Sponsored by Chowdhury and Hossain, Advanced PublicationsListen
Unit 11 Lesson 6
Visiting Bangladesh: tips for foreigners
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• talked about food habits, and manner of eating
• read some information about customs in Bangladesh
• done a short writing task
A In pairs talk about what we say or do :
- when we meet a friend
- when we meet our teachers
- when we meet our boss
- when we meet a subordinate in the office
- when we meet an elderly person
B Here are some tips for foreigners about Bangladesh. Read them.
At the airport:
At the airport, there are laxis, and auto-rickshaws called babi-taxis, but you have
to bargain for the fare. They demand three/four times more than the usual fare,
even more when they see foreigners, especially Europeans. Taxicab services have
been introduced but many taxis do not use meters and therefore you may be
overcharged.
Driving:
It is difficult to drive in Bangladesh if you have no experience of driving here.
Drivers change lanes frequently. As a foreigner you might find lane-changing
without signals quite distressing. Many people do not follow traffic signals.
Rickshaws and babi-taxis-move in and and out in a zigzag course and try to push
through wherever they find some space. Moreover, pedestrians cross over
whenever and wherever they wish. All these make driving in Bangladesh a nightmare experience.
Friendliness:
Hospitality has long been a part of our culture in Bangladesh. Although many other things are changing now, people are still quite polite and friendly towards foreigners. They like speaking to foreigners even if they have not been introduced. It is quite common for Bangladeshis to ask personal questions about family, jobs and income which visitors from overseas might find awkward. However it should be understood that no harm is meant by such questions - on the other hand, they express a genuine interest in the foreigner's state of affairs!
Shopping:
There are shops in most localities of small and big towns which sell both local and imported goods. There arc some modern shopping centres with large, department stores in the big cities while some air-conditioned, self-service shops have also appeared. In the local markets, traditional haggling is still rampant. However, if you are a foreigner, you do not stand a chance to win. Even if you have managed to reduce half the asking price and are feeling very pleased with .yourself, chances are that you have probably paid double the normal price.
Transport system:
The whole country has a fairly good communication network now. Anybody can travel to most places now by bus or train. The major cities have air links too. Some cities have regular flights, in most cases more than one flight, from and to Dhaka. However time schedules are not often maintained strictly and there may be disruptions due to unforeseen causes.
E-mail and Internet services:
Cybercafes have opened up in the major cities which provide internet services including e-mail quite cheaply to everyone including overseas visitors. Internet services have also allowed some of Dhaka's daily newspapers to reach readers around the world.
C Refer to the information above and answer the questions below.
1 What does the text say about airport taxi fares in Bangladesh?
2 Are all Bangladeshis equally polite with foreigners and local people?
3 How easy is it to drive in Bangladesh?
4 How good is the transport system in Bangladesh?
5 If a foreigner wants to get in touch with someone back home quickly, where should he go?
D Your pen-friend, who lives in Britain, wants to visit Bangladesh. Write a letter informing her/him of important customs such as visiting someone's house, the conventions of greeting and leave taking, and how to behave when food is offered.
Focus:
Skills.
Speaking, reading, writing.
Functions.
Giving information, talking about habitual action. Grammar/Structure
Simple present to express state.
Vocabulary.
subordinate, harmony.
This text will be replaced
Unit 11 Lesson 6
Visiting Bangladesh: tips for foreigners
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• talked about food habits, and manner of eating
• read some information about customs in Bangladesh
• done a short writing task
A In pairs talk about what we say or do :
- when we meet a friend
- when we meet our teachers
- when we meet our boss
- when we meet a subordinate in the office
- when we meet an elderly person
B Here are some tips for foreigners about Bangladesh. Read them.
At the airport:
At the airport, there are laxis, and auto-rickshaws called babi-taxis, but you have
to bargain for the fare. They demand three/four times more than the usual fare,
even more when they see foreigners, especially Europeans. Taxicab services have
been introduced but many taxis do not use meters and therefore you may be
overcharged.
Driving:
It is difficult to drive in Bangladesh if you have no experience of driving here.
Drivers change lanes frequently. As a foreigner you might find lane-changing
without signals quite distressing. Many people do not follow traffic signals.
Rickshaws and babi-taxis-move in and and out in a zigzag course and try to push
through wherever they find some space. Moreover, pedestrians cross over
whenever and wherever they wish. All these make driving in Bangladesh a nightmare experience.
Friendliness:
Hospitality has long been a part of our culture in Bangladesh. Although many other things are changing now, people are still quite polite and friendly towards foreigners. They like speaking to foreigners even if they have not been introduced. It is quite common for Bangladeshis to ask personal questions about family, jobs and income which visitors from overseas might find awkward. However it should be understood that no harm is meant by such questions - on the other hand, they express a genuine interest in the foreigner's state of affairs!
Shopping:
There are shops in most localities of small and big towns which sell both local and imported goods. There arc some modern shopping centres with large, department stores in the big cities while some air-conditioned, self-service shops have also appeared. In the local markets, traditional haggling is still rampant. However, if you are a foreigner, you do not stand a chance to win. Even if you have managed to reduce half the asking price and are feeling very pleased with .yourself, chances are that you have probably paid double the normal price.
Transport system:
The whole country has a fairly good communication network now. Anybody can travel to most places now by bus or train. The major cities have air links too. Some cities have regular flights, in most cases more than one flight, from and to Dhaka. However time schedules are not often maintained strictly and there may be disruptions due to unforeseen causes.
E-mail and Internet services:
Cybercafes have opened up in the major cities which provide internet services including e-mail quite cheaply to everyone including overseas visitors. Internet services have also allowed some of Dhaka's daily newspapers to reach readers around the world.
C Refer to the information above and answer the questions below.
1 What does the text say about airport taxi fares in Bangladesh?
2 Are all Bangladeshis equally polite with foreigners and local people?
3 How easy is it to drive in Bangladesh?
4 How good is the transport system in Bangladesh?
5 If a foreigner wants to get in touch with someone back home quickly, where should he go?
D Your pen-friend, who lives in Britain, wants to visit Bangladesh. Write a letter informing her/him of important customs such as visiting someone's house, the conventions of greeting and leave taking, and how to behave when food is offered.
Focus:
Skills.
Speaking, reading, writing.
Functions.
Giving information, talking about habitual action. Grammar/Structure
Simple present to express state.
Vocabulary.
subordinate, harmony.