scholarly journals Problems and Needs Analysis of English for Tourism Industry: A Case of Hotel Staff in Phang Nga Province, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanyakorn Sermsook ◽  
Rattaneekorn Nakplad ◽  
Ladawan Jantawong

Tourism is an important industry that has created a lot of income for many nations, including Thailand; therefore, it is essential to increase its potential as a more sustainable and successful industry, in particular to support a sustainable recovery of nations’ economies after a tough situation like Covid-19. The present study was carried out to investigate tourism staff’s problems and needs for using English at work and to explore their needs for improving English for their work. The participants were 200 hotel staff in Phang Nga Province, Thailand. Data were collected through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for data analysis. The findings showed that in general, the hotel staff’s problem in using English at work was at a moderate level (M=2.76, S.D.=1.11). They had English writing problems the most. They found it very difficult to write letters or e-mails in English. Regarding their needs for using English, it was found that every English skill was rated at a high level (M=3.75, S.D.=1.11), and English speaking was the most necessary. The hotel staff reported that they had to speak English to welcome, greet and say good-bye to foreign guests. Pertaining to their needs for improving English, overall, the hotel staff needed to improve their English skills at a high level (M=3.85, S.D.=0.98). They highly needed to improve their English use in every aspect, especially English listening. Based on the interview information, English courses, handbooks or applications relating to English for hotels are truly needed for their English use improvement.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanyakorn Sermsook ◽  
◽  
Rattaneekorn Nakplad ◽  
Ladawan Jantawong

Tourism is an important industry that has created a lot of income for many nations, including Thailand; therefore, it is essential to increase its potential as a more sustainable and successful industry, in particular to support a sustainable recovery of nations’ economies after a tough situation like Covid-19. The present study was carried out to investigate tourism staff’s problems and needs for using English at work and to explore their needs for improving English for their work. The participants were 200 hotel staff in Phang Nga Province, Thailand. Data were collected through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for data analysis. The findings showed that in general, the hotel staff’s problem in using English at work was at a moderate level (M=2.76, S.D.=1.11). They had English writing problems the most. They found it very difficult to write letters or e-mails in English. Regarding their needs for using English, it was found that every English skill was rated at a high level (M=3.75, S.D.=1.11), and English speaking was the most necessary. The hotel staff reported that they had to speak English to welcome, greet and say good-bye to foreign guests. Pertaining to their needs for improving English, overall, the hotel staff needed to improve their English skills at a high level (M=3.85, S.D.=0.98). They highly needed to improve their English use in every aspect, especially English listening. Based on the interview information, English courses, handbooks or applications relating to English for hotels are truly needed for their English use improvement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Aminah Suriaman ◽  
Asfah Rahman ◽  
Nurdin Noni

The objective of this research is to develop web-based English instructional materials which enable to promote students’ independent learning at university context. To comprehend this objective, the researcher employs R & D (Research and Development) design by mixing quantitative and qualitative methods. This research is conducted at Faculty of Engineering Tadulako University. The subjects of the study are the lecturers who teach English for the general course and the students of faculty of Engineering. Subject matter experts were also involved to validate the product. The data were collected through semi-structured interview; study the related documents and the results of questionnaire distribution. The data in these phases were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. In reference to data analysis, five findings are documented as explored in this part of the article. In summary, the development of web-based English instructional materials oriented to promote independent learning is effective and responded positively both lecturers and students. With the various supported activities and along with the flexible learning atmosphere and methods of delivery, the web-based English instructional materials are effective to promote students’ independent learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ford ◽  
Natalie Edelman ◽  
Laura Somers ◽  
Duncan Shrewsbury ◽  
Marcela Lopez Levy ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Well-established electronic data capture in UK general practice means that algorithms, developed on patient data, can be used for automated clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). These can predict patient risk, help with prescribing safety, improve diagnosis and prompt clinicians to record extra data. However, there is persistent evidence of low uptake of CDSSs in the clinic. We interviewed UK General Practitioners (GPs) to understand what features of CDSSs, and the contexts of their use, facilitate or present barriers to their use. Methods We interviewed 11 practicing GPs in London and South England using a semi-structured interview schedule and discussed a hypothetical CDSS that could detect early signs of dementia. We applied thematic analysis to the anonymised interview transcripts. Results We identified three overarching themes: trust in individual CDSSs; usability of individual CDSSs; and usability of CDSSs in the broader practice context, to which nine subthemes contributed. Trust was affected by CDSS provenance, perceived threat to autonomy and clear management guidance. Usability was influenced by sensitivity to the patient context, CDSS flexibility, ease of control, and non-intrusiveness. CDSSs were more likely to be used by GPs if they did not contribute to alert proliferation and subsequent fatigue, or if GPs were provided with training in their use. Conclusions Building on these findings we make a number of recommendations for CDSS developers to consider when bringing a new CDSS into GP patient records systems. These include co-producing CDSS with GPs to improve fit within clinic workflow and wider practice systems, ensuring a high level of accuracy and a clear clinical pathway, and providing CDSS training for practice staff. These recommendations may reduce the proliferation of unhelpful alerts that can result in important decision-support being ignored.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Junita Junita ◽  
Zainuddin Zainuddin ◽  
Ibnu Hajar ◽  
Rahma Muti’ah ◽  
Marlina Siregar

