Pedagogical Model Of Preparation Of Future Hotel Service Managers For Intercultural Interaction

Abstract

The problem of the preparation of students for intercultural interaction in the conditions of a subject-language integrated environment is quite relevant, and in theory and practice of both higher and secondary schools, substantial experience has been accumulated in this process. At the same time, the authors acknowledge the lack of research in modern pedagogical science on the development of an effective and logical system of preparing students for non-linguistic faculties for intercultural interaction. It is obvious that the existing work in the field of preparing students for intercultural interaction does not consider the implementation of this process in the context of the subject-language integrated environment. These conclusions indicate the necessity to develop the author’s system of preparing students of non-linguistic faculties for intercultural interaction in a subject-language integrated environment that would meet the specifics of this age period, the requirements of the GEF of higher education, as well as the requirements of the modern world for the personality of today, reflected in national and international documents. The construction of the author's system and the definition of a set of pedagogical conditions for its implementation imply a scientific and methodological understanding of the issue being studied, which should begin with the definition of the theoretical and methodological basis of the study.

Keywords: Pedagogical systemhotel servicemanagerintercultural interactionintegrated environment

Introduction

The preparation of future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction is a pedagogical activity, which implies a clear goal, motivation of students, practical orientation and effectiveness. However, the essence of these components in preparing the specialists of hotel service for intercultural interaction is not yet considered (Kiryakova, 2000). A complementary set of system, activity, cultural and integrative approaches that represent the theoretical and methodological basis of the study of the problem of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in the context of a content and language integrated environment, allows starting building a pedagogical system, for the development of which we used the modelling method (Romanov & Snegurova, 2017).

Problem Statement

We consider the training of future hotel service managers as a complex and multifaceted process, as a system consisting of many elements that function, obey and are consistent with each other.

The system of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in an integrated subject-language environment has its purpose, objectives, content, methods and organizational forms, which should be oriented goals, objectives and content of training.

The main goal of our system is to prepare future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction at a level that will help preserve cultural differences in all their wealth and diversity, as well as mutual understanding and cultural contacts.

Research Questions

To analyze the current state of the term “Intercultural Interaction” based on the consideration and definition of the conceptual and categorical framework;

To develop the pedagogical system of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in the content and language integrated environment.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to develop a pedagogical system to prepare future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in the context of the content and language integrated environment.

Research Methods

In modern pedagogical science, the modeling method seems to be one of the most productive for building pedagogical systems.

In this study, we will adhere to the opinion of Yakovlev (2006) on pedagogical modeling as a reflection of the characteristics of the existing pedagogical system in a specially created object, which is called the pedagogical model.

The authors consider the concept of “model” and turn to the characteristics of the modeling method. A model is a mentally presented or materially realized system that displays or reproduces an object and is able to replace it so that its study provides new information about this object.

As requirements for the model, Novikov (2006) emphasizes inertness as a degree of mutual coordination with the environment in which the model operates; simplicity as visibility, convenience and comprehensibility to each participant in its implementation and adequacy as an opportunity to achieve the goal in accordance with the formulated criteria.

Findings

Let us consider the filling of each of the components of the developed system.

The motivational-targeted component determines the educational procedures, during the implementation of which the future hotel service managers form the need for adequate communication in a foreign language with partners and colleagues, as well as the desire for effective intercultural interaction (Khaleeva, 2011).

Note that for the successful functioning of the pedagogical system, this component performs the following functions: organizational and managerial (planning and implementing the action program, defining and characterizing the resources and tools of the educational process), regulatory (determining the sequence of stages in preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction) and methodological (determination of the stages of activity of the teacher, coordinating this process).

This component provides for the impact on the motivational sphere of future hotel service managers, stimulation of their cognitive activity, as a result of which students develop a desire to master intercultural interaction skills, which is ensured by the interconnection of objective ones (professional educational equipment, the content of the educational process, the emotional background in the classroom) and subjective (motives, interests, attitude to professional activities) factors.

