109 research outputs found
Why Travel Makes Us Better Global Citizens
No full textRick Steves is a popular public television host, best-selling guidebook author, and outspoken activist who encourages people to broaden their perspectives through travel. For over 40 years he has been traveling, researching, and teaching and will share his experiences as he talks about being better global citizens
Investigating Linguistic And Cultural Attitudes In Rick Steves\u27S Tourist Phrasebooks
No full textThis presentation investigates linguistic and cultural attitudes found in European tourist phrasebooks produced by Rick Steves. This work expands on the research of Dr. Richard Hallett, which examines Lonely Planet’s Middle East Phrasebook and Dictionary and Tuttle Publishing’s Making Out series. Hallett argues that “the phrasebooks describe these languages and their speakers as exotic, monolithic, simplistic, and deterministic; and construct the traveller’s efforts to use these languages as acts of benevolence” (Hallett, 2017). In the introduction to his Spanish phrasebook, Steves explains: “I’m the only monolingual speaker I know who’s had the nerve to design a series of European phrasebooks. But that’s one of the things that makes them better” (2013). He then advises travelers to use gestures and simplistic single-word requests in lieu of learning the local language and communicating in a culturally sensitive way. This approach to travel illustrates Steves’s hegemonic cultural views and perceived lack of difficulty with intercultural communication. I am using the critical discourse analysis (CDA) method to analyze each of Steves’s phrasebooks. CDA is text analysis with regard to “external social relations” and is a pragmatic evaluation rather than semantic processing (Hallett, 2017). A few consistent themes have emerged. First, the advice to use gesture in lieu of oral language is repeated regardless of which country is being discussed. Steves says in the introduction of his 3-in-1 French, Italian, & German book, “While I\u27ve provided plenty of phrases, you\u27ll find it just as effective to use only a word or two to convey your meaning and to rely on context, gestures, and smiles to help you out” (2014). In France, you can use ça (that/this) to “convey a world of meaning” (p2) and in Italy questo and quello (this/that) “combine conveniently with gestures” (p176). In his Spanish phrasebook, Steves (2013) repeats that esto (this) “conveys worlds of meaning” (p6). Additionally, Steves employs patronizing and reductionist descriptions of the languages he is discussing. French is “romantic” and marvels that “even your US passport is translated into French” (Steves, 2014, p2). Italian is “user-friendly” and “easy to get the hang of” (Steves, 2014, p176). He claims that “if you can say pizza, lasagna, and spaghetti you can speak Italian.” German is “versatile” and “entertaining” and the morphological patterns characteristic to the language are “fun” (Steves, 2014, p368). Through CDA and considering Steves’s statements in the broader narrative of travel advice, it becomes clearer how the English language and American culture are hegemonically positioned in these travel phrasebooks
Mobile Tour Guiding and tourist experience: An analysis of reviews for Rick Steves' Audio Europe App
No full textMotivated by our growing connections to our phones and the unique media that populates them, this thesis is an investigation into the relationship between app use and tourist experience in Europe. This study investigates tourist experience regarding the use of a mobile tour guiding app, focused on the Rick Steves’ Audio Europe app as a case study.
Utilizing app reviews as a primary source, quantitative and qualitative methods will combine, aided by the qualitative analysis program Atlas.ti, to develop an understanding of experience based on users own words. Star ratings will briefly be discussed before the bulk of the research delves into the written reviews collected from the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores. Employing a grounded content analysis, codes will be extracted from the data and compared to isolate patterns and commonalities in the reviews. Finally, a handful of reviews will be evaluated using a discursive and deconstructive method to both showcase and analyze reviews in their entirety.
This thesis will be presented in a straightforward format, beginning with a brief introduction before the first chapter, Status Quaestionis, delves into the scholarly literature on the various subjects that influence this investigation. After establishing a base with a literature review, the methodology and frameworks employed will be detailed in the second chapter before an in depth analysis of the reviews is conducted through varied research techniques. Findings revealed in the research will be detailed, concentrating on the main and sub- questions of this study in the fourth chapter, before a conclusion offering a summary of the project
‘Context, gestures, and smiles’: investigating linguistic and cultural attitudes in Rick Steves’s European phrasebooks
No full textThis paper investigates linguistic and cultural attitudes found in tourist phrasebooks written by US travel writer and television host Rick Steves. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Steves’s European phrasebook series, it is argued that Steves portrays English speaking tourists as the dominant party in tourist-local interactions and reassures his readers that their lack of foreign language ability will not be an impediment to their travels abroad. Through the use of stereotypical descriptive adjectives and the-plurals (e.g. The French), Steves positions European languages and their speakers as monolithic, homogeneous entities. Furthermore, Steves portrays multilingualism as an expected convenience to travelers rather than as an intellectual accomplishment. This research extends on previous studies which have explored the role tourist phrasebooks play as cultural mediators [Hallett, R. W. (2017). A taste of this lively language: attitudes towards languages other than English in Lonely Planet phrasebooks. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 12(3), 214–230; Koch, E. (2015). Mediation as Worldmaking in Tourist Phrasebooks. Journal of Language, Literature, and Culture, 62(2), 63–76]. The findings in this research will help future phrasebook authors avoid certain types of misleading or even offensive language which may deter travelers who are interested in more authentic travel experiences
Short Communication
No full textDear Readers, Season’s greetings! This issue includes a selection of original research paper. In addition, we take this opportunity to reflect on and honour the collective contribution made by our author, reviewers, and editorial team throughout the year
ArtsQuest 2014 publicity
No full textThe BSC Arts and Communications Department presents ArtsQuest 2014, an extended month-long campus celebration of music, art, theater, literature and film. Includes BSC students and guest artists. Events scheduled March 3, 2014 through May 8, 2014. Guests include Rick Steves (travel writer and television host); Chris Brubeck and Triple Play (musicians); Kevin Tong (illustrator); Lauren Pelon (musicians); Six Appeal (men's vocal group)
Convertir a los lectores de Travelogue en turistas: representaciones de los destinos turísticos a través de las características lingüística
Get PDFABSTRACT: This article is focused on the language of tourism as a means of economic potential.
