Integrated Teaching English Speaking for Students Planning to Work in Tourism Business in Greater Mekong Subregion Area

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the communicative English activities for teaching English to college students planning to work in the tourism business in the Greater Mekong Sub-region area (GMS). The study adopted a quantitative approach to investigate teachers’ opinions on integrated communicative English activities for tourism students. A sample of 44 teachers was surveyed to represent the educational English group and the tourism English group. The teachers’ suggested that the following activities were suitable for college tourism students to enhance English speaking skill: they encouraged students to make presentations, perform role plays and dialogues, play communicative games and discus and describe activities related to tourism knowledge. Career plans of tourism students indicated that students should be encouraged to do part time work in their field. The most important way to help the students was to get work experience with English usage. The Educational English group agreed that the all communicative English activities of this study were suitable for students, but the tourism English group held different viewpoints activities. Based on the results of the study, it has included recommendations for the English department heads and teachers to improve their practices.