The language of tourism: An introduction to the topical issue

Language proficiency is essential in all professional fields, perhaps all the more so in the tourism and hospitality industry due to its specific nature and concepts. Thus, it is required that educators understand the practical applications of the ESP approach (Zulqarnain, Abu Bakar, & Saffari, 2017). Teaching ESP in the field of tourism and hospitality means focussing on specific linguistic skills, and this would benefit from a different approach to that normally adopted for pedagogical purposes, which is still heavily based on acquiring vocabulary skills. It requires a shift to a range of specific language skills mostly based on understanding diverse types of discourse in varied language situations and contexts. As Staiton (2018) states, unfortunately to date there has been little or no recognition of the link existing between ESP and tourism within the tourism industry or academia. Re-forming educational paradigms of the current subjects to include these sectors should produce favourable results. An attempt in this regard is offered by this issue of Scripta Manent in which pedagogical applications and theoretical frameworks are presented. The goal is to raise awareness in both ESP specialists and students of those socio-cultural elements which may disrupt communication in the tourism workplace.