Needs of Front Office Staff’s English Communication Skills
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Abstract
One of the most important skills that people working in tourism and hotel sectors need to have is the skill to communicate in English effectively. The skill is especially needed by hotel front office staff. Therefore, the objective of the study was to identify English language needs in the English communication skills of front office staff in Ubon Ratchathani. A self-assessment questionnaire, an opinion questionnaire, a needs assessment questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview were used as research instruments. The participants were 16 front office staff, 16 non-Thai guests, and 10 hotel managers working at or staying in hotels or hostels in Ubon Ratchathani. The results illustrated that the front office staff needs to improve their English listening skill in the following activities: 1) listening to and understanding what guests want, 2) understanding different English accents, 3) understanding guest’s personal information and details and 4) listening to and helping to solve guest’s problems. For English speaking skill, it was found that the front office staff needs to improve their ability in the following activities: 1) welcoming and greeting non-Thai guests properly, 2) giving information about room details and facilities, 3) suggesting information about tourist attractions and 4) suggesting local food nearby.
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References
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