Unit 4

Giving a tour

give tours and guided talks

Giving short-term tours or long-term tours is among the various important tour guide services. Each topic in the route during a coach tour or walking tour is a separate narrative that gives insight into the reasons for different events and their significance. The tour guide has to talk sparingly and in addition to the facts and dates about the events and objects to include an entertainment part during the talk, for example: legends and myths or stories from the locals.

The guided tour services are related to various types of guided talks. They are oral presentations of information about objects. Talks can present geographical, cultural-historical or other information and tour guides not only describe and provide information about interesting places and exhibition sites but answer various questions as well.

Each talk consists of narration and showing the objects. The clarity of speech, the pitch and timbre of the voice and the intonation are parameters that a tour guide must control at any moment of a talk. The language of a guide's talk must be very precise and clear and at the same time rich of metaphors, similes, proverbs, sayings, quotes that make the narrative expressive, rich and memorable. Showing the objects is the second important element by which synchrony between visual and verbal-logical perception is achieved.

The preparation and delivery of a guided talk have to follow some requirements. The narrative should be logically consistent which means to follow the logical connections between objects and events. Structuring a talk is a very important process. It consists of an introduction to the narrative, a structured narrative, and a summary/conclusion. Introductory words have an organizing and motivating effect, they should attract attention, give expectations to the tourists and show what structure will be followed. The narrative needs to be clear and emotional so that tourists’ attention can be activated and, as a result, a memorable experience should be achieved. The length of the talk depends on the time, place, interests, age and tourists. The conclusion summarizes or emphasises the most important and brings out what the specific group of tourists will remember about the object, the city, the country or the event. The conclusion can also arise the tourists’ anticipation of the next object or event.

Types of guided talks during different types of tours based on the content

Overview guided talk	An overview guided talk is complex, with the widest scope and diverse information about the characteristic features of the sites to visit. The more they are in number, the shorter and more schematic the information for each of them should be, because the goal is to provide information about a large number, but at the same time the duration should not be long and, as a rule, breaks should be provided every 10 or 15 minutes. The overview talk is multi-topical.
Thematic guided talk	A thematic guided talk gives more detailed and comprehensive information about a precisely defined area and object, for example nature conservation, speleology, ornithology, religion, rosebush and rose bud production, winemaking, etc
Guided talk along a route	A guided talk along a route follows the linear principle and successively introduces settlements, objects or events. When following a walking route, the tour guide is also required to have the ability to work with a tourist or topographical map, as well as knowledge of signs, terrains, street network and distances.
Guided talk during a panoramic tour	To get a general idea of a larger and more complex object in a relatively short period of time, the so-called guided talk during a panoramic tour is applied. It demonstrates the main objects that are characteristic of the specific settlement or place and determine its historical, cultural and economic significance. The larger the settlement or the place, the greater generalisation is required, the selection of objects includes only the most important, the most remarkable and the most characteristic of them. The information presented during a panoramic tour is diverse and it requires wide-ranging, but also in-depth knowledge and clear criteria for the value and significance of the objects.

Depending on the complexity of the excursion, talks of different types, which complement each other, can be combined.

Exercise 1:

Which type of talk suits you best according to your abilities and training?

Exercise 2:

Work in groups of four. Discuss the following questions:

In your opinion, in the future, can guided talks be "delivered" by a chatbot instead of a guide?
In what cases can the use of a chatbot be possible and justified, and in what cases - not?
A speaker of each group summarizes the opinions of its members and reports them to the class.

MONOLOGUE:

A WALKING TOUR

So, let’s start. First of all, when you look at this city, you start to realize that this city is amazing. So when you look at the top, you can see a very important church, all right? This is The Porto Cathedral. It was built in the 12th century. But here the leader was not a king, okay? He was the bishop of Porto. The Bishop had importance like a king, right? Even the king had a fear of coming to Porto sometimes because of this leader. You need to look at this church and understand it is situated at the highest point of the city, right? So, it was the most important place in the past, then surrounded by other buildings, OK? We can also see the palace of the Bishop with more than 65 rooms. An impressive building for you to understand how powerful this man was. The nickname of the city of Porto is Invicta. It means invincible because many enemies have tried to invade this city. Like, for example, the Napoleonic invasion. Napoleon’s army tried to invade the city and they managed to do it but they couldn't stay here for a long period of time.

