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English for Tour Guides

Being a tour guide is a very important job. In many cases, the tour guide is a traveller's first impression of a foreign country. In other cases a tour guide may be responsible for teaching tourists about the culture and sites in a city or town. In addition, many tour guides hold the responsibility of teaching tourists about safety. Even if you are only responsible for taking a tourist from the airport to his or her hotel, it is your responsibility to make the short trip interesting, informative, and safe. The following pages will help you learn some important vocabulary and phrases that you can use with your English-speaking tourists. Check your understanding as you go.

Vocabulary (nouns)

Word	Meaning	Example sentence
activities	things to do	There are lots of activities that the whole family will enjoy.
architecture	design of a building	The architecture of this building is typical of the Renaissance age.
art gallery	place to look at professional paintings and drawings	We are going to visit the art gallery where local painters exhibit their art.
attractions	places for tourists to see	The water park is our most recent attraction .
bearings	feeling for understanding one's location/surroundings in an unknown area	If you're having trouble getting your bearings just remember that the mountains are west.
business district	area in a city that has many offices	Keep in mind that this is thebusiness district so that grocery store may be expensive.
castle	a building for royalty	No one has lived in this castlesince the last king died twenty years ago.
church	a place to worship God	The church is the central meeting place in this town.
conveniences	things that make life easier	There you will find all of yourconveniences, from suntan lotion to shampoo.
custom	something people of a region do often	It's a custom to hang beads in the windows at this time of year.
en route	on the way	While we are en route to the hotel I will point out the beach and the golf course.
entertainment district	a place where there are theatres and concert halls	If you want to catch a movie while you're here, theentertainment district is off to your left.
exception	something/someone that does not follow the usual rules or expectations	With the exception of Johnson Street, it is safe to walk around here at night.
exhibition	objects (i.e. art) displayed for a short time for the public to view	It may be tough to find parking with the car exhibition on this week.
grocery store/supermarket	place to buy food to take home	Since you have a kitchenette at your hotel you will need to know where the grocery store is.
highlight	the best part	People often say that thehighlight of their trip is the botanical gardens.
legend	a person or story known for a long time	According to an old legend, a sea monster lives in this lake.
lobby	front entrance	We will meet in the lobby at 8 am sharp.
locals	people who live in an area	The locals are usually happy to show tourists around.
location	place where something can be found	This location is the best because you don't need to bother renting a car.
map	shows roads and directions to places	I'll give you each a map so you can follow along as we walk.
market	place to buy fresh food and homemade items	Every Sunday there is a farmer'smarket on Wade Street.
monument	a statue/structure that honours an event or person	This monument honours the men and women who died during the war.
museum	a place where historical items are displayed	The museum charges a small fee for adults, but children are free.
necessities	things that people need for every day living	We recommend that you only carry necessities in your purse and leave everything else at the hotel.
original state	the way something appeared from the beginning	Except for the roof, this home has been left in its original state.
photograph	picture taken with a camera	You may not take photographshere, but you can purchase a postcard.
postcard	a card with a picture on one side(usually an object or place that tourists see) that can be mailed without an envelope	The gift shop has many great souvenirs, such as postcards of the beautiful waterfalls.
questions or concerns	things that tourists may want to say or ask	The plane almost missed therunway because it was such a bad storm.
request	something that has been asked for politely	The driver has made a requestthat you throw all of your garbage in the bin at the front on your way out.
restaurant district	part of a town/city with many places to eat	You will see there are many more eateries to choose from when we head to therestaurant district.
ritual	tradition, custom, action (religious or cultural) that people do often	It is an old native ritual to dance during the sunrise.
scenery	natural beauty to look at	It is impossible to capture the beauty of this scenery in pictures.
settlers	people who first made a home in an area	The original settlers relied on oxen to carry their wares.
shopping district	area of town where there are many stores	You may want to save some spending money because we'll be visiting the shopping districtthis afternoon.
site	place,location	This is the site of a very famous battle.
stairway/stairwell	steps going up or down	The stairwell is very steep, so please watch your step.
street people	people who live on the street, often begging for money	You may be surprised how manystreet people ask you for money.
surroundings	things that you see around you	I hope you enjoy the castle and its surroundings, including the secret garden.
voice	the sound you make when speaking	I apologize for my voice today as I have a bit of a cold.
voucher	a piece of paper that shows you have paid	Don't forget to bring yourvoucher for a free coffee in the hotel lobby.
waterfront	piece of land next to an ocean, lake, or river	There will be plenty of live entertainment down at thewaterfront.
window	glass that you look out	We can peer in the window but I think they are probably closed for the day.