This study aims to obtain a concrete picture of the effectiveness of the application of the principles of teacher Islamic communication in fostering the character of tenth grade students of Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Rantauprapat. The communication process in education is not only understood as a one-way knowledge transfer process, however, there must be a serious effort on the part of the educator / teacher, as a communicator, to be able to provide good role models. Qualitative research methods try to understand a phenomenon as the understanding of the respondents studied, with an emphasis on the subjective aspects of one's behavior. Qualitative research provides an opportunity for researchers to understand the way respondents describe the world around them based on the way they think. The researcher tries to enter the conceptual world of the subject under study to capture what and how things happen. Data collection techniques used in this study were interviews in this study researchers used a semi-structured interview (semitructure interview), namely: interviews in the category of in-depth interviews. Data about the application of teacher Islamic communication and the communication character of tenth grade students, data analysis used in this study during the field using the Miles and Huberman Model, namely the activities in qualitative data analysis are carried out interactively and continue continuously until completion, so that the data is already saturated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Biricik ◽  
V Bianchi ◽  
F Lecciso ◽  
M Surdo ◽  
M Manno ◽  
...  

Abstract Study question To explore ploidy concordance between invasive and non-invasive PGTA (niPGT-A) at different embryo culture time. Summary answer High level (>84%) of concordance rate for ploidy and sex, sensitivity (>88%), and specificity (76%) were obtained for both day6/7 samples and day5 samples. What is known already The analysis of embryo cell free DNA (cfDNA) that are released into culture media during in vitro embryo development has the potential to evaluate embryo ploidy status. However, obtaining sufficient quality and quantity of cfDNA is essential to achieve interpretable results for niPGT-A. More culture time is expected to be directly proportional to the release of more cfDNA. But embryo culture time is limited due to in-vitro embryo survival potential. Therefore, it is important to estimate the duration of the culture that will provide the maximum cfDNA that can be obtained without adversely affecting the development of the embryo. Study design, size, duration A total of 105 spent culture media (SCM) from day5-day7 blastocyst stage embryos have been included in this cohort study. The cfDNA of SCM samples were amplified and analyzed for niPGT-A by NGS analysis. The SCM samples were divided into 2 subgroups according the embryo culture hours (Day5 and Day6/7 group). The DNA concentration, informativity and euploidy results have then been compared with their corresponding embryos after trophectoderm biopsy (TE) and PGT-A analysis by NGS Participants/materials, setting, methods Embryos cultured until Day3 washed and cultured again in 20µl fresh culture media until embryo biopsy on Day5, 6, or 7. After biopsy SCM samples were immediately collected in PCR tubes and conserved at –20 °C until whole genome amplification by MALBAC® (Yicon Genomics). The TE and SCM samples were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) using Illumina MiSeq® System. NGS data analysis has been done by Bluefuse Multi Software 4.5 (Illumina) for SCM and TE samples Main results and the role of chance Only the SCM samples which have an embryo with a conclusive result were included in this cohort (n = 105). Overall 97.1% (102/105) of SCM samples gave a successful DNA amplification with a concentration ranging 32.4–128.5ng/µl. Non-informative (NI) results including a chaotic profile (>5 chromosome aneuploidies) were observed in 17 samples, so 83.3%(85/102) of SCM samples were informative for NGS data analysis. Ploidy concordance rate with the corresponding TE biopsies (euploid vs euploid, aneuploid vs aneuploid) was 84.7% (72/85). Sensitivity and specificity were 92,8% and 76,7%, respectively with no significant difference for all parameters for day 6/7 samples compared with day 5 samples. The false-negative rate was 3.5% (3/85), and false-positive rate was 11.7% (10/85). Limitations, reasons for caution The sample size is relatively small. Larger prospective studies are needed. As this is a single-center study, the impact of the variations in embryo culture conditions can be underestimated. Maternal DNA contamination risk cannot be revealed in SCM, therefore the use of molecular markers would increase the reliability. Wider implications of the findings: Non-invasive analysis of embryo cfDNA analyzed in spent culture media demonstrates high concordance with TE biopsy results in both early and late culture time. A non-invasive approach for aneuploidy screening offers important advantages such as avoiding invasive embryo biopsy and decreased cost, potentially increasing accessibility for a wider patient population. Trial registration number Not applicable


