scholarly journals Linguistic labour: International hospitality employees’ use of non-English native language in service encounters

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-8
Author(s):  
David Williamson ◽  
Tingting Chen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Language Communication

The enduring growth in the international hospitality and tourism sector, in conjunction with an increasingly globalised labour market, has increased the chances of tourists being served by staff using their shared non-English native language. Numerous studies have explored the use of native language in service encounters, with customer perceptions widely investigated [1,2]. However employees’ perspectives of non-English native language use in the servicescape are under-researched. This study is a part of an AUT Master of International Hospitality Management dissertation. The study applied a qualitative methodology, interviewing eight international employees in New Zealand hotels with long-term experience of speaking their non-English native language in service encounters. Results of the study indicated that employees are well aware of the demands for employers to provide customer-oriented service by speaking their non-English native language; however, in any service encounters with customers speaking the same native language, staff have a strong preference for initiating service communication in English. The interviews showed that this preference was a result of workers experiencing considerable concerns, stress and anxiety around the use of their non-English native language. Specifically, a complex series of considerations and decisions occur when staff are faced with customers who might want to use shared non-English native language, suggesting employees experience ‘linguistic labour’, similar to the constructs of emotional [3,4] and aesthetic labour [5]. Participants indicated that the choice of using non-English native language may be passive (i.e. following the lead of a guest who recognises the staff member as a fellow speaker), or proactive when workers recognise a customers’ poor English and use their native language to minimise guest embarrassment. Given the complexity and distinctiveness of each service context, participants suggested they had principles that underpinned their choice of language in the service space. Firstly, that English is the default service language and should be used as such; secondly, that participants did not want to assume guests’ ethnic/language identity and so avoided using their non-English native language; thirdly, participants avoided using non-English native language so as to not be identified as a particular ethnicity. Crucially, participants sought to avoid being ethnically/linguistically pigeonholed, because engaging in shared native language in the servicescape was perceived to lead to significantly increased customer service demands and thus increased workload. In essence, participants stated that using shared language in the service space immediately engaged cultural norms from their home countries that they would rather avoid; notably increased workloads, guest expectations of subservience and a perceived loss of status and respect for the participants. The study makes an original contribution to management studies, showing that managers and owners should consider the impacts of linguistic labour on employees in the servicescape. What can appear as a simple request to speak a certain language can engage employees in a complex process of choices and considerations as they try to avoid the perceived work intensification that comes with speaking their non-English native language. The full dissertation can be accessed here: https://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/10877/ChenT.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y Corresponding author David Williamson can be contacted at: [email protected] References ((1) Holmqvist, J.; Van Vaerenbergh, Y.; Grönroos, C. Consumer Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language: Communication in Service Settings. Management Decision 2014, 52(5), 950–966. http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-3214078 (2) Kang, S.-J. Dynamic Emergence of Situational Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language. System 2005, 33(2), 277–292.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2004.10.004 (3) Hochschild, A.R. Emotion Work, Feeling Rules, and Social Structure. American Journal of Sociology 1979, 85(3), 551–575. https://doi.org/10.1086/227049 (4) Hochschild, A.R. The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling; University of California Press: Berkeley, CA, 1983. (5) Warhurst, C.; Nickson, D. Employee Experience of Aesthetic Labour in Retail and Hospitality. Work Employment & Society 2007, 21, 103–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017007073622 

scholarly journals Switches to English during French Service Encounters: Relationships with L2 French Speakers’ Willingness to Communicate and Motivation

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie McNaughton ◽  
Kim McDonough
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Motivation To Learn

