SPECIFICITY OF TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE FOR STUDENTS.

Abstract

As English is considered the lingua franca of the twenty-first century, everyone needs to have a good command of English today and the importance of teaching English for professional uses and particularly in the field of tourism is undeniable. English proficiency is required in all professional areas but it becomes essential in the tourist industry because of its specific characteristics.. English Language has played an important role in the development of tourism and in this field, English is used widely for travel as well as in client contact and is of outmost interest at the tertiary level. But its interest should not be restricted to tourism students: English for tourism is one of the most attractive areas of English for Specific Purposes(ESP) because, after all, all of us are tourists on various occasions nowadays. For tourism university students, mastering English is a prerequisite for getting a job related to their major after graduation. The study reported in this paper examined the English language preparation of tourism and hospitality undergraduates in Egypt and its adequacy as perceived by teachers and students. The interview data showed that the students’ views on their English language preparation and on their perceived English language needs differed from those of their teachers. Highlighting some shortcomings of the English language instruction provided to these students, the study suggests reshaping it in a way that could optimally help them be well-prepared for meeting their future workplace requirements.