When we are talking about geography, look at the river and the famous bridge over there. This bridge wasn’t designed by Gustave Eiffel himself but by a student of his so it has his influence, all right? The Dom Luís I Bridge spans the River Douro between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia and was built in 1886. The top-level is used for the Porto Metro trains, with an option for pedestrians and the lower level carries traffic and pedestrians. It is situated in the historic centre which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. So between these two cities, we have the Douro River, the second biggest river in Portugal. One of the best places for producing wine in this world is Douro Valley. Douro Valley is spread for 100 km in front of you in the direction of Spain. Here port wine is produced and that's why the other side of the river is so important, all right? It cannot match the beauty of Porto but if you pay attention to the other side of the river you can see several names on the top of the buildings. You can see Allen, you can see Taylor’s, you can see Ferreira, you can see Cruz, you can see many of them. What is this? Basically brands of port wine, wine cellars, also called wine caves. Port is a type of wine that reaches 19 or 20% of alcohol and is famous all over the world. You have four kinds of port, all right? Ruby, white, rose, and you have tawny, the most famous. That's why Gaia is so important and that's why we are going there when it's time for lunch. So the plan is to walk around. I hope you are not afraid of heights. Okay. Because then we'll cross the bridge and go to Gaia to admire the beauty of Porto.

Now let's go in the direction of the Tower because I know you want to have some coffee and some free time. Right now we are in front of one of the symbols of Porto. This is Clerigos Tower, built in the 18th century. This is not just a tower, right? It's a tower, a church and a museum. And when you pay a ticket, of course, you can go to the top of this tower. And you can see people there, all right? Over there, they have a very nice view. They can see, for example, the whole city, they can see the ocean, they can see the river. They have a panoramic view. Amazing! The highest point of Porto. Wherever you go in Porto, you can see this tower easily. It is the undisputed landmark of Porto. It opened its doors in 1763, becoming the highest bell tower of Portugal, with over 75 metres high. And you need to remember this spot, okay? Because it's visible from many parts of the city. Do you have any questions?

All right, I want to show you a special place soon and I will give you some free time. OK? I just want to show you a very famous place here. We are talking about a library, all right? And this library called Lello Bookshop is very famous. Why? First of all, because it's very old. It's more than 100 years old. Secondly, we are talking about books. We have got very important ones here. Third, it is connected with the writer of Harry Potter. Do you know her? Yes. A very famous lady. All right. Before she became so famous, she had been a teacher here in Porto, an English teacher for two years. At one moment in her life, she entered this library and she said she found the inspiration to create the Harry Potter book. The style of the library is unique, like in a movie. And that's why you will probably see a lot of people waiting in a long queue just to enter it. They need to pay five euros to enter inside. They also need to wait for more than one hour. But in the end, for this price they can buy books. So it will be a good deal. Otherwise, they paid the money just to see the place. Why? Because many people want to go there. and to preserve the library, you need to pay. So my plan right now is to take a look just outside, of course. And then we are moving to the University of Porto. And then I’m going to give you free time. The meeting point will be here, outside this tower. All right? Yes. Good. Then follow me, please.

Exercise 4:

Now read the rest of the monologue and decide if the guide managed to attract the tourists’ attention? Why do you think so?

Do you think the guide gave enough information about the sights? Why or why not?

