English for Tour 

Guide
27 Jul

I.         Introduction

i.      The Importance of English

English is growing in popularity, as defined by the number of people who speak it. At least 400
million people speak English as their first language, and that number is only the beginning. A
recent estimate states that non-native speakers of English outnumber those for whom it is their
first language by a factor of three to one. These numbers combined represent over a quarter of
the entire world’s population. This is part of the reason why English is a very rewarding
language.

English speakers are spread widely throughout the world. This is one of the main benefits to
learning English as a second language. Since so many other people speak it, and in such
disparate areas, it vastly increases your chances of being able to communicate with as many
people as possible. Statistics show that it is the language most commonly taught as a foreign
language, so choosing to learn it yourself opens up a very wide range of communicability
options.

Another reason to learn English is the fact that increasing amounts of worldwide business are
being conducted in English. With the advent of outsourcing, for example, people in various
countries are being given the opportunity to work based on their capacity to speak English. Even
leaving aside the fact that bilingualism is always a useful skill, the scope for employment is
much wider for those who speak English in foreign countries. English, also, is the language in
which the sciences are most often discussed and presented. A study done in 1997 indicated that
95% of scientific publications and submissions, even at that time, were done in English. An even
more surprising fact is that only 50% of those submissions came from countries in which English
was the dominant language.

A final reason, which many would claim is the most important, is that the English-speaking
literary and cinematic landscape is so wide-reaching and diverse that watching or reading them
in their native language serves to both educate and entertain you. Some of the seminal literature
of all time, such as the works of William Shakespeare, is written in English. His plays and poems
are regarded by many to be necessary reading, and due to the nature of the writing, translations
of his works are often impossible. Of course, there is great literature in every language, but the
sheer wealth of choice in English-speaking entertainment is a great reward in and of itself.

These are only some of the reasons that the learning English is a wise thing to do. There are
many more examples of the importance of English, but the above should be more than enough to
tell you that if you want to have choices in life, learning English is one of the best ways to
accomplish that.

ii.      Brief Review of an ESP Approach in Syllabus design

From the early 1960’s, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to become one of the
most prominent areas of EFL teaching today. Some people described ESP as simply being the
teaching of English for any purpose that could be specified. Others, however, were more precise,
describing it as the teaching of English used in academic studies or the teaching of English for
vocational or professional purposes. Tony Dudley-Evans, co-editor of the ESP Journal, to clarify
the meaning of ESP, gave an extended definition of ESP in terms of ‘absolute’ and ‘variable’
characteristics.

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a learner-centered approach to teaching English as a

foreign or second language and designed to meet the needs of most learners who have to learn a
foreign language for use in their specific disciplines, such as science, technology, medicine and
academic learning. The requirement of an ESP approach to course design would be Needs
Analysis (NA), since it involves the awareness of a target situation. When evaluating an ESP
course and identifying the language needs of the learners, NA is not the only parameter to be
taken into account by the ESP teacher. There are other factors that have to be considered, such as
formulation of goals and objectives, besides content and selection, and development of ESP
materials. The dominant assumption in the field of ESP has been that if the needs of a group of
English language learners can be accurately specified, then this identification can be used to
establish the content of a language syllabus that will meet these needs. Yet, in Algerian
universities, progressive efforts are made to design comprehensive Language for Specific
Purpose syllabus which focuses on learners’ needs.

Moreover, knowing learner’s needs is not a simple task due to the multi-interpretations of the
needs. Needs can be interpreted into necessities, wants, and lacks (Hutchinson and Waters,
1993). Necessities (target needs) deal with the demand of the target situation (i.e. what the
learner needs to know in order to function effectively in the target situation). Lacks refer to the
learner’s existing language proficiency in order to help determination of the setting point of the
teaching and process. Wants relate to what the learner would like to gain from the language
course (personal aims).

