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Japanese Tourists Suffer From ‘Paris Syndrome’ (12th June, 2011)

A small but growing number of Japanese people are suffering from ‘Paris Syndrome’. This is the shock they feel when their experience of Paris is not what they thought it would be. Many Japanese have a romantic image of the French capital. They think they will have the perfect holiday if they visit it. However, things like a language barrier and perhaps a rude taxi driver can turn the fantasy holiday into a disaster. This shocks some people and causes them to have a mental breakdown.

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Paris Syndrome was first discovered in 1986 by Japanese psychiatrist Professor Hiroaki Ota. He said a number of negative experiences happening at the same time creates stress in the Japanese tourist. These include language and cultural difficulties, sudden changes in mood in Paris, and jet lag. Many Japanese spend just five days flying to and from Paris and trying to see and do everything in the few days between the long-haul flights. The Japanese embassy in Paris helps around a dozen people a year with Paris Syndrome.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

A small but growing

a.

it would be

2

the shock they

b.

number

3.

not what they thought

c.

breakdown

4.

language

d.

into a disaster

5.

turn the fantasy holiday

e.

feel

6.

have a mental

f.

barrier

 

Paragraph 2

1.

first discovered

a.

difficulties

2

happening at the

b.

flights

3.

language and cutural

c.

same time

4.

sudden changes in

d.

in 1986

5.

flying to and

e.

mood

6.

long-haul

f.

from Paris

LISTENING GAP FILL

A small ___________________ of Japanese people are suffering from ‘Paris Syndrome’. This is _____________________ when their experience of Paris ___________________ thought it would be. Many Japanese have a romantic image of the French capital. They think they will have the perfect holiday if they visit it. However, things like ___________________ and perhaps a rude taxi driver can turn the fantasy holiday into a disaster. This shocks some people and ___________________ have ___________________.

Paris Syndrome was ___________________ 1986 by Japanese psychiatrist Professor Hiroaki Ota. He said a ___________________ experiences happening at the same time creates stress in the Japanese tourist. These include language and cultural difficulties, sudden ___________________ in Paris, and jet lag. Many Japanese spend just five days flying to and from Paris and trying ___________________ everything in the few days between the ___________________. The Japanese embassy in Paris helps ___________________ people a year with Paris Syndrome.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A small but (1) ____ number of Japanese people are suffering from ‘Paris Syndrome’. This is the shock they (2) ____ when their experience of Paris is not what they thought it (3) ____ be. Many Japanese have a romantic image (4) ____ the French capital. They think they will have the perfect holiday if they visit it. However, things (5) ____ a language barrier and perhaps a rude taxi driver can turn the fantasy holiday into a disaster. This shocks some people and (6) ____ them to have a mental breakdown.

Paris Syndrome was (7) ____ discovered in 1986 by Japanese psychiatrist Professor Hiroaki Ota. He said a number of negative experiences happening at the same time creates stress (8) ____ the Japanese tourist. These include language and cultural difficulties, sudden changes (9) ____ mood in Paris, and jet lag. Many Japanese spend just five days flying to and from Paris and trying to see and do everything in the (10) ____ days between the long-haul (11) ____. The Japanese embassy in Paris helps around a (12) ____ people a year with Paris Syndrome.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

grows

(b)

growth

(c)

growing

2.

(a)

feeling

(b)

feel

(c)

feels

3.

(a)

would

(b)

wouldn’t

(c)

would’ve

4.

(a)

for

(b)

at

(c)

of

5.

(a)

likely

(b)

like

(c)

likes

6.

(a)

causes

(b)

cases

(c)

ceases

7.

(a)

second

(b)

first

(c)

last

8.

(a)

on

(b)

by

(c)

in

9.

(a)

on

(b)

in

(c)

at

10.

(a)

few

(b)

number

(c)

pair

11.

(a)

flies

(b)

fly

(c)

flights

12

(a)

dozen

(b)

twelve

(c)

lots

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

A small but oigrwgn number

2.

the kscoh they feel

3.

have a romantic mgiae

4.

the French icalpat

5.

a language rbiarre

6.

have a enmtla breakdown

 

Paragraph 2

7.

first svidoedcer in 1986

8.

nieatgev experiences

9.

rcatulu difficulties

10.

sudden gehscan in mood

11.

trigyn to see and do everything

12.

around a oenzd people

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

they feel when their experience of Paris is not what they thought it would be. Many Japanese have a romantic

(    )

Professor Hiroaki Ota. He said a number of negative experiences happening at the same

(    )

some people and causes them to have a mental breakdown.

(    )

time creates stress in the Japanese tourist. These include language and cultural difficulties, sudden changes in

(    )

image of the French capital. They think they will have the perfect holiday if

(    )

mood in Paris, and jet lag. Many Japanese spend just five days flying to and from Paris and trying to see

(    )

Paris Syndrome was first discovered in 1986 by Japanese psychiatrist

(  1  )

A small but growing number of Japanese people are suffering from ‘Paris Syndrome’. This is the shock

(    )

flights. The Japanese embassy in Paris helps around a dozen people a year with Paris Syndrome.

(    )

they visit it. However, things like a language barrier and perhaps a rude

(    )

and do everything in the few days between the long-haul

(    )

taxi driver can turn the fantasy holiday into a disaster. This shocks

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.

but     people     growing     number     A     of     small     Japanese.    

2.

it     not     thought     be     is     they     would     Paris     what.    

3.

the     Many     a    of    have    image    French    Japanese     romantic.    

4.

Turn     disaster     a     into     holiday     fantasy     the.    

5.

mental     have     them     breakdown     a     to     Causes.    

6.

1986     in     discovered     first     was     Syndrome     Paris.    

7.

Negative     time     same     the     at     happening     experiences.    

8.

mood     in     Paris     Sudden     changes     in

9.

Paris     just     flying     from     Spend     days     and     five     to.    

10.

Paris     Japanese     in     helps     The     embassy.    

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about Paris for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. PARIS: Search the Internet and find more information about Paris. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Paris. Include imaginary interviews with people who had a good time there and people who had a bad time. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a ‘Paris Syndrome’ expert. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinions on how to stop it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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