Right now we are also at an emblematic place. We are talking about the university, the main building of the university is in front of you. The University of Porto. The universities, of course, are around the city, but this one stays here, in the city centre. What for? For conferences, for meetings, for important stuff. But this spot is also very famous for what? Religion. One more time. So if you pay attention in front of us, we have two churches, all right? And these two churches look like one building because they are connected but they are from different centuries, all right? So when you look at the left side, we have Carmelitas church built in the 17th century. And it was built with the money of poor people. Imagine that. Yeah. The other one on the right side is the Carmo Church. It was built in the 18^th century by rich people and is an amazing example of baroque architecture. On its walls you can see a magnificent panel of blue and white tiles. Why were the two churches built? Because at that time the poor didn't meet the rich, it means they never stayed together. So, guys, now it's time for you to enjoy your free time. The meeting point will be outside the Tower, all right? At 11. 45, okay? Enjoy your free time.

Look at the houses around us. On some of them we put what? Tiles, that’s right. Can you see the tiles in different colors? We use tiles on the houses for two reasons. Some of you may know… Two reasons we use tiles for…To protect the building, all right? Why? Because we are near the ocean which means erosion caused by humidity. The second reason: the Portuguese use tiles for decoration, it's also about personality, you can put whatever you want in this style, all right? So why am I explaining tiles? Why? Because right now we are going to the masterpiece of tiles, the train station named São Bento Railway Station. Inside this train station the main colours you will see will be white and blue. White is the colour we like and blue because it's connected with the sky, it's connected with the ocean, all right? And this is also connected with the colours of the Portuguese flag in the past during our monarchy. Also the word tile in Portuguese azulejo comes from blue, azul, all right? Yes, let's go, OK?

So, if you like to gather round, I'll start. So basically I explained tiles, they are unique expression and especially here, because they are showing many important moments in our history. There are approximately 20,000 azulejo tiles here. And if you look along the walls, on the top of the north wall you can see a large composition that covers the entire wall, depicting the Battle of Valdevez. Below is another composition that represents the siege of Guimarães where the Portuguese won victory over the Spanish and the Portuguese Kingdom was founded. So if you move this way, we’ll take a look at King John I and Philippa of Lancaster, on horseback entering the city for their wedding celebration. Here are scenes from everyday life. This lower panel shows a cattle fair and pilgrim camp. The central panels of the wall represent four work scenes: the vineyards, the harvest, the wine shipment down the Douro River and work in the watermill. Over there you can see some romantic scenes.

Now we'll cross this bridge, all right? Right now we are going to another city – the city of Gaia. But to go to this city, we need to cross the bridge. Look over there, the yellow line. Respect this yellow line because of the metropolitan, all right? So it's quite dangerous. All right? Together, let's do this. Everyone, in about five minutes we are near the river bank and then you will have lunch and free time. Then at 2 pm, the meeting point for us will be over there to go on a boat trip along the Douro River.

Vocabulary box

Descriptive adjectives:

spectacular
perfect
exotic
luxury
picturesque
magnificent
lash
scenic
fantastic
amazing
humbling
unique
impressive
second to none

Exercise 7:

Exercise 8:

Write down 3 sentences about your favourite places and attractions. Use some of the adjectives from the Vocabulary Box. Then in pairs take turns reading out your sentences to your partner.

Language at work – useful phrases

Giving a tour talk/commentary

Starting the tour talk

Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming here today.
First, we’re going to… / First of all, / Second, / Last but not least…
Follow me, please. / Just follow me through this way.
Before we start – can everyone hear me OK? Good. / OK, everyone. Can everyone hear? Yes. Good. / Over at the back. Can you hear me OK?
So, if you like to gather round, I’ll start. / Let’s begin with… / Good, then I’ll start.

