While preparing the students to trip, the teacher must think over the steps to be made to convince the students of the advantages of travelling. Thus, the first and most important issue is related to the experience which students can get while communicating with native speakers.
In my opinion, the most important advantage for students is an opportunity to improve communication skills as well as to obtain some knowledge concerning culture peculiarities of other country. The teacher may point out that students who have an opportunity to visit foreign countries can get not only emotional experience, but also mental and social one. Social experience is related to customs and traditions which a person can become familiar with.
Mental experience, in its turn, concerns with numerous cognitive processes which impact on intellect development. One more issue I would like to touch on concerns with the so-called subjective experience, which means the perception of other reality. Thus, the teacher is to explain his/her students that subjective experience appears when students interact with foreign environment.
One should keep in mind that understanding other reality is also to be taken into consideration. Thus, the teacher is to explain the students that foreign reality means world views or beliefs which differ from the reality of their own nation. Another point I would like to draw your attention to is related to the notion of concept. Thus, the teacher is to explain that most concepts which students must take into account are related to the linguistic origin.
For instance, it is a well-known fact that learning foreign languages is not an easy task, and in most cases the native speakers of English will not understand those who speak Russian. Thus, the main problem is not only the lack of practice, but some aspects which touch upon various countries mentality. So, the thing which is considered to be of primary importance is the teacher’s concentrating on the advantages which students are able to receive.
The idea to show the students some documentary films seems to be rather attractive too. For instance, watching a film is considered to be a necessary step to provide students with some general/basic knowledge about the country they want/can visit. On the other hand, they can become familiar with the realities (traditions, customs) of other country.
Some economic issues are also to be taken into account. Thus, the teacher must touch on certain contradictions concerning economic questions. Next step which the teacher is to draw his/her attention to concerns with educational quality improvement. Of course, nobody will deny the fact that direct communication with native speakers as well as feeling the atmosphere of foreign life can not be replaced by foreign literature reading/studying.
In other words, the theory is considered to be a good thing, but practice is more important. Finally, there is a great opportunity to enlarge students’ knowledge about the history and geography of the country they are going to visit. Thus, the students are able to become familiar not only with the social history, but also with cultural and economic history. In some cases, military history as well as environmental one is also to be taken into account.
The disadvantages are also to be touched on. Thus, the teacher is to describe some unpleasant situations which may occur while travelling.