English Communication Needs of Tourism Faculty Undergraduates: A Comparative Stakeholder Analysis

Year 2019, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 68 - 75, 29.12.2019

Davut Uysal , Cihan Seçilmiş

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of tourism faculty undergraduates to develop their English communication skills with a comprehensive needs analysis and to investigate if the stakeholders’ views about the students’ needs differ from one another. The study is considered to be important because it included all the stakeholders of tourism faculties in Turkey to provide a basis for a well-tailored vocational English curriculum and to increase the qualifications of tourism faculty graduates. In this study, graduates and undergraduates of tourism faculties, tourism lecturers and English language instructors at tourism faculties and executive representatives of the tourism sector were taken as the stakeholders. The population of the study covered all tourism faculties in Turkey. The sample was taken from six different tourism faculties using the simple random sampling method with a questionnaire. The sampling of the graduates and executive sector representatives was taken from an Antalya-based association using the simple random sampling method again. Analysis of the research data helped identify which stakeholders differed from one another in the needs of tourism undergraduates for the development of tourism undergraduates’ English communication skills, especially tourism lecturers were found to have differed from almost all other stakeholders. Relevant suggestions are offered to manage the differences to increase the effectiveness of the English courses currently given at tourism faculties and possible reasons for such differences among stakeholders are discussed in the study.

Keywords

Needs Analysis, Tourism Faculties, English Language, Communication Skills

References

• Akgöz, E. and Gürsoy, Y. (2014). Turizm Eğitiminde Yabancı Dil Öğrenme, İstek ve Kararlılıkları: Selçuk Üniversitesi. Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 21, 29.
• Allwright, J. and Allwright, R. (1977). An approach to the teaching of medical English. In English for specific purposes, pp. 58-62. London: Modern English Publications.
• Blue, G. M. and Harun, M. (2003). Hospitality language as a professional skill. English for specific purposes, 22(1), 73-91.
• Boran, G. (1994). A needs analysis for the ESP classes at the tourism education department of the trade business and tourism education faculty of Gazi University (Unpublished Master’s Thesis). Ankara: Bilken University.
• Carr, L. T. (1994). The strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research: what method for nursing? Journal of advanced nursing, 20(4), 716-721. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1994.20040716.x
• Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2000). Action research. Research methods in education, 5, 226-244.
• Chen, P. C., Chiu, W. Y., and Lin, T. Y. (2011). A study constructing a holistic English for specific purposes (ESP) curriculum model for tourism and hospitality English. Education Research Journal, 1(5), 84-93.
• Conlin, M. V., and Baum, T. (2003). Comprehensive human resource planning: An essential key to sustainable tourism in small island settings. In Classic reviews in tourism, pp. 115-129. London: Channel View Publications.
• Davras, G. M. and Bulgan, G. (2012). MYO Undergraduatelerinin İngilizce hazırlık eğitimine yönelik tutumları: Isparta MYO Turizm ve Otel İşletmeciliği örneği. Doğuş Üniversitesi Dergisi, 13(2), 227-238.
• Dudley-Evans, T. and St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• George, D. (2011). SPSS for windows step by step: A simple study guide and reference, 17.0 update, 10/e. London: Pearson Education India.
• Ghany, S. Y. A. and Latif, M. M. A. (2012). English language preparation of tourism and hospitality undergraduates in Egypt: Does it meet their future workplace requirements? Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 11(2), 93-100.
• Hair, F. J., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J. and Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Haven-Tang, C. and Jones, E. (2008). Labour market and skills needs of the tourism and related sectors in Wales. International Journal of Tourism Research, 10(4), 353-363.
• Hsu, L. W. (2010). Learning gaming English by prospective casino dealers in Taiwan: An explorative study. Journal of Foreign Language Instruction, 4(1), 69-86.
• Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A Learning–centred Approach. Cambridge: University Press, Cambridge.
• Hutchinson, T. and A. Waters. (1991). English for Specific Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• İçöz, O., (1991). Turizm Sectorünün gelişmesinde insan unsurunun önemi. Anatolia Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2(6), 15-18.
• İgrek, E. (2013). İçerik tabanlı yabancı dil öğretim yaklaşımının Mesleki Yabancı Dil (İngilizce) derslerinde Undergraduatelerin akademik başarılarına etkisi (Unpublished MA Thesis). Ankara: Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü.
• Jafari, J. and Sola, F. E. (1996). Human Resources Development and Quality Tourism: A Multi-Conference Report. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(1), 228-231.
• Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Kelley, S. W. (1992). Developing customer orientation among service employees. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 20(1), 27-36.
• Kuppan, A. (2008). An evaluation of an English course for hospitality management in a tertiary institution (Unpublished PhD Thesis). University of Malaya.
• Kusluvan, S. and Kusluvan, Z. (2000). Perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate tourism students towards working in the tourism industry in Turkey. Tourism Management, 21(3), 251-269.
• Leslie, D. and Richardson, A. (2000). Tourism and cooperative education in UK undergraduate courses: are the benefits being realised? Tourism Management, 21(5), 489-498.
• Leslie, D. and Russell, H. (2006). The importance of foreign language skills in the tourism sector: A comparative study of student perceptions in the UK and continental Europe. Tourism Management, 27, 1397-1407.
• Mackay. R and Mountford. A. (1978). English for Specific Purposes: A Case Study Approach. London: Longman Group Ltd.
• MacVigar, A. and Rodger, J. (1996). Computerized Yield Management Systems: A Comparative Analysis of the Human Resource Management Implications. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 15(4), 325-332
• Laborda, J. G. (2002). Incidental aspects in teaching ESP for tourism in Spain. In The tourism learners: Analysis and research.
• Lin, C. H., Wu, W. C., and Huang, Y. T. (2013). English for specific purposes (ESP) for hospitality college students and hotel employees in Taiwan. International Journal of Education and Research, 1(8), 1-14.
• Lo, G. Y. H. (2011). ESP versus EGP: A case study of an ESP program for vocational high school students of Tourism. Taiwan International ESP Journal, 3(2), 71-100.
• Veijola, S. (2010). Introduction: Tourism as Work. Tourism Studies, 9(2), 83-87.
• Waite, S. (1989). English Language Needs of the Medical Students in Nicaragua (Unpublished MA Thesis). Ealing, London: University of Thames Valley.
• Widdowson, H. G. (1981). English for specific purposes: Criteria for course design. In English for academic and technical purposes: Studies in honour of Louis Trimble, 1-11.