The alignment between the ESP course materials and the English language used in the hotel setting in Vietnam

Abstract

This article examines the alignment between the ESP course materials – English for hotel majored students – and the English language used in the hotel setting in Vietnam. English textbooks which were commonly used in the ESP courses for hospitality students were reviewed for the limits on the portion of the written materials in comparison with the English language used by the hotel staff in the real-life setting. Content analysis was adopted for analyzing the course materials, particularly the activities provided for students to practice listening and speaking skills. The findings reveal that the textbooks cover a wide range of activities for students to practice communicative skills. However, most activities were situated in environments that were unfamiliar to students and that might limit students’ ability to meet guests’ needs.