Module 11: Tourism in ASEAN

Table of Contents

Resources

Standards of English for Tour Guides (In-Bound)


STANDARD 1: UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPETING SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE ON A WORK TOPIC

1.1  Using listening skills at an intermediate level

1.2 Using reading skills at an intermediate level

Benchmark Indicators:

  1. Understand verbal details of social exchanges, e.g. greetings, leave-taking, introductions
  2. Identify expressions used to attract attention; request assistance; appeal for repetition and clarification; express appreciation, complaints, hopes, disappointment, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, approval and disapproval
  3. Understand tourists’ questions, requests, opinions, suggestions, advice, compliments, complaints, refusals and orders
  4. Understand tourists’ purposes in suggestions, advice, requests, reminders, and orders\
  5. Understand messages left on the phone and voice-mail
  6. Understand specific factual details and inferred meanings in dialogues
  7. Understand factual details and inferred meanings in news or other media related to economic, social, political, and tourism issues
  8. Recognize irony, sarcasm, and humor from tourists
  9. Identify attitudes, emotions, and intention of tourists
  10.  Understand different accents

Benchmark Indicators:

  1.  Get key information from notes, e-mail messages, faxes concerning tours
  2. Understand simple instructions, e.g. on medicine labels, food packaging labels
  3. Get economic, political, social, and travel information from newspapers and other publications
  4. Understand tables, graphs, maps, charts, etc.

STANDARD 2: USING SPOKEN AND WRITTEN ENGLISH TO PARTICIPATE IN WORK INTERACTION

2.1   Using spoken English at an advanced level

2.2   Using written English at an intermediate level

Benchmark Indicators:

  1. Use and respond to basic courtesy formulas, e.g. greetings, leave-taking, introductions
  2. Ask and respond to tourists’ questions, requests, opinions, suggestions and advice
  3. Give tourists directions, instructions, suggestions, advice, compliments, apologies, warnings, and compliments
  4. Explain and describe information to tourists, e.g. itineraries, hotel facilities, problems, bookings, daily activities, weather, programs
  5. Explain complex concepts by using concrete details,  statistics, testimony
  6. Present information about Thai history, culture (art, music, food, drinks, fruits, festivals, sports, etc.), politics institutions and manufacturing processes
  7. Initiate and carry on small talk
  8. Handle phone situations and standard replies
  9. Speak with considerable fluency and accuracy with emphasis on clear pronunciation patterns
  10. Adjust language for clarity and accuracy

Benchmark Indicators:

  1.  Write messages, e.g. notes, reminders, announcements
  2. Write simple instructions
  3. Write social messages, e.g. thank you cards, e-mail
  4. Fill out forms

 

STANDARD 3: USING AN APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE VARIETY AND REGISTER ACCORDING TO AUDIENCE, PURPOSE, SETTIHING, AND CULTURE
Advanced Benchmark Indicators:

  1. Use appropriate Language register to interact with tourists
  2. Respond appropriately to compliments, refusals, negative value judgments, criticism and complaints from tourists
  3. Use polite language to interact with tourists, especially when persuading, expressing value judgments, emotions and negotiating
  4. Select appropriate topic to discuss with tourists
  5. Use idiomatic expression appropriately
  6. Recognize humor and respond appropriately
  7. Determine when and how to tell a joke

STANDARD 4: UNDERSTANDING AND USING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION APPROPRIATE TO AUDIENCE, PURPOSE, SETTING, AND CULTURE
Advanced Benchmark Indicators:

  1. Understand body language norms among various cultures
  2. Identify nonverbal cues that cause misunderstanding or indicate communication problems
  3. Identify attitudes, emotions of tourists from their nonverbal communication
  4. Understand and use gestures, facial and body language appropriate to tourists’ cultures, e.g. appropriate space to maintain while standing, sitting near tourists, level of eye contact, etc.
  5. Use intonation, pitch, volume and tone of voice appropriately