ABSTRACT
Not so long ago, ESP teachers working with aspiring tourism professionals could draw on a range of studies to shape their methodology in the classroom. Literature concurred that the language of tourism was a specialized discourse (Gotti, 2006), with identifiable linguistic features (Cappelli, 2008) used to attract and woo a target audience (Dann, 1996). However, with friends' holiday photos posted on social media often providing greater inspiration for travel rather than promotion of a destination itself, a significant shift in the relationship between product promoter and consumer has taken place. Can the language of tourism still be recognized as a specialized discourse? What effect does this have on practice in the classroom? This chapter initially focuses on the identifiable features of the language of tourism and describes how a linguistic framework was created to support students in a project to translate the portal of a destination website from Italian into English. Changes in language patterns as a result of social media use and the emergence of many voices and discourses are then analyzed. Finally, practical suggestions for classroom activities are given to reflect the dynamic nature of promotional discourse and prepare future destination managers to communicate successfully with potential visitors.