The motivational-personal component is expressed in the motivational focus on effective professional communication, as well as the formation of his personality-painted style; in value-semantic relation to the content and result of activity. Students are motivated through stimulating methods, tools and forms (appeal to the student’s personal interests, persuasion, etc.).

The content of this component also provides for the definition of methods for motivating future hotel service managers to master the skills of intercultural interaction.

Projecting the numerous methods of preparation for intercultural communication that exist in modern pedagogical science, we designate trainings as the most optimal in the direction of effectively achieving the goal.

Thus, this component of the system determines the strategic process characteristics of the system, which are the determinants of the functioning of its other components.

The content-cognitive component reflects the information content of the process of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction. Many sections of the course, such as ”Culture and Communication”, “Types of cultures”, “Speech etiquette”, “Intercultural communication”, etc. created a good cognitive basis that helps prepare for intercultural interaction, as well as its effective implementation in the future.

The cultural unit of this component ensured the implementation of a mechanism for the formation of certain personality qualities, based on the need formed at the previous stage to improve the quality of service and increase the profitability of domestic hotels, which led to the search, assessment and selection of the foundations of intercultural interaction as significant and their projection in a life and professional perspective.

As a part of the cultural unit of the system we developed, we also carried out regional geographic preparation, during which future managers of hotel services formed ideas about the cultural and historical process of developing the English-language culture, moral and professional values inherent in the hotel industry. For the successful implementation of professional activities, in addition to specific knowledge about the country of the language being studied, the future hotel service manager had a high level of general culture, good knowledge of the culture and characteristics of his native country. The purpose of the regional studies was to achieve a high level of foreign language proficiency and mastery of the system of professional knowledge and familiarization with the professionally-oriented orientations of the hotel industry that are generally accepted in all cultures.

The linguistic block of the content-cognitive component suggested the formation of the ability to use language tools to build correctly formulated statements. The mastery of this ability was carried out in the framework of studying the system and structure of the English language and its levels (phonetic, lexical, grammatical); the assimilation of a certain receptive and productive minimum for its use in foreign-language oral-speech communication, as well as the presentation of language as an aspect of activity. Speech training, which was a complex of communicative knowledge and skills, ensured the formation of skills to properly build your speech behavior, acceptable to fill and vary foreign language, depending on the various factors of communication in the hotel business. In the process of linguistic preparation, such a personality quality of the future service manager was formed as the ability to use the native and foreign language as a means of interpersonal and professional communication.

The theoretical basis for the implementation of the linguistic block was the knowledge gained by students in the process of teaching the elective course we developed, in particular, such sections as “Speech etiquette”, “Literary norm and the requirement of correct speech”, etc.

In the implementation of the content-cognitive component of the system, we used generally accepted and effective methods of preparation for intercultural interaction. Let us dwell on them in more detail.

The method of biographical reflection was aimed at rethinking one’s own biography with the aim of recognizing one’s own identity and its manifestation in everyday life, which, in turn, contributed to the reflection of various aspects of a person and his life, understanding of the nature of value orientations and interests. The main goal of this method was to carefully analyze the person’s life experience, his knowledge and his life events. In addition, the method of biographical reflection contributed to the understanding of their own cultural identity, personal cultural standards and the disclosure of the mechanism of cultural perception (Sadokhin, 2014).

The role-playing method involved reconstructing frequently recurring situations of intercultural communication. The main principle on which this method is based is simulation, which is reflected in the game experience, the perception of hidden rules and standards that are the basis of the values of a foreign culture. The use of this method in the process of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction allowed better understanding the interests and behavior of participants in intercultural interaction, to form sensitivity to the norms and values of a foreign culture (Sadokhin, 2014; Christmas, 2019).

The method of self-assessment was aimed at highlighting certain types of behavior in intercultural communication and considering them from a certain point of view (Korneeva, 2004). The self-assessment method involved conducting public interviews, structured observations and tests, the results of which are discussions and analysis of patterns of intercultural behavior. The use of the self-assessment method within the framework of the program we developed allowed developing the ability to analyze and predict the behavior of a representative of another culture.

