Tourism is an international industry which involves a range of intercultural encounters where communication is the key feature. It is clear that the language of tourism in an international context is English as, when dealing with international guests, a better command of English means providing higher quality service. Furthermore, tourism has been perceived by many students as having good employment prospects, which has been a further driver for Tourism and Hospitality vocational programmes. The Vocational Education and Training (VET) system is increasingly expected to be responsive to the cha... Show more
Tourism is an international industry which involves a range of intercultural encounters where communication is the key feature. It is clear that the language of tourism in an international context is English as, when dealing with international guests, a better command of English means providing higher quality service. Furthermore, tourism has been perceived by many students as having good employment prospects, which has been a further driver for Tourism and Hospitality vocational programmes. The Vocational Education and Training (VET) system is increasingly expected to be responsive to the changing demands of society, shaped by pedagogical, social, cultural, economic and employment considerations.
To respond to the demands of globalisation and internationalisation the Turismo de Portugal's (TP) schools offer three technological specialisation courses with programmes in English: Food and Beverage Management; Hospitality Operations Management; and Culinary Arts, whose teaching strategies and effectiveness are the scope of study of this dissertation. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a dual-focused educational approach with the objective of promoting both content and language competence. This study aims at understanding how far these courses integrate both content and language learning and if CLIL is the best learning approach within the scope of tourism vocational education and training. In order to investigate these questions, both quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry were applied: questionnaires to current and former students of these courses, followed by semi-structured interviews to teachers from the three schools where the courses are offered, school and pedagogical directors and finally the training director of TP.
The findings suggest that students are extremely motivated to study in English, but despite some methodologies that are also used within the CLIL approach, it is possible to conclude that content is more emphasised than language. In fairness, it consists of teaching in English, whereas CLIL is teaching through an additional language based on connected pedagogies and using contextual methodologies. By showing the relevance of the CLIL approach in tourism vocational education, I intend to bring about change in educational practices, which may have implications for various areas: for tourism education in general and particularly for VET; for framing best practice when teaching in a foreign language; and for CLIL education involving content and language teachers. This is an opportunity for teachers to improve their overall skills in leading classes and managing teaching as a whole, for students to improve their English language competence and cultural skills through authenticity and relevance, and for schools/institutions to meet students' expectations while addressing today's market needs.
Published abstract.
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