Academic Catalog

ENGL 80: INTRODUCTION TO TRAVEL WRITING

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2022
Units: 4
Hours: 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter)
Advisory: Demonstrated proficiency in English by placement via multiple measures OR through an equivalent placement process OR completion of ESLL 125 & ESLL 249.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • The student will be able to: Recognize, evaluate, and produce characteristics of travel writing.
  • The student will be able to: employ skills in reflection and cultural analysis to draw meaning from observation and research

Description

An introductory course in travel writing. Focus on recognizing, evaluating, and producing the characteristics of travel writing in a range of travel writing genres. Practice in skills of observation, research, and reflection to understand aspects of place and draw meaning from travel experiences. Recognition and evaluation of publishing options.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Recognize, evaluate, and produce common types of travel writing
  2. Recognize, evaluate, and produce characteristics of travel writing
  3. Employ skills in observation and research to identify and understand aspects of place
  4. Employ skills in reflection and cultural analysis to draw meaning from observation and research
  5. Provide constructive critique of peer writing in a workshop format
  6. Recognize and evaluate publishing markets for travel writing

Course Content

  1. Recognize, evaluate, and produce common types of travel writing
    1. Consumer travel writing
      1. Travel articles
      2. Destination pieces
      3. Round-ups
      4. Advice
      5. Guidebooks
    2. Journalistic travel writing
      1. Features
    3. "Armchair" travel writing
      1. Essay
      2. Memoir
    4. New media
      1. Travel websites/blogs
      2. Photography
  2. Recognize, evaluate, and produce characteristics of travel writing
    1. Sense of place
    2. Sensory qualities
    3. Diction
      1. Figurative language, similes and metaphors
      2. Alliteration and onomatopoeia
      3. Personification
      4. Dynamic verbs and strong nouns
    4. Voice
    5. Structure
      1. Lede, nut graf, body, kicker
      2. Sidebars
      3. Free-form
    6. Point of view
      1. First person
      2. Invisible narrator
    7. Angle
      1. Unique focus
      2. Thematic, such as food, nature/environment
    8. Sense of audience
  3. Employ skills in observation and research to identify and understand aspects of place
    1. Observing and taking notes
    2. Primary research
      1. Formal interviews
      2. Informal interviews
    3. Secondary research
      1. Travel publications
      2. Fact-checking
      3. Relevant people
      4. Relevant history
      5. Cultural information
      6. Events and attractions
  4. Employ techniques in reflection and cultural analysis to draw meaning from observation and research
    1. Critically analyze and interpret travel experiences
    2. Identify comparative differences between the familiar and unfamiliar
    3. Identify larger meaning and themes for readers
    4. Identifying, analyze, and describe representative cultural artifacts
      1. Historical significance
      2. Cultural perspectives
  5. Provide constructive critique of peer writing in a workshop format
  6. Recognize and evaluate publishing markets for travel writing
    1. Identify target publications
    2. Evaluate for audience, style, aesthetic, angles, and tone
    3. Pitch letters
    4. Self-publishing: blogs and websites

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. When taught on campus, computers with capacity to run appropriate software.
2. When taught virtually, ongoing access to computer with email and basic software capabilities (word processing, presentation, spreadsheet); email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Reading journals: critical analysis of a variety of travel writing
Observation and research journals
Written assignments and workshop critique
Social justice/service learning project
Production of students' own creative work
Capstone portfolio

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture in the common types and characteristics of travel writing
Instructor-facilitated activities in observation, research, reflection, and analysis
Small group discussions and projects
Field trips to artistic, cultural, architectural, and natural sites

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Jamail, Dahr. The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption. 2020.

McKiney, Meredith, ed.. Travels with a Writing Brush: Classical Japanese Travel Writing. 2020.

MacFarlane, Robert, ed.. Best American Travel Writing 2020. 2020.

Spalding, Lavigna, ed.. Best Women's Travel Writing. 2020.


 

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Reading and informal journal evaluations of a variety of travel writing
  2. Observing places and taking notes
  3. Conducting primary and secondary research on locations
  4. Reflecting on larger meaning and significance of locations and their artifacts
  5. Drafting written travel pieces

Discipline(s)

English