English Language Fellow Melanie Baker planned an interactive activity for her “English for International Tourism” class. Students were given an opportunity to practice the concepts they had learned during the semester by planning a walking tour of Gori, Georgia.
Students worked in groups to decide which sites in Gori they wanted to include in the tour and between 1 and 3 students spoke on each of the 11 sites. The tour began at the Gori State Teaching University with a general presentation of Gori; then students took turns being the tour guides and answering questions from the tour group.
Both Peace Corps Volunteers and American tourists participated in the tour. All participants, including the students, found the day special, which one tourist noting that the tour was the highlight of her entire trip. The activity allowed for more cross-cultural understanding as well as an opportunity for Georgian students to get to know Americans and speak with Native English speakers.