Based on the explanations above before we have to design syllabus in an ESP, we should
identify the learner Needs, Lacks and Wants. So that, we know what materials should be taught,
for example syllabus design of English for Tour Guide.

 iii.      Method Of Doing Needs Analysis

The method of doing need analysis is done by library research, googling (internet searching) and
comparing with the reference of the job of tour guide. After analyzing, the writer makes need
analysis, then syllabus design.

II.         Needs Analysis

No. STEPS DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES

1. Identification of Who are the participants English Tour Guide
target group. of the course we design?
2. Identification of What are the Responsibilities of Tour Guide:
target group. responsibilities of the
professional workers in 1. Welcoming the tourists.
the target situation (in 2. Giving a brief description about the place.
terms of the use of 3. Explaining about the culture and history of
language) ? the place.
4. Teaching the tourists about the rules, safety,
and etiquettes.
5. Making the trip become more interesting.

3. Assessment of What kinds of In order to be able to do these responsibilities the tour

communicative communicative needs do guide must have language ability on:
needs professional workers need
to be able to do the 1. How to welcome the tourists
responsibilities? 2. How to give a brief description about the
place.
3. How to explain about the culture and history
of the place.
4. How to teach the tourists about the rules,
safety, and etiquettes.
5. How to make the trip become more
interesting.

4. Translation of What English One communicative needs can be translated into

Communicative competencies do they several English competencies:
Needs into English need to have in order to
Competencies be able to function 1. How to welcome the tourists:
effectively?
–       Can use greeting and leave taking

–       Can introduce himself / others

 –       Can introduce special events and offers

1. How to give a brief description about the

place:

–       Can explain the destination length and time

–       Can show the places of interest

–       Can give direction along the trip

1. How to explain about the culture and history:

–       Can understand the culture of the place

–       Can compare the culture with other cultures

–       Can tell the history of the place

1. How to teach the tourist about the rules,

safety, and etiquettes:

–       Can deal with the rules, safety, and etiquettes

–       Can explain about the rules, safety, and

etiquettes

1. How to make the trip become more

interesting:

–       Can handle complains from the tourists

–       Can answer the questions from the tourists

–       Can offer helps to the tourists

–       Can give advices/suggestions to the tourists

5. Translation of What language input 1.  –  Can use greeting and leave taking
English should be included in the
Competencies into syllabus in order to  Expression of greeting and leave taking
Linguistics and achieve language needed
other Specification in the target situation? –       Can introduce himself / others

 Expressions of self introduction

  Expression of introducing peoples

–       Can introduce special events and offers

 Expression of persuasive

2.  –  Can explain the destination length and time

 Preposition and conjunction

 Currency
 Present tenses

–       Can show the places of interest

 Describe something
 Preposition and conjunction

–       Can give direction along the trip

 Expressions of giving directions

3.  –  Can understand the culture of the place

 Weather and environments

 Present tenses

–       Can compare the culture with other cultures

 Degree of comparison
 Conjunction words

–       Can tell the history of the place

 Past Tenses
 Narrative

4.  –  Can deal with the rules, safety, and etiquettes

 The symbols (e.g. “No Smoking”, “No

Littering”, “No Food and Drinks”, etc.)

–       Can explain about the rules, safety, and

etiquettes

 Imperative Expressions
  Persuasive Expression

5.  –  Can handle complain from the tourists

 Expression of  apologizing politely

–       Can answer the question from the tourists

 Expressions of  answering questions

 Direct and indirect questions

–       Can offer helps to the tourists

 Expressions of offering help (e.g. “Can I get

something for you?”, “Would you like to
have….?”, etc.)