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35
Author(s):  
Cam Thi Hong Khuong ◽  
Ly Thi Tran

Purpose Tourism is one of the most notable features of the contemporary globalised world. The tourism industry is becoming increasingly vital to the economy of many developing and developed countries around the globe. The demand of the tourism industry has posed a challenge for tourism training providers to move towards a more responsive and internationalised curriculum to enhance work readiness for tourism graduates who are expected to work with an increased number of international tourists. The purpose of this paper is analyse whether and how internationalisation has been implemented in the tourism training programmes across six institutions in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach The research deployed case studies as research strategy with interviews and document analysis as two instruments of data collection. Findings The major findings show that even though the tourism industry demands graduates to possess global competency, knowledge and skills, the curriculum does not prioritise the internationalisation dimensions and the faculty members are not facilitated to be internationally active in their roles. Overall, internationalisation is still fragmented and ad hoc in these institutions even though the private institutions in this research appear to be more responsive to the trend of internationalisation in education than their public counterparts. Research limitations/implications The paper provides recommendations on how to effectively embed internationalisation components into local tourism training programs in Vietnam. Originality/value The research bridges the gap in the literature on internationalisation of the local tourism programme in non-English-speaking countries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiasheng D Guo ◽  
William F Vann ◽  
Jessica Y Lee ◽  
Michael W Roberts

Objective: There is a gap in the literature regarding optimal methods for the dental team to help address the childhood obesity epidemic; accordingly, this investigation sought to identify preferred communication approaches the dental team can rely upon to initiate dialogue with caregivers regarding the weight of their children. Study Design: A structured interview guide containing seven potential Healthy Weight Counseling (HWC) approaches and eight follow up questions was developed, pilot-tested, revised and utilized as a structured interview guide. Interviews were conducted at the Children's Clinic at the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) with 50 participants who are English-speaking caregivers of children ages 4–12. Results: Ninety-four percent of the participants were receptive to HWC in the dental setting. Caregivers indicated varying levels of acceptance for the seven HWC-approaches based on specific word choices in each approach. Sixty percent preferred HWC to be delivered with the child not present while 34% preferred the child's presence and 6% had no preference. Conclusions: Caregivers were open to weight-related conversations in the dental setting but to be well received, the dental team must choose their approach carefully and establish the proper doctor/patient relationship prior to HWC delivery. An individualized HWC-approach tailored to the specific needs of each family is indicated.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewi Putri Handayani ◽  
Rahadian Zainul ◽  
Fajriah Azra

Abstract— This research is aimed to produce a prezi multimedia based on Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Basic Law of Chemistry material and to determine the level ov validaty and practicality based on media’s function. This research is Researc and Development (R&D) which applies 4-D madel: define, design, develop, and disseminate. The research is done until development stage. Determining the level of validity and practicality are done by Chemistry lecturer, Chemistry teacher,and students of class XI IPA SMAN 1 Bukittinggi. The research instrument is questionnaire which consists of validity questionnaire and practicality questionnaire. The technic of data collection is done by distributing questionnaire. The data is analyzed by using moment kappa. From the data analysis,it is found that Prezi Multimedia based on Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Basic Law of Chemistry material has moment kappa validity about 0,85 with very high level of validity, moment kappa practicality from teacher’s evaluation about 0,86 with very high level of practicality, and moment kappa practicality from student’s evaluation about 0,80 with high level of practicality. The learning media that have been developed is proved valid and practical, so it can be used on Chemistry learning process in class X IPA at SMAN 1 Bukittinggi.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Alfaiz Alfaiz ◽  
Hendra Hidayat ◽  
Hengki Yandri ◽  
Aprilia Tina Lidya Sari ◽  
Fendahapsari Singgih Sendayu ◽  
...  

Research found that self-efficacy has an important role in the development of students’ career cognitive skills. Besides, there still needs further research in self-efficacy, particularly in career readiness. The authors conduct this continuing study is to determine the effect of understanding perceived self-efficacy on student’s awareness in career readiness (mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and emotional arousal). Data collected using a self-report of the Self-Efficacy Scale in Career Readiness (SESCR), semi-structured interview, and observation of student’s behavior between both participants with the high and low level of self-efficacy. In the current study, 100 students involved based on their convenience. Results showed that 66% of participants have a high mastery experience, 69% with high vicarious experience, 76% have a high percentage in social persuasion, and 70% have a high level of emotional arousal to understanding their career readiness. The results also showed perceived self-efficacy predicts student’s awareness of career readiness based on gender.


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