This exploratory study investigated second language (L2) French speakers’ service encounters in the multilingual se ing of Montreal, specifically whether switches to English during French service encounters were related to L2 speakers’ willingness to communicate or motivation. Over a two-week period, 17 French L2 speakers in Montreal submitted online questionnaires after they concluded service encounters that they had initiated in French. Their willingness to communicate in French was higher when the service provider did not switch to English; however, the frequency of English switches was not related to their general motivation to learn French. Possible reasons for language switches are explored, and pedagogical implications are highlighted. Ce e étude exploratoire porte sur des consultations qu’ont eues des locuteurs de français L2 dans le milieu plurilingue qu’est Montréal; plus précisément, les auteures se penchent sur la question de savoir si les transferts du français vers l’anglais pendant les consultations étaient liés à la volonté des locuteurs L2 à communiquer ou à la motivation. Au cours d’une période de deux semaines, 17 locuteurs de français L2 à Montréal ont complété des questionnaires en ligne après avoir eu des consultations qu’ils avaient initiées en français. Ils étaient plus motivés à communiquer en français quand le fournisseur de services ne passait pas à l’anglais; toutefois, la fréquence des transferts vers l’anglais n’était pas liée à leur motivation générale pour apprendre le français. Les auteures évoquent des raisons possibles pour le passage à l’anglais et en soulignent les répercussions pédagogiques. 

scholarly journals Consumer willingness to communicate in a second language

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 950-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Holmqvist ◽  
Yves Van Vaerenbergh ◽  
Christian Grönroos
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Language Difficulties ◽  
Management Literature

Purpose – The service management literature emphasizes the importance of communication, but language difficulties can make communicating in business settings more difficult. The purpose of this paper is to address consumer willingness to communicate in a second language to identity the antecedents that drive consumer language preferences. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the findings from two empirical studies in two multilingual countries with a total of 361 adult respondents. Findings – The findings show perceived control to be the strongest antecedent of consumer willingness to communicate in a second language, and identifies second language skills as an antecedent in countries with little political tensions related to language, while political considerations is a strong antecedent in countries where language use is political. Research limitations/implications – The studies are limited to countries with more than one official language. While multilingual countries make up around two-third of the world's population, future research could test whether the same antecedents are applicable in monolingual societies. Practical implications – The findings help managers to understand in which situations consumers may be willing to switch language, and in which situations it is important to serve consumers in more than one language. Originality/value – The paper is the first to draw upon both the service management literature and the sociolinguistic literature to develop and test a model to explain consumer language preferences. This model may help managers to develop strategies for customer service in multilingual markets.

scholarly journals Affective variables and informal digital learning of English: Keys to willingness to communicate in a second language

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju Seong Lee ◽  
Nur Arifah Drajati
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
Affective Variables

This study examined the under-researched relationship between informal digital learning of English (IDLE) activities (receptive IDLE activities and productive IDLE activities), affective variables (grit, motivation, self-confidence and second language speaking anxiety) and willingness to communicate in a second language. Data (N = 183) were collected through a questionnaire from one state university in an English-as-a-foreign-language Indonesian context. The results showed that students’ willingness to communicate correlated significantly with all of the IDLE activities and affective variables. However, only productive IDLE activities, grit, self-confidence, and motivation were identified as the significant predictors of students’ willingness to communicate. Findings suggest that students’ IDLE engagement and affective states play a significant role in a second language communication. In particular, pedagogical benefits of affective variables (e.g., grit, self-confidence, and motivation) and productive IDLE activities should be emphasised to facilitate students’ willingness to communicate in a second language. These results will broaden current knowledge of IDLE and second language communication behaviour, which can contribute to bridging the interdisciplinary gap between computer assisted language learning, second language acquisition, and psychology.

scholarly journals TO THE ISSUE OF PEDAGOGIC TECHNOLOGIES USE IN WORK ON TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO JUNIOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

2018 ◽  
pp. 53-65
Author(s):  
Irina Mordous ◽  
Inna Kutsenko
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Mental Processes ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
Intensive Development ◽  
Natural Way

Many authors consider the preschool age to be exceptionally "sensitive" to the perception and reproduction of the language. The development of the native language precedes the development of the foreign language and gives the basis for mastering the second language. In addition, there is an intensive development of all physical and mental processes that are "adapted" to the environment surrounding the child, which, in turn, permits the natural way to acquaint children with the basics of foreign language communication. Consideration of the above-mentioned is especially important in working with children of junior preschool age, as the mechanism of their psycho-physiological development is extremely vulnerable. In this case, the use of pedagogical technologies serves for its diversification, which stimulates and accelerates it. However, not all innovational technologies offered by modern educators are designed for work with children of junior preschool age or adapted to such.

