MYP English Lang & Lit Travel Voice Notes

What Can A Travel Voice Tell You About Identity?

1. When people write about travel, they (deliberately or not) create a version of themselves for the reader.
2. This is travel voice: the recognizable "personality" of a travel text, created through choices about tone, style, language, detail, and point of view.
3. Travel voice shows up in many kinds of texts: a holiday brochure, a social media caption, a reflective journal, or a full travel blog.
4. In each case, the writer selects details to shape a message, for example "this place is paradise," "this trip changed me," or "you should visit (and here's how)."

How Can Purpose and Audience Shape Voice Choice?

1. Strong travel writing starts by asking two questions:
   1. Why am I writing this? (purpose)
   2. Who am I writing for? (audience)
2. A travel company brochure usually aims to persuade.
3. A travel blogger might aim to inform (tips), entertain (stories), document (memory), or build credibility (expert identity).
4. Even a short social media post often aims to show others something about the writer, such as being adventurous, thoughtful, or humorous.

Common purposes in travel texts

1. Travel texts often combine several purposes:
   1. To persuade (visit this place, buy this trip, follow this account)
   2. To inform (how to travel on a budget, what to pack, what to avoid)
   3. To entertain (comic mishaps, dramatic moments, surprising encounters)
   4. To reflect (what travel taught me, how my assumptions changed)
   5. To build an identity (I am a risk-taker, a foodie, an explorer, a culture-lover)

Audience changes your tone and detail

1. A travel blog aimed at first-time visitors might use clear headings, practical details, and an encouraging tone.
2. A blog aimed at experienced backpackers might use insider vocabulary and assume background knowledge.
3. A post meant for friends might include private jokes and personal references.

How Does Tone, Point of View, and Attitude Build Voice?