Socio-cultural knowledge of the hotel receptionist for effective communication with the foreign English-speaking client
Summary
Oral communication skills in a foreign language raise the quality of the services that human resources provide to foreign clients in the hospitality and tourism industry. The hotel receptionist is a direct contact worker who, according to the language descriptors, must offer information about the city where he lives, its culture, habits, idiosyncrasy, places of historical and cultural interest, as well as describe places in the city and the country, among other aspects. socio-cultural. However, the English language programs designed to work with the Training courses in the Hospitality Reception specialty that are formed in schools do not cover these important topics that allow us to transmit our identity and culture to our Anglophone visitors,that is why a group of professors from the Varadero Hotel and Tourism School took on the task of including these topics in the preparation of the course and found that they enriched the cultural heritage in English Language of the graduates achieving a impact on their profile and service to hotel facilities.
Introduction
The tourism industry has become one of the most important economic branches of the world today and one of the alternatives towards which our country has turned, especially after the intensification of the economic blockade in 1990.
Cuba has made great efforts to promote more specialized tourism in which the joy and friendliness of its people, the historical-cultural accumulation and natural resources are distinctive elements towards a destination that has awakened everyone's interest and curiosity and to which it has been given deserved international recognition and prestige.
Cuba is distinguished in the Caribbean for its culture, that is why the sun, the beach and nature today are not the only reason for tourists to travel to Cuba, they come eager to learn about our history and our culture and one of the ways to satisfy them is through effective communication with our workers in the tourism sector; In particular, the hotel receptionists who constitute the face of the hotel and use the language as a means of communication on the one hand, and on the other hand through it, strengthen and spread the Cuban national identity, which constitutes a success in the intercultural relationship.
Sociocultural issues about our country must be known both in the mother tongue and in the foreign language so that effective communication with the foreign client is established. The programs taught in the hotel reception training groups at the school do not include these topics in their thematic plan.However, the language descriptors that the MINTUR establishes for the hotel receptionist's job as well as the international descriptors for the Advanced level if they consider it for this reason a group of English language teachers from the Varadero school designed a system of didactic actions aimed at the development of reading and oral and written expression based on sociocultural issues in the English language, and this experience was validated in four school reception groups, obtaining very good results.
Development
In the hotel and tourism school of the country, students enter the training courses graduated from pre-university and from other sources, who must be taught English for educational purposes at the level that corresponds to them according to the writers established by the MINTUR. For example, the case at hand is the hotel reception courses where an advanced level of the English language must be taught, as well as the communicative functions and the specialized lexicon directed to that important area of hotels in the tourism sector.
However, the programs offered do not include within the thematic plan the most general and well-known socio-cultural references related to Cuba and universal culture and if they are included in the language descriptors (Annex 1). There is also no emphasis on integrating reading, speaking, and writing skills. These difficulties limit the cultural horizon of the students and therefore have a negative impact on the professional-comprehensive level of the future graduate; For this reason, on the basis of the above, the following problem arises: How to enrich the socio-cultural knowledge of the tourism professional in the development process of reading and oral and written expression in the English language to establish effective communication with the foreign customer?
If a system of didactic actions aimed at the development of reading and oral and written expression in the English language based on sociocultural issues of Cuba is conceived as content of the educational teaching activity for hotel receptionists, you can establish effective communication with them a once graduated from the system.
In order to obtain the results to wait, we draw up the following tasks:
- Bibliographic file on the topics under study. Analysis of the reception programs and II. Analysis of the language descriptors for the hotel receptionist. Selection of texts about the object of studies related to the topics. Selection of a sample of sociocultural topics. (Annex 2). Design of didactic activities aimed at working in pairs and groups.
These activities were assigned as independent study and were checked in classes using different participation techniques such as debates, exhibitions, round tables, etc., and were validated in groups I and II of Gaviota and III and IV of Turempleo. The teaching results of the aforementioned groups were very good and the sample was representative since out of 5 groups it was applied in 4 and from an enrollment of 112, it was applied to 100 students, thus it was found in the final exams and in the practices of the students. themselves.
Conclusions
- Effective communication with the English-speaking client by the tourism professional strengthens the identification with the foreign culture through the language used and the dissemination of the Cuban national identity, as well as the success of the intercultural relationship. A system of didactic actions aimed at the development of reading and oral expression in the delivery of hotel reception programs, including sociocultural issues in Cuba, contributes to establishing effective communication with the foreign client.
recommendations
- Continue this work with other specialties, especially with the specialty of animation including a multidisciplinary team. Extend this experience to other hotel and tourism schools in the country.
Bibliography
- Acosta, Padrón Rodolfo and Collective of authors. Apolo Cultural Newton Paiva Integrated Faculties. Communicative Language Teaching.Adamson, Donald. Prentice Hall International 1990. International Hotel English.Brizuela, M. / Corona, Dolores / Terroux, George. Teaching English in the Cuban Tourism industry. Professional Handbook.Cuba, Roberto Msc. and Gutiérrez, Violeta Msc. Ediciones Balcón La habana 2007. English - Languages, Specialization Cocina.Corona, Dolores and Terroux George CIDA and MES 1997. Teaching English in Cuba. Professional Handbook. Collective of authors from FORMATUR, 2009. List of terms and useful expressions for hospitality and tourism. Fornet, Piña Fernando. Scientific - Technical Editorial, Havana 2007. Cuban Gastronomic Dictionary.Keane, Leila. Prentice Hall 1990. International Restaurant English.Richards, Jack C.Cambridge University Press 2005. Interchange. Intro Third edition Sts´ bookRevell, Rod and Stott Trish. Oxford University Press2004. Highly Recommended.Sancho, Pérez. Protection. World Tourism Organization. 1995. Educating Tourism Educators.
Annex I
Reference framework for foreign languages in advanced level tourism.
He interacts naturally, fluently, and effectively with a clear and cohesive language that allows him to argue, negotiate, and persuade to achieve his purposes in various situations in his work environment; It has a wide repertoire of expressions and forms that allows it to overcome difficulties naturally and that correspond to the characteristics of the interlocutor and the markets it serves; understands and writes structured texts such as programs, itineraries, notices, messages and others specific to his professional field.
