ESP for Tourism: Does It Meet Employers’ Needs and Prepare Students for the Workplace?

  1. Chamorro, Gloria 1
  2. Vázquez-Amador, María 2
  3. Garrido-Hornos, María del Carmen 3
  1. 1 University of Kent
    info

    University of Kent

    Canterbury, Reino Unido

    ROR https://ror.org/00xkeyj56

  2. 2 Universidad de Cádiz
    info

    Universidad de Cádiz

    Cádiz, España

    ROR https://ror.org/04mxxkb11

  3. 3 Universidad de Valladolid
    info

    Universidad de Valladolid

    Valladolid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01fvbaw18

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Libro:
Mediating Specialized Knowledge and L2 Abilities

Editorial: Springer International Publishing

ISBN: 9783030874759,  9783030874766

Año de publicación: 2021

Páginas: 153-190

Tipo: Capítulo de Libro

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-87476-6_8 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Resumen

This chapter focuses on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for tourism and investigates whether the content and skills taught to students enrolled in tourism degrees in Spain actually prepare them for the workplace and meet the needs of their future employers. In order to do this, the ESP courses offered by all Spanish universities with an undergraduate degree in tourism were reviewed and the main topics, functions, and skills were extracted. With the information gathered, an online questionnaire was designed and sent to different tourism companies in Spain, including accommodation businesses, cultural and active tourism companies, travel and event organisation agencies, and tourist information centres. In this questionnaire, employers were asked to answer a series of questions relating to the use of English in their companies and assessing how prepared tourism students are to perform the different functions highlighted in the ESP syllabi in the workplace. The results from this survey will be presented and discussed with the aim of informing ESP curriculum and materials developers, as well as teachers, to tailor courses, materials, and lessons that prepare tourism students to graduate with an English competence that allows them to successfully perform in their future careers.

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