Needs for English-speaking Personnel for Tourism Promotion in Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

Background and Aims: The current global economy calls for a common universal language, known as a lingua franca, which allows communication between people who speak different native languages. English has been given the status of World Englishes, meaning that it is the international language of business and the primary language of international communication in many industries around the world, including the tourism industry. Thailand relies on the tourism industry as its main economic sector, accounting for 17% of GDP in the first half of 2019. In addition, the number of international tourists has been increasing every year, and in 2019, Thailand set a new tourism record with 40 million international tourists nationwide. Therefore, the researcher wanted to design an English teaching curriculum for specialized learning for those working in the tourism industry that would meet the specific needs of tourism personnel in Sakon Nakhon. The objectives are: 1. To study the problems and needs of using English for personnel to promote tourism in Sakon Nakhon Province; 2. To study the need for English language use among personnel to promote tourism in Sakon Nakhon Province; and 3. To study the topics of English language skills that are needed by personnel to promote tourism in Sakon Nakhon Province.

Methodology: This research is quantitative. The sample group used in this research is 120 tourism personnel living in Mueang District, Sakon Nakhon Province, selected by purposive sampling. The selection criteria are as follows: 1. A person who works, is an expert, or has an average of 4-6 years of experience working in English or related to tourism. 2. No gender restrictions, and is between 25-55 years old. The purpose of answering the questionnaire is to apply English knowledge to advance in their careers. 3. At least a secondary education, an associate degree. 4. Be mindful and healthy. 5. Willing to participate in the research project. The interview and questionnaire form. This study has 2 research questions. The questionnaire created was tested for content validity. It was checked by 3 experts, and the index of consistency (IOC) and reliability were found. (Reliability) and the questionnaire was tested on people who were not in the sample but had characteristics similar to the sample, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (Cronbach, 1990) was found. Statistical data (percentage, means, S.D.) was analyzed using a computer and a statistical program, and data was presented in tabular form, together with a presentation and summary of research results.

Results: Problems and necessity. Problems and necessities in using English for personnel to promote tourism in Sakon Nakhon Province are at a high level overall. When considering each aspect, it was found that listening skills were at the highest level, followed by speaking, reading, and writing English skills, respectively. The need to use English and the topics required were as follows: The highest order was learning topics about general English conversation/greetings/welcoming/thank you/various expressions in daily life, necessary vocabulary for tourism, giving directions, making appointments with customers, and food menus.

Conclusion: The research results show the problems and necessity of using specialized English for personnel to promote tourism in Sakon Nakhon Province and to know the information on the needs of learning formats, topics of English use, and various skills in terms of content information required by personnel to be relevant to work promoting tourism and to lead to the development of English teaching plans for tourism to be consistent with the needs of personnel who can use it.