Vocabulary (verbs)

Word	Meaning	Example sentence
arrive	reach a destination	I am glad to see you all arrived safely.
close	to finish	We will close the tour with a view of the city at sunset.
continue on	keep going	If you're all finished looking here, we willcontinue on with the tour.
depart	leave	The last ferry departs at 4pm, so make sure you don't miss it.
enjoy	have a good experience	I have enjoyed meeting all of you today.
expect	think that something will be/happen a certain way	You probably weren't expecting to see snow.
permit	allow	You are permitted to have a beverage on the bus, but please do not eat any food.
proceed	go forward	Please proceed all the way to the back of the bus.
raise (a hand)	lift	If you have any questions during the tour, please raise your hand.
recommend	suggest	We recommend that you only keep a small amount of cash in your wallet.
refer	suggest	I will gladly refer you to my favourite restaurants, if you are interested.
relax	sit back and enjoy time in peace	Tomorrow you will have a day to just relax on the beach.
showsomeonearound	take people to see an area	When we get to the museum someone else willshow us around.
sit back	relax in a seated position	Please sit back and enjoy the bus tour.
speak up	talk louder	If you need me to speak up or slow down, please let me know.

Vocabulary (adjectives)

Word	Meaning	Example sentence
ancient	very old	The ancient village has been left untouched.
beautiful/gorgeous	very nice looking	You will find beautiful homemade jewellery in that shop.
breathtaking	when a view is very impressive	Under the starlight the waterfall is simplybreathtaking.
customary	traditional	It is customary to shake hands and bow as you enter.
dangerous	not safe	It is dangerous to accept a ride from a local.
devastating	very sad, unfortunate	The tsunami was devastating for local hotels.
elegant	attractive, yet simple	There is an elegant dining room for guests to eat in.
enormous	very large	This enormous sculpture stands one-hundred feet high.
exciting	makes one feel very happy/energetic	It's so exciting to see new places, isn't it?
extensive	covers a lot	This house has an extensive history, and you can read more in the brochures.
fascinating	very interesting to learn about/see	It is fascinating to know how people lived back then.
haunted	believed to have ghosts living there	The house is said to be haunted and no one has lived in it for fifty years or more.
heritage	of historical importance	The government named this school as aheritage site last year.
international	around the world	Every year it is an international celebration, with people coming from as far away as Africa.
lovely	very nice (appearance or personality)	This is a lovely place to sit and watch the local birds.
magnificent	amazing	This part of town is known for its magnificentwall murals.
popular	liked by many	June is the most popular time for tourists to come here.
prevalent	very noticeable	Crime is prevalent in the old parts of town.
reconstructed	built again	The village was reconstructed after the major fire in 1910.
restored	returned to its original state	All of the antique furniture has been professionally restored.
safe	not dangerous	The water is safe to drink here.
scenic	nice to look at (nature)	We will go up to the balcony for a scenic view of the grounds.
superb	very good (i.e. service, food, entertainment)	The children put on a superb concert at Christmas time.
thrilling	exciting	Cliff jumping is a thrilling experience for those of you who aren't afraid of heights.
unbelievable	too amazing/strange to seem true	It is unbelievable what some of these street entertainers can do.
visible	able to be seen	The top of the tower may not be visiblebecause of the fog.

Answering Questions

As a tour guide you will face new challenges every day. One of the hardest parts of your job may be answering questions. Unlike a speech that you can memorize, you won't always know what questions people will ask. However, you can anticipate certain types of questions and certain ways that questions will be asked. You should also learn how to use variety when you answer questions or respond to comments. You may lose interest in your job if you say the same thing each time. Finally, it is important to know how to politely explain that you don't understand a question.

Tour Guide

Do you have a question, Sir?
Yes? (if you see a hand raised)
Is there something I can help you with?
I'll try my best to answer your questions.
I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that. (Sorry I don't know.)
That's an interesting question.
I wish I knew the answer. (Sorry, I don't know.)
Hmm.That's a tough (difficult) question.
I'll have to look into that further.
I'll have to ask someone about that.
Hmm. I've never been asked that before.
Pardon my English; I don't quite understand your question.
I'm not sure, but I can find out for you.

Tourist

Where is the ______ from here?
How long has _______ been here?
Where are we headed (going)now?
What time does _______ stay open until?
What else is there to do here?
Which _________ do you recommend?
Are we allowed to take pictures?
What's that over there? (tourist points)
Where's the best place to buy _______?
My son wants to know if _________? (parent asking a question for shy child)
Do you know where the nearest washroom is?
Could you tell us where the nearest bank is?
You don't happen to have a first-aid kit, do you?

Sample Conversation

Guide:	If you have any questions while we're going along, please don't hesitate to ask.
Man:	I have a question actually.
Guide:	Sure, what's that?
Man:	Where's the best place to have dinner around here?
Guide:	Well, that's a tough question. There are so many good restaurants. My personal favourite is Spaghetti Alley.
Man:	How do we get there?
Guide:	I'll point it out when we pass it. It's going to come up on your right in a few minutes.
Woman:	My daughter wants to know if we're going to be be passing any castles today?
Guide:	Castles. No I'm afraid all of the castles are further into the city. We're going to be staying near the coast today. I can give you a map of the city, though. It shows where all of the castles are.
Man:	Sorry, I have another question.
Guide:	No problem. That's what I'm here for.
Man:	Are we allowed to take pictures once we get inside the museum?
Guide:	Oh, I'm glad you asked that. I forgot to mention that taking photographs inside the art gallery and the museum is prohibited. However, you can take pictures of the grounds and the outside of the buildings. The architecture is beautiful.
Woman:	Oh, and what time will we be stopping for lunch?
Guide:	We'll break around noon and meet back at the bus at 12:45 sharp.

