VietTESOL International Convention 2026

In the context of the growing tourism industry in Northwest Vietnam, particularly the development of community-based tourism and the increasing number of international visitors, English communication skills have become essential for vocational tourism students. However, English teaching at many vocational colleges in Vietnam still focuses mainly on grammar and general language knowledge, while practical workplace communication skills have not been fully integrated into English courses. This situation creates a gap between classroom learning and the real demands of the tourism industry. This study aims to investigate the workplace English communication needs of vocational tourism students at Son La College and propose ways to integrate workplace communication skills into English classes. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including questionnaires for tourism students and semi-structured interviews with English teachers, tourism lecturers, and local tourism employers. The research focuses on identifying common communication situations in tourism workplaces such as welcoming international tourists, introducing local culture and tourist attractions, guiding tours, giving directions, and handling tourists’ requests. The expected findings indicate that speaking and listening skills for real-life communication are highly valued by both students and employers, while the current English curriculum does not adequately meet these practical needs. Based on the findings, the study proposes integrating communicative activities, role-plays, and localized tourism content into vocational English classes in order to improve students’ communicative competence, employability, and readiness for future careers in the tourism industry.