Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi, I'm preparing an English communication program for hotel employees and I want to offer them something unique. For example, we have been running a review of their websites so they might be able to attract more English speaking guests and customers.
Do you have any additional suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Torsten

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

im confused, how is that going to help them speak better English.

Anyway, i teach in the tourism department at a college and a few of my classes are hotel classes.

this semester i am using First Class: English For Tourism. its ok, though not entirely about hotel language. it really focuses on using polite/formal speech so if thats your focus, it'd be really good for that.

i've also used Workplace English: Office File. this book is more general in its content but good for language that will come up in the hotel, restaurant, office, airport, etc...

for hotel students its good to be aware of language that is used outside of the hotel like at the airport and restaurant because guest will usually be asking questions about those things as well.

that being said, i haven't found a book im completely satisfied with that strictly deals with hotel language.

Bellhop Eric

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Well, Eric those people are not just 'students' or 'pupils' in the conventional sense of the word. They are business people who are trying to attract more English speaking guests. If you run a hotel or any tourist oriented business, you can only grow and spend money on 'English classes' if you actually are able to attract this target market. So why not provide them with tools and ideas in this area too?

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi!
I'm teaching ESP (Hotel and Turism industry) for Teens, my students are between 16 to 24 years old. I pick up somethings from Higly Recomended (OUP) and may I help you? (Longman).
I ca'nt ask my students to buy the book, becouse it's a project for Public School students.
If someone has new ideasn and some worksheets, os games with the Hotel and Turism vocabulary please tell me!
Thanks and hugs

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi. I'm teaching English for tourism at a college in China, and for my students the biggest issues is getting them to actually use the language they already know. I've found that roleplays are a good way to get them to speak. I try to bring conflict into them, too, both to give them an increased amount of language practice (things end too quickly if you just agree) and to give them practice with different types of emotional intonation.

I've just started podcasting about my class (ESL etc.) and I've got some materials up at that site as well. I don't have a relevant textbook - we're using a very mediocre Chinese book called Challenge to Speak.

I've been trying to take a task-based approach - focusing on having students practice using the language they will actually need in their jobs, roleplaying situations, etc. I'm new to English for tourism, though, and I'm sure I'll figure more stuff out as I go.

Hope this helps!
Dave

ESL etc. - Bringing global issues and activism into language teaching.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

You could also review the signage in the hotels. Travelling around Asia, I've seen some awful even bizarre signs even in four star hotels.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

I like that idea. I just went to a national park with my students and found the signs very entertaining. I took pictures of a bunch of them so that I can talk about them in class next week.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Where can I find these signs on the internet? Do you have the adresses?....
I realy like to use this sings to creat new situations...
Thanks

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

[I've found that roleplays are a good way to get them to speak.
I agree. Role plays are the best way to make people speak. in this areas it won't be difficult to make some.
good luck!

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

I am also teaching hotel English, and would love some advice. In addition, I am a PhD researching interested in doing my research on hotels in Beijing in September. So, if any of you out there are in Beijing, let me know! I would love to meet up, hear about your experiences, and share some lesson plans!

Thanks!
Jaime

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

I am the author of Be My Guest, English for the hotel industry, published by Cambridge University Press in 2002.

It has proved to be very successful, worldwide. It is for false beginner to pre-intermediate students and those in service already, and every word in it is one a student/hotel worker will need to say, hear, read or write in his or her hotel work. It is very job oriented.

Please see:

Be-My-Guest , The International course for the Hotel Industry

Or contact me directly at: francis@be-my-guest.net

Good luck,
Francis O'Hara
author of Be My Guest, English for the hotel industry.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi Openmind

How's it going with your program? I must do the same for Asian staff. Any advice you can give me?

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi Francis

It sounds like a good book to use but I can't open the link.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hiya, I need a bit of help as well. I have been asked to do an English course for a hotel in France where I live. I don't actually teach english yet but they have specifically asked if I can do it as they want an english native!! Easier said than done when you aren't sure of what you're supposed to do. Basically, I know they want 25 hours of training, including general receptionnist tasks, emails, telephone calls, directions etc. Can anyone tell me the right way to make up a 25 hour lesson plan to present to them - what info do I need to put into it etc ie objectives, target language. I have just started a TEFL course as living in France, my english is a big bonus. However, I don't yet know how to organise a course plan and in what order to do things. Any help much appreciated.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hello Openmind,
In the Penguin Books 'Test your Business English' series there is a hotel and catering edition by Alison Pohl, which I highly recommend. It's got all the vocab they will need and lots of activities such as crosswords etc.
In addition throw in lots of dynamic activities. Hospitality offers numerous opportunities for role plays, telephone activities and so on.
I'm sure you could also find some fun things to do with a few episodes of 'Fawlty Towers'.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Are there any new ideas for teaching in the tourism industry since the last posting in May of 09?

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi, I'm preparing to teach English for tourism, especially English for restaurant staff, My Centre forces me to give them the outline of the lesson plans and phases or steps to teach English before I have class. You know, The waiter or watress has to be good communication in English at work so I have to try train them how to communicate well in specific situations. I love your ideas in this forum. I'd like to have some more suggestion from all of you. I am going to apply the task - based language teaching for my class.

I look forward to hearing from you.
my email address : kinggoes123@yahoo.com

Swan

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

What if you got copies of real menus and then had students do role plays? Or you can make your own menus. In the role play, you can add problems so that the students have to resolve the problems (real life is the same).

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hi, need help from all of you.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Thank you Bread Baker, I am going to use pair and group work in my teaching. I also device the content into 2 parts - basic structures and vocabulary; and specifics ( topics ralated to restaurant industries).

I need some more suggestions.
Swan

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

You may also try small group discussions. I love these and have used them a lot. Students often can share life experiences if you can give them specific questions to discuss. I limit groups to 3-5 students. I give the class a list of questions to discuss, and I keep all the questions for the activity focused on one topic. You can prepare a list of questions on, say, things that can go wrong if you are a server, and what you can say and do to calm the customer down.

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Hello,

I would set up a role play activity. In groups of twos one student could be working behind the desk while the other is a guest with many questions. Have them brainstorm for the first 10 minutes of class on what kind of situations a person could be faced with as a front desk person at a hotel. Students will need to give directions, talk about local attractions and calm down irrate guests. On my ESL website, which you can find by my name, I have a lesson dedicated to hotel vocabulary and expressions. Feel free to use any of these pages. Thanks!

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

I am the author of Be My Guest - English for the hotel industry -published by Cambridge University Press.

Check the links below for more information, or write to me directly. I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

Francis O'Hara

my own site : Be My Guest , The International course for the Hotel Industry
e: francis@be-my-guest.net

Cambridge University Press:

http://www.cambridge.org/fr/elt/cata...jectID=2561588

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Can you videotape the students when they do their role plays?

Re: Any ideas for Hotel English?
 

Looking for a free Hotel English resource you can use with your classes? Checkout out hotelenglish.org. It has reading, grammar, listening, and speaking exercises. Students can record their voice and compare it to a native speaker online. Pretty good considering it's free. Hotel English