Explaining Rules, Safety and Etiquette

When giving a tour there may be rules and safety precautions that you need to explain. It is best if you memorize a speech rather than read from a card. People will pay more attention to you and understand you more clearly if you look into their eyes as you speak. After you have explained the rules and safety precautions make sure that guests have understood you, by asking, "Are there any questions about this?" or "Is everyone clear on the rules?". Also, tourists will appreciate any helpful advice you can give them, such as where to exchange their money, what types of transportation to use, and how to obey the traffic rules. Finally, if there are any customs or matters of etiquette that you think tourists should be aware of, this is a good time to let them know.

Explaining rules

Tour Guide

You are strictly forbidden from taking photographs inside the museum.
Please stay on the marked path.
I'm sure this goes unsaid, but remember to place all trash in the garbage bins.
Please pay attention to the time. We don't want to keep the driver waiting.
Classes are in session, so we need to keep our voices down.
The bus will be leaving at 5:00 pm sharp.
You'll have some free time to look around after lunch.
Please meet back here in one hour.

Explaining safety

Tour Guide

Please keep your seltbelts fastened at all times.
I ask that you keep your hands inside the train.
As a safety precaution, please stand behind the yellow line.
For your own safety, we ask that you refrain from putting your arms out the window.
Please do not feed the animals.
Please remain seated until we come to a full stop.
Please stay with your group at all times.
Please keep to the sidewalk.
I do not recommend swimming here. The water is very rough.
We suggest only carrying small amounts of cash.
These rules are for your own comfort and safety.

Explaining etiquette and customs

Tour Guide

It is customary in our country to tip the friendly bus driver.
In this region we bow rather than shake hands during a first meeting.
Though the all-inclusive includes tips for the servers, it does not include tips for the bellboy.
To indicate that you want to get on or off the bus simply wave your hand at the driver.

Showing Places of Interest

Silence can be uncomfortable during a tour. While you can't talk the whole time, you should try to know as much about the history, scenery, and culture (in English) for the places where you are giving tours so that you can keep the tourists interested. If you ever run out of something to say, you can always point out something such as a landmark or a type of tree or flower. Here are some different ways you can point out interest points during the tour.

Tour Guide

In front of you is...
On your right/left you will see...
Up ahead...
On your left you will see...
As we turn the corner here, you will see...
In the distance...
If you look up you will notice...
Off to the north...
Look to the east...
To your west...
In a few minutes we'll be passing...
We are now coming up to...
As you will see...
You may have noticed...
Take a good look at...
I'd like to point out...
Keep your eyes open for...

Tourist Questions

Is that the...you were talking about?
Are we going to pass the...?
Are we going to see any...?
Is it on the right or the left?
I don't see it. Can you point it out again?
Did I miss it?
Will we see it on the way back?

Sample Conversation

Guide:	It's about a three minute ride up to the top of the mountain. As we pass the two towers the gondolla may sway a little.
Man:	This thing is safe, right?
Guide:	Yes, you don't have anything to worry about. We do about 100 trips a day up the mountain, and these tours have been going on for over ten years without any accidents. Keep your eyes open for wildlife as we ascend. It isn't uncommon to see deer and even bears.
Woman:	What's that mountain to the left called?
Guide:	That's Mount Karen. And to the right of that with the three small points is Mount Brown. Now, if you look up straight ahead, you should be able to see a large eagle's nest. Does everyone see it there?
Man:	Are there any baby birds?
Guide:	That's a good question. I haven't seen any yet, but we usually see them around this time of year.
Woman:	What's that lake down there, to the right of the green meadow?
Guide:	I'm glad you asked. That's John Lake. It's actually a man made pond that was built as part of a conservation effort over twenty years ago. During the 70's there was a lot of clearcutting of forests in the area, and much of the wildlife was lost. Since John Lake was built, ducks, swans, and geese have returned to the area.
Man:	Is this the highest mountain in this region?
Guide:	No, actually, Mount Heather, which you we will be able to see in just a minute or so has the highest peak. But, this is the highest mountain for recreational purposes like skiing and guided tours.
Woman:	Can you ski throughout the year?
Guide:	No, it warms up enough to actually suntan up there in the summer. Oh, look everyone. There are two deer feeding in the clearing right below us.
Man:	Thanks, that should be a great photo. So... what is there to do besides ski at the top of the hill at this time of year?
Guide:	Oh, there's plenty to do. We have horseback riding, snowmobile tours, and a petting zoo for children. If you look to your left you'll see the snowmobile trail going through the mountain.