Attraction during the service encounter: examining the other side of the coin

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 504-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker G. Kuppelwieser ◽  
Mourad Touzani
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Other ◽  
Service Encounter ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Social Attraction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions

Purpose The existing literature dealing with attractiveness during a service encounter focuses on employee attractiveness and its consequences. This paper aims to consider the other side of the coin by focusing on customers’ attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of two studies, this paper presents and tests a model explaining the specific role that employee social attraction plays in customer service perception and satisfaction judgment. Findings It suggests that the appraisal of customers’ physical attractiveness and homophily may lead to situations in which employees are socially attracted to customers, thus influencing customer service perception. Originality/value Consequently, this research provides insights into the role of attraction determinants in a service context. In addition, it demonstrates how employees’ social attraction is triggered in a service context. The findings contribute to satisfaction research by extending prior research perceptions on dyadic service encounters and examining both employee attitude and customer perceptions in service interactions.

scholarly journals The Effect of Attitudes and Emotions on the Desire to Use Arabic in Communication: Case Study of the Learners of Arabic as a Second Language at the Malysian University of Islamic Sciences

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 330
Author(s):  
Mechael Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Language Communication

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attitudes and emotions on the desire to use Arabic in communication in a second language learning context, in this case learners of Arabic as a second language at the Malaysian University of Islamic Sciences. A number of 225 students from the Islamic Science University of Malaysiavoluntarily participated in the study. The students represented four faculties of the University. A model of "willingness" to communicate in the second language was tested using Structural Equation Modeling and was found to accurately fit the data. The study found that language competence was antecedent of language communication confidence, while language confidence significantly and statistically correlated with willingness to communicate and consequently with language proficiency. The study also showed that male learners are more liable to language anxiety which was found to be negatively correlated with language competence and consequently lack of ability to use the target language. The study recommends that teachers provide learners of Arabic as a second language with greater opportunities to use the language inside and outside the classroom and to make their teaching more task-orientedinstead of lecture-oriented. 

Distinctiveness and Assimilation in Vowel Perception in a Second Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 4534-4543
Author(s):  
Wei Hu ◽  
Sha Tao ◽  
Mingshuang Li ◽  
Chang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Vowel Identification ◽  
Vowel Perception ◽  
Perceptual Distance ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Chinese Counterpart ◽  
Vowel Categories

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how the distinctive establishment of 2nd language (L2) vowel categories (e.g., how distinctively an L2 vowel is established from nearby L2 vowels and from the native language counterpart in the 1st formant [F1] × 2nd formant [F2] vowel space) affected L2 vowel perception. Method Identification of 12 natural English monophthongs, and categorization and rating of synthetic English vowels /i/ and /ɪ/ in the F1 × F2 space were measured for Chinese-native (CN) and English-native (EN) listeners. CN listeners were also examined with categorization and rating of Chinese vowels in the F1 × F2 space. Results As expected, EN listeners significantly outperformed CN listeners in English vowel identification. Whereas EN listeners showed distinctive establishment of 2 English vowels, CN listeners had multiple patterns of L2 vowel establishment: both, 1, or neither established. Moreover, CN listeners' English vowel perception was significantly related to the perceptual distance between the English vowel and its Chinese counterpart, and the perceptual distance between the adjacent English vowels. Conclusions L2 vowel perception relied on listeners' capacity to distinctively establish L2 vowel categories that were distant from the nearby L2 vowels.

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