English Communication Problems and Solutions of Thai Hotel Staff Working with Foreigners in Phuket Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jlapsu.2023.19Keywords:
English communication problems, English in the workplace, hotel staffAbstract
The hotel industry is one of the prime sectors in the tourism and hospitality industries where English is used as a medium for communication. Although hotel staff are required to use English when serving foreigners, communication problems frequently occur. As a result, this study aimed to analyze English communication problems, with a focus on speaking and listening skills, and to investigate solutions for hotel staff who communicate with foreigners. The samples in this study consisted of ninety-five hotel staff in Phuket. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather data. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and content analysis of interview data. The findings revealed that the overall problem in English listening among the sample group with foreign customers and foreign staff was low (x̅= 1.55, S.D. = 0.77), (x̅= 1.52, S.D. = 0.74), with the most common problem being listening to various English accents. Furthermore, while English speaking problems with foreign customers and foreign staff were the lowest (x̅= 1.39, S.D. = 0.73), (x̅= 1.38, S.D. = 0.71), telephone communication in English were the most common. The most common way to solve English communication problems with both foreign customers and staff was to apologize and ask for repetition (x̅= 4.63, S.D. = 0.62). The findings of this study could be used as guidelines to improve English communication among relevant staff or those interested in working in the hotel industry.
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