Where?

The study takes place in countries like China, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Finland, Greece, and Thailand.

Who?

People learning a language for short-term travel.

• Tourists  

• Professionals on short assignments  

Researchers: The authors of the study, Paul Nation and David Crabbe, conducted the research.  

Interviewees: Ten people who had recently traveled to a foreign country and were interviewed about their language use.  

Traditional syllabi are not designed for this kind of learner.
They often:

• Focus too much on grammar or academic skills.

• Ignore real-life communication needs.

• Lack cultural and functional content.

  
  

• Main challenge: How to create a practical, fast, and relevant curriculum for people traveling to a country where they don’t speak the language.

Solutions & Strategies

To address the problem, the curriculum designers:

• Conducted a needs analysis to identify the most common travel scenarios.

• Created a functional-notional syllabus.

• Focused on oral communication and listening comprehension.

• Used dialogues, role-plays, and interactive tasks.

• Integrated culturally relevant content.

• Followed CEFR A1–A2 levels (basic user).

Outcomes

• Learners gained confidence and practical skills.

• They could handle real travel tasks:

  • Asking for directions

  • Booking hotels

  • Ordering meals