Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. be drawn to (something)
    • ex. Many people are drawn to the beach during the summer.
  2. nightlife
    • ex. The nightlife in the beach town includes parties and concerts by the sea until late at night.
  3. hospitality
    • ex. The hotel staff showed great hospitality by greeting us warmly and helping with our bags.
  4. treat
    • ex. We should treat our neighbors kindly and help them when they need it.
  5. heritage
    • ex. The museum displays art pieces that tell the story of our country's rich heritage.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Tirana, the capital of Albania, is attracting an increasing number of Western tourists. They are drawn to the city’s rich history, architecture, culture, and food. Visitor numbers have increased by 30-40% compared to last year.  According to the Tirana local government, 95% of visitors come from European countries.

Tirana’s long history, from ancient to modern times, has attracted tourists. Many of them come from Italy. Italian visitor Aurelio Soldano explains that visitors need to learn about the history of neighboring countries, including Albania. According to Soldano, Italians feel a connection to Albania’s culture. Tirana’s active nightlife can also be found in historical spots like the Block, which used to be the home of the country’s former leaders.

However, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Director Mirela Kocollari says Tirana’s best feature is hospitality and its welcoming people. She says they treat foreigners and guests like gods, with lots of kindness and good energy. Tim Clarisse Pasztory, a Swedish citizen, says she recommends visiting Tirana because it has beautiful seas, lakes, mountains, cultural heritage, excellent food, and very friendly people.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Tirana

  • Tourists are drawn to Tirana’s rich history, architecture, culture, and food. What feature of a foreign country attracts you the most? Why? Discuss.
  • Tirana has a rich history, architecture, culture, and food. Could you say the same about your city/town? Why do you think so? Discuss.
  • Tirana’s active nightlife can be found in historical spots like the Block, which used to be the home of the country's former leaders. How do you feel about the use of historical areas for other purposes such as nightlife (ex. I think it’s beneficial, I think it’s not good)? Discuss.

Hospitality

  • Mirela Kocollari says Tirana's best feature is its hospitality and welcoming people. Do you believe that these are very important factors in a country’s tourism? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Kocollari also says that they treat foreigners and guests like gods. What do you think it means to treat foreigners and guests as "gods" in the context of hospitality? Discuss.
  • What do you think about treating foreigners and guests as gods (ex. it’s fine, it’s too much)? Discuss.