Language in tourism, especially language of promotional texts, motivates and attracts
tourists to visit a certain destination, and, consequently, makes profits. In its introductory
part, the article offers a short theoretical insight into the functions of tourism discourse
and, further on, Rick Steves‘ website texts (travelogues) about European destinations are
examined through discourse analysis, more precisely linguistic analysis involving analysis of
syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. The results confirming the importance of lexical choices
in tourism discourse are presented and discussed at the end of the article. Steves’ travelogues
aim to turn potential tourists into actual tourists by employing language, rich in stylistic
devices and lexical imagery. The texts convince the potential tourists actually to buy the
tourism services and products promoted in the texts. Thus, Steves’ texts are examples of
positive branding which aim to attract business. The research is orginial in the sense that it is
concentrated on linguistic analysis of persuasive features based on discursive theories.RESUMEN: Este artículo se centra en el lenguaje del turismo como un medio de potencial económico.
Lenguaje en el turismo, especialmente el lenguaje de los textos promocionales, motiva y atrae
a turistas para visitar un destino y, en consecuencia, hace ganancias. En su parte introductoria, el artículo ofrece una visión teórica breve de las funciones del discurso del turismo. Más
adelante, textos (guías de viaje) del sitio web de Rick Steves sobre destinos europeos se
examinan a través del análisis del discurso, más precisamente análisis lingüístico abarcando
análisis de sintaxis, semántica y pragmática. Los resultados confirman la importancia de
elecciones léxicas en el discurso del turismo. Se presentan y discuten al final del artículo.
Los guías de viaje de Steves tienen como objetivo convertir a turistas potenciales en turistas
reales a través del empleo del lenguaje que es rico en recursos estilísticos e imágenes
léxicas. Los textos convencen a los turistas potenciales para comprar los servicios turísticos
y productos promovidos en los textos. Así, los textos de Steves son ejemplos del branding
positivo con el objetivo de atraer negocios. La investigación es original en el sentido de que
se concentra en el análisis lingüístico de características persuasivas basadas en las teorías
discursivas
Turning Travelogue readers into tourists: representations of tourism destinations through linguistic features
Get PDFThis article is focused on the language of tourism as a means of economic potential. Language in tourism, especially language of promotional texts, motivates and attracts tourists to visit a certain destination, and, consequently, makes profits. In its introductory part, the article offers a short theoretical insight into the functions of tourism discourse and, further on, Rick Steves‘ website texts (travelogues) about European destinations are examined through discourse analysis, more precisely linguistic analysis involving analysis of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. The results confirming the importance of lexical choices in tourism discourse are presented and discussed at the end of the article. Steves’ travelogues aim to turn potential tourists into actual tourists by employing language, rich in stylistic devices and lexical imagery. The texts convince the potential tourists actually to buy the tourism services and products promoted in the texts. Thus, Steves’ texts are examples of positive branding which aim to attract business. The research is orginial in the sense that it is concentrated on linguistic analysis of persuasive features based on discursive theories.Este artículo se centra en el lenguaje del turismo como un medio de potencial económico. Lenguaje en el turismo, especialmente el lenguaje de los textos promocionales, motiva y atrae a turistas para visitar un destino y, en consecuencia, hace ganancias. En su parte introductoria, el artículo ofrece una visión teórica breve de las funciones del discurso del turismo. Más adelante, textos (guías de viaje) del sitio web de Rick Steves sobre destinos europeos se examinan a través del análisis del discurso, más precisamente análisis lingüístico abarcando análisis de sintaxis, semántica y pragmática. Los resultados confirman la importancia de elecciones léxicas en el discurso del turismo. Se presentan y discuten al final del artículo. Los guías de viaje de Steves tienen como objetivo convertir a turistas potenciales en turistas reales a través del empleo del lenguaje que es rico en recursos estilísticos e imágenes léxicas. Los textos convencen a los turistas potenciales para comprar los servicios turísticos y productos promovidos en los textos. Así, los textos de Steves son ejemplos del branding positivo con el objetivo de atraer negocios. La investigación es original en el sentido de que se concentra en el análisis lingüístico de características persuasivas basadas en las teorías discursivas
- …