Case-method according to Korneeva (2004) is engaged in the analysis of specific communicative situations (from the English “case” – case), which allows understanding the essence of the problem and find the optimal solution. Similar to the modeling method, the case method was aimed at reproducing specific situations of intercultural interaction, but its essence was directly in predicting the possible options and results of a particular intercultural situation.

The project method in the framework of our study assumed the fulfillment of project tasks by future hotel service managers in the process of teaching a foreign language. Project work implied the application of all the skills of intercultural interaction obtained earlier in the subject-integrated classes in a foreign language. Application of the project method, which was to develop the image and business plan of your own hotel; development of prospective profiles for applicants for various positions of a virtual hotel; the development of job descriptions for employees of the enterprise, etc., allowed not only achieving a certain level of language proficiency in all types of indirect and direct communication, but also developing a sense of responsibility for the final result among future hotel service managers. During the implementation of the project, new vocabulary and new speech patterns were fixed, relying on the written version of the words, the necessary structures and the deployment scheme of micro-dialogues and mini-monologues on hotel problems, and the proposed interactive exercises provided multiple and mandatory repetition of new language material.

The method of formation of personality consciousness has allowed forming the correct concepts, assessments, judgments, and worldview. Learning the basics of intercultural interaction took place in the process of creative activity during the discussion of the problems of tolerance, efficient service, technologies and principles of management in the hotel industry, discussions and intergroup conferences, stories on the topic “The problem of interaction between people of different nationalities”, “The image of a successful manager”, “Effective managerial activity”, which was a small textual statement of facts, events, containing an analysis of certain professional concepts and assessments. The study of the essence of the international hotel business in English, the principles and foundations of its organization, possible cultural problems when interacting with representatives of other nationalities took place in the process of familiarizing themselves with the content of a service worker, analyzing the experience of hotel service managers in English-speaking countries, studying various situations of interaction between representatives of different cultures.

Foreign language lessons have largely contributed to the introduction to a different lifestyle, to a different culture. This was best achieved through discussion among future hotel service managers, when they were given all the opportunities to communicate in a foreign language. During the discussion, future hotel service managers were offered a collective discussion of the problems of the low level of service, the prestige and attractiveness of domestic hospitality industry enterprises, which caused the outflow of a huge number of Russian tourists abroad in search of the best service, and as a result, a decrease in the profitability of the entire industry. The discussion topic was presented in advance so that future hotel service managers could study relevant literature, conversational clichés, phraseological units and idiomatic expressions, for example, on the following issues:

  • What do you know about the problem of racism in the modern world?

  • What is the situation with this phenomenon in our country?

  • Are there many foreigners in Russia?

A prerequisite for this type of work in accordance with the ideas of the technology for the development of critical thinking was the right of each participant to express their point of view in a foreign language on this topic. As a result, future managers of hotel services have developed the ability to reason, prove, and formulate the problem of organizing services, effective management of the enterprise, and ensuring the profitability of the institution in a foreign language.

Foreign language training within the framework of this component was aimed at introducing future hotel service managers not only to a new method of verbal communication, but also to the culture of the people speaking the studied language, to the national-cultural specificity of the speech behavior of the country of the studied language. It formed the idea of various areas of the modern life of another society, its history and culture with the future hotel service manager, which in turn helped to realize the history and culture of its people, to increase the general level of readiness for intercultural interaction. In addition, as part of the conceptual and informative module of the elective special course that we developed, future hotel service managers developed knowledge about behavioral etiquette, sociocultural characteristics, national traditions and holidays of English-speaking countries.

At this stage, work was carried out that involved the assimilation and understanding of a system of professional values and basic cultural standards, as well as the ability to coordinate behavior in a hotel to provide quality service to guests of the institution. The training at this stage was personally oriented, which implied a focus on the formation of a future hotel service manager, the full implementation of internal resources based on cooperation, joint creativity. The educational process was organized in such a way that the future hotel service manager had the opportunity to put forward his hypotheses without fear of making a mistake. Future hotel service managers formulated the rules of effective management in the hