Sustainable stays: eco-friendly hotels

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Vocabulary - sustainability in hospitality

sustainability in the hospitality industry

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • watch and discuss a video about an organisation that recycles half-used hotel soaps;
  • learn vocabulary to describe sustainability in the hospitality industry;
  • read and discuss a text about an imaginary hotel.

With this lesson about sustainability in the hospitality industry, students discuss waste and sustainability in the hospitality industry! Students watch and discuss a video about an organisation that recycles half-used hotel soaps called CleanTheWorld. Additionally, they learn vocabulary to describe sustainability in the hospitality industry (e.g. get tossed, single-use toiletries). Students also read and discuss a text about an imaginary hotel. They also share their hotel experiences. 

B2 / Upper Intermediate60 minStandard LessonPremium Plan

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

Students begin talking about sustainability in the hospitality industry with a fun warm-up. They read some comments about hotel stays and pick the one which best describes their last hotel experience and explain why they felt that way. Next, students learn the target vocabulary by reading statements (e.g. strict policy, go to waste). They find the definitions listed for the words and phrases included in the statements. After that, they read the statements again and pick three that are true for them or that they agree with, and explain their answer. To get students ready for the video, they look at some items and hypothesise what hotels do with them after guests leave (e.g. dirty towels, untouched snacks).

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

Students continue exploring sustainability in the hospitality industry by watching the first part of a video about an organisation that recycles used hotel soap called Clean the World. Students practise comprehension skills by answering questions about the video. They continue to work on their listening skills by watching the next part of the video, in which they learn about the soap-recycling process. Learners tick what steps are not mentioned from a list provided. After the video, students discuss more questions about the idea and about sustainable processes in hotels generally. Students finish discussing sustainability in the hospitality industry by reading a text about an imaginary hotel, i.e. “the world’s most sustainable hotel yet”. They discuss questions about the hotel, including the measures it takes, and if these could be realistically implemented in future hotels. 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete a dialogue using the correct words. Then, they continue the dialogue with one more question and answer. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

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Leave a Reply

  1. Morisot

    I loved the video! So interesting! However, I decided not to use the worksheet because I didn’t think all of the exercises were pertinent. The 2nd exercise, I thought matching the definitions (which were more like quotations) with the phrases were difficult, being not sure what should go with what. However, I liked the listening exercises.

    1. Megan

      Thanks for your comment! We’re glad you liked the video and listening exercises. As for ex.2, it is a little tricky. The ‘definitions’ refer to the descriptive words and phrases 1-8, which have to be matched to specific words or phrases within the statements A-H. You’re right that the statements A-H are more like quotations/opinions, so we amended the wording to make it clearer and added letters and numbers for better navigation. Thank you for the feedback, it always helps!

  2. Kev

    Hi,
    I do not know why but almost all my students struggled to understand ex 2. I believe it would be better if we get rid of the letters and put them all in one text, maybe?

    1. Justa

      Hi! I’m sorry for getting back to you after such a long time, but we must have missed your comment. I think that if we get rid of the letters it might be more confusing. To make it easier for students, you can tell them that they need to find one phrase/word in each point/opinion. Hope that helps!

  3. Sevinj Abdullaeva

    it would be better if you leave the vocab list from the lesson!

    1. Ewa

      Hi! We usually introduce vocabulary in one activity and so it’s easy to find. In the case of this lesson, vocabulary is introduced in ex. 2 (slides 5-8).

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