A Situational and Needs Assessment Study on the Use of French in the Hospitality Industry in Zambia With Specific Reference to Selected Hotels and Lodges in Livingstone
The need for foreign language skills in economic sectors of the country, in general and the hospitality industry in particular, cannot be overemphasised. Skills in the language of another country are vital when communicating with people of that country. This study discusses the results of the research that sought to assess the use of and need for French in the hospitality industry in Zambia. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis. A non-experimental post-test design was used to help provide the descriptive information. Respondents were drawn from selected hotels and lodges, Ministry of Tourism and Arts (M.T.A), National Heritage, Livingstone Museum and Tourist Board in Livingstone, while in Lusaka, respondents were drawn from M.T.A Headquarters and Hotel and Tourism Training Institute Trust (HTTIT). Data were obtained using both open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and guided conversations. The results for this research justify a felt need for knowledge of French in the industry. Instances where French is used in the industry were identified and it was established through this research that there is need for French language skills in the hospitality industry but the hotel workers’ levels of a working knowledge of French were found to be low. Communication difficulties regarding the use of French in the hospitality industry are a reality. As a result, French-speaking guides are hired as a way of resolving this problem. However, this has its own challenges of being costly and putting Zambians who cannot speak French at a disadvantage because they miss the opportunity of being employed as tour guides for French-speaking tourists. Although French lessons for hotel staff are arranged as a way of reducing the language barrier, communication difficulties regarding the use of French in the industry are still prevalent. Furthermore, French-speaking tourists who visit Zambia confirmed the fact that they experienced language and culture barriers during their stay in Zambia. French is taught at HTTIT but graduates have their own challenges of not being able to communicate in French effectively when they join the industry.
Hospitality industry--Zambia, French language
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