The underlying methodology in designing a constructivist textbook of english for tertiary students majoring in tourism: the results of the textbook elaboration project

Abstract

This paper analyzes a project devoted to elaborating a new textbook of English for students majoring in "Tourism". The textbook is designed on the basis of the constructivist approach, i.e. such an organization of the teaching/learning process that ensures students' involuntary language acquisition through participation in target language communication which is implemented when performing learning tasks modeling the professional activities of the future university graduates. Those tasks are completed in the form of experiential learning activities that provide for modeling the students' future professional activities and professional target language communication, giving them opportunities of acquiring the language involuntarily through practical experience of participating in such communication. Examples of experiential learning activities are given - those that are used in every unit of the textbook as organized in the separate parts (called "Steps") of every such unit.