in this sector's decision-making spaces?

For more information, you can also read UNWTO's Global Report on Women in Tourism: 

https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284420384

Activity SWOT analysis

Step 1. The Manager of Sunshine Hotels has conducted a SWOT analysis of this hotel chain, but the different aspects have been jumbled accidentally. Classify each aspect into four categories: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Aspects:

1. Prime locations
2. High operating costs
3. Expansion into emerging markets
4. Excellent customer service
5. Economic downturns
6. Limited online presence
7. Sustainability initiatives
8. Diverse amenities
9. Seasonal dependency
10. Intense competition
11. Partnerships with travel agencies
12. Changing travel regulations

Step 2. Match each one of the aspects above with its corresponding explanation below. Discuss and justify your choices.

Explanations:

1. The cost of maintaining high standards and diverse amenities is significant, impacting profit margins.
2. Revenue is highly dependent on peak tourist seasons, which can lead to fluctuations in income.
3. New travel restrictions or regulations can affect international tourist arrivals.
4. The hotel chain is known for its exceptional customer service, which leads to high customer satisfaction and repeat business.
5. Economic instability can reduce travel spending, impacting occupancy rates.
6. Sunshine Hotels are located in popular tourist destinations, attracting a high number of visitors.
7. The hotel chain has a weak online marketing strategy, leading to lower visibility compared to competitors.
8. Offers a wide range of amenities, including spas, gyms, and conference facilities, catering to both leisure and business travelers.
9. Forming alliances with travel agencies can increase bookings and brand visibility.
10. There is potential for growth by expanding into emerging tourist destinations.
11. The hotel chain has implemented eco-friendly practices, which can attract environmentally conscious travelers and reduce operating costs.
12. The hotel industry is highly competitive, with new entrants and existing competitors constantly vying for market share.

Step 3. Reflect on what you learned from the activity and discuss how conducting a SWOT analysis can be beneficial in your future career in tourism and hospitality.

Source: Microsoft. (2025). Copilot [Large language model].