Investigating the Needs and Challenges with regard to English Communicative Competencies in the Thai Hospitality Industry
- Mongkolchai Tiansoodeenon, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani 12110, Thailand , Corresponding author, E-mail: Mongkolchai_t@rmutt.ac.th
- Benjawan Rungruangsuparat, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani 12110, Thailand
- Sarochrus Tarapond, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani 12110, Thailand
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the need for communicative competencies in the hospitality industry, including hotel, tourism, and aviation, in Thailand, and problems with regard to the use of English in the industry. A total of 233 participants took part in the research: 70 from the hotel industry, 72 from the tourism industry, and 91 from the aviation industry. They were recruited using purposive sampling technique, and a mixed-methods research design was employed. To collect data, a Likert-scale questionnaire relating to English communicative competency in hospitality was used. Semi-structured interviews were then piloted and used. A backtranslation technique was employed to ensure the accuracy of the translation from English to Thai. The value of the alpha coefficient's reliability for the questionnaire was 0.85. The quantitative data was analyzed using percentages, means, and standard deviations, while the semi-structured interview transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that the most significant communicative competencies in the hospitality industry in order of importance are interactional competency, strategic competency, and socio-cultural competency. The problems associated with using English in the hospitality industry included cultural differences and technical vocabulary. Moreover, awareness of the power of non-verbal language is perceived as being equally important for communicative competency.
Keywords: needs analysis, English communicative competency, hospitality industry
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