Useful phrases and expressions

Can everybody at the back see? / And if you look along the walls, you can see… / As you can see… / If you look closely, you can see…? / Now we can keep a close eye on… / So if you move this way, we’ll take a look at…
Now we come to the main part of the exhibition.
Right, we are now at/in… / Just in front of us is…
If you could stop here, please,…
You may not know this, but… /As you may know, …
OK, now, why don’t we…

Describing a heritage site:

It lies in… / It is situated west/east/south/north of… / It is located downtown… / It overlooks...
It consists of… / The construction comprises… /
It was used for … /as a ….
It gives an insight into…
It is one of the world’s finest examples of … / It contains some of the world’s finest examples of… / It is the world’s most… / It is considered to be one of the greatest works in this style. / It features on the World Heritage List as a masterpiece of…

Finishing the tour

I think I’ll stop here.
Do you have any questions? / If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.
Thank you for your attention. / Thanks so much for being here and I’ll see you next time.
Answering to ’Thank you’: You’re (very) welcome. My pleasure.
Have a great/nice/good day!

Exercise 9:

Imagine you are a tour guide. Choose a place, object, attraction or work of art and write down a short paragraph about it. Use some of the phrases and adjectives from the Vocabulary and Language at work boxes. Read out the paragraph to your classmates and teacher.

Example:

The Taj Mahal is a magnificent mausoleum made of white marble. It is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in the town of Agra, India. This architectural wonder was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife in the 17^th century. The complex consists of a tomb, mosque, guest house, cloisters and picturesque outer courtyard. It features on the World Heritage List as a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture. This impressive monument is a symbol of eternal love and is visited by millions of tourists each year.

Verbal and nonverbal communication

Tour guides have to be excellent communicators. They need to speak clearly, in a loud voice and with appropriate intonation and have a rich general and specialized vocabulary. It is essential for them to adapt the narratives depending on the level and perceptions of the group. They need to listen carefully and utilize the group's ideas to facilitate the dialogue.

During the tour, the guide also sends non-verbal cues to the group, for example, the place and posture in which he stands while speaking, his body language and facial expressions. Using your body language effectively is really important. It means maintaining eye contact, smiling and keeping your posture upright.

Body language refers to non-verbal cues: gestures, posture, eye contact and facial expressions, but other elements also include proxemics (closeness or personal space) and paralanguage (the pitch, tone and speed of speech). Non-verbal communication is an integral part of communication so a tour guide should be mindful of this and try to avoid a number of common mistakes like turning your back to people, fidgeting, looking over shoulders, pacing or hunching your body. Using your body language effectively is a skill that takes a lot of practice and a deep focus on your own non-verbal behaviour, bringing awareness of what your body is doing.

Hand and arm gestures are used for making the information more memorable, communicating more effectively and building a greater connection with your audience.

Main types of hand gestures that every tour guide should use while talking:

TYPE OF HAND GESTURE	EXPLANATION
the Give	This motion is holding the hands with the palm facing upward. It can offer information or choices and can be also used for listing things
the Mime	It means acting out the verbs while telling stories or giving information and, in this way, reinforcing the verbal communication with non-verbal.
the Show	This is a large category of gestures. They can visually represent what a tour guide is saying, for example, numbers, sizes (big, medium, small) and feelings. Unlike ‘the Mime’ this type does not act out the verb but creatively represents what is being said.
the Chop*	It is used to deliver a strong message or add emphasis to certain parts of the story. The bigger the chop, the more emphasis is added.

*chop (noun) a short abrupt motion (as of a wave)

DOS AND DON’TS TIPS

Speak in a clear and loud voice
Don’t give too much detail
Be as enthusiastic and entertaining as possible
Don’t over gesticulate
Don’t be monotonous
Prepare the talk in advance and rehearse it before the tour
When telling stories and talking about the past use as many narrative tenses as you can both in the active and passive voice
Always have in mind the group’s needs, interests and limitations

Exercise 11: Discussion

Which tips do you find the most useful and why?

Exercise 12: Self practice

For homework prepare a tour guide talk using some of the phrases and vocabulary from this unit and deliver it to your teacher and classmates in the next lesson. Try to use some hand gestures to illustrate the content.

Prepare a talk about a museum or attraction you choose. Instructions:

Think of a "tourist profile" (the group, their number, nationality, age and interests, etc.);
Choose the main topic and the subtopics, depending on the object and the group;
Determine the duration and content of the talk;

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