–       Can give advices/suggestions to the tourists

 Modals Auxiliary and similar expressio

III.         Sample of The Syllabus

Me Skills English Topics/ Source of Materials

et Competen Materials
cy
I Listeni ü   Sampl http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide-sample-
ng and Introducti e speech.htm
on to speec
Speaki English h of  
ng tour guide tour
activity guide Utami, Puput. 2012. Smart English for Traveller. PT BHUANA
 Use ILMU POPULER: Jakarta
ü  Can greeti
use ng
greeting and
and leave leave
taking taking

ü  Can –       Hello

introduce
himself –       Good
and others Morning
Mr./Mrs.
ü  Can
introduce –       Good
special Afternoon
events Mr./Mrs.
and offers
–       Good
Evening
Mr./Mrs.

–       Nice to
meet you

–       Thank
you

 Introd
uce
himse
lf  and
others
:

–       My
name is …

–       This is
the driver, …

–       We are
from …

 Introd
uce
specia
l
events
and
offers:

–       Our
tours offers a
variety of
 special
discounts in
…

–       We
have …

–       Please
allow us to
book all of
your day trips
and activities
while you are
here
II Speaki ü  Can  Explai http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide-interest.htm
ng explain n the
the destin
destinatio ation
n length length
and time and
time
ü  Can
show the –       This
places of tour will take
interest … minutes

ü  Can –       On …
give minutes we
direction will arrive in
along the …
trip
–       We are
now coming
up to…

 Show
the
places
of
intere
st

–       Take a
good look
 at…

–       As you
will see..

–       Keep
your eyes
open for..

–       You
may have
noticed…

 Give
directi
on
along
the
trip

–       In front
of you is …

–       On the
left/right you
will see …

–       Up
ahead…

–       Of the
north …
III Listeni ü  Can  Listen http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/
ng, understan about AP_Sect_2_Part_B_CultComp_Effective-2011.mp3
Speaki d the cultur
ng, culture of al  
and the place comp
Readi arison http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide-safety.htm
ng ü  Can  Under
compare stand  
the the
culture cultur http://www.englishdirection.com/2012/10/16-contoh-terbaik-
with other e: narrative-text-pendek.html/m=1
cultures
–       In this
 ü  Can tell region we  
the bow rather
history of than shake Johan. 2011. 1 jam Mahir Menguasai Grammar. PT SUKA BUKU:
the place hands during Jakarta
a first
meeting

–       It is
customary in
our country
to tip the
friendly bus
driver

–       To
indicate that
you want to
get on or off
the bus
simply wave
your hand at
the driver

 Narrat
ive
text

IV Speaki ü  Can  The http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/tour-guide-safety.htm

ng deal with symb
the rules, ols:
safety,
and –       No
etiquettes Littering

ü  Can –       No
explain Feeding
about the Animals
rules,
safety, –       No
and Smoking
etiquettes
–       No
Foods and
Drinks
 –       No
Photo

 Explai
n
about
the
rules,
safety
, and
etique
ttes

–       You are

strictly
forbidden
from taking
photographs

–       Please
stay on the
marked path.

–       Please
keep your
seatbelts
fastened at all
times

–       Please
stay with
your group at
all times

–       I do not
recommend
swimming
here. The
water is very
rough
V Speaki ü  Can  Handl Johan. 2011. 1 jam Mahir Menguasai Grammar. PT SUKA BUKU:
ng handle e Jakarta
complains compl
from the ains  
tourists from
 the
ü  Can tourist Utami, Puput. 2012. Smart English for Traveller. PT BHUANA
answer s ILMU POPULER: Jakarta
the
questions –       I do  
from the apologize for
tourists that … http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-

ü  Can –       Thanks

offer for
helps to reminding, …
the
tourists –       Pardon
my …
ü  Can
give  Answ
advices / er the
suggestio questi
ns to the ons
tourists from
the
tourist
s

–       Yes, I
do

–       No,
they aren’t

–       That’s a
good
question!

 Offer
helps
to the
tourist
s

–       Can I
get
something for
you?

–       Would
you like to
have….?

 Give
advice
s/
sugge
stions
to the
tourist
s

–       I
suggest that
…

–       You
might …

–       We
shall ….

–       We are
supposed to
…