Bridging Language Learning and Industry Practice: Content-Based Instruction in Hospitality ESP Classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31963/rial.v4i1.5992Keywords:
Content-Based Instruction (CBI), hospitality, ESP, pedagogy, vocational EnglishAbstract
This study explores the implementation of Content-Based Instruction (CBI) in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to hospitality students at a vocational higher education institution in Indonesia. Using a qualitative research design, seven diploma-level students and two English lecturers were selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, and analysed thematically. The findings show that lecturers employed authentic materials, including industry-related videos, PDF-based texts, and audio recordings, to create an immersive and professionally relevant learning environment. Problem-solving tasks and multimedia resources effectively linked language instruction with real-world hospitality contexts, enhancing student engagement and perceived career readiness. While active verbal participation was encouraged to develop communicative competence, some students experienced difficulties in listening comprehension and speaking confidence. To reduce learner anxiety, lecturers strategically used code-switching between Indonesian and English. Despite the overall effectiveness of CBI in this vocational ESP context, limitations were identified in structured feedback practices. The study recommends scaffolded listening activities and confidence-building speaking tasks to strengthen future instruction. These findings contribute to the growing literature on CBI in hospitality-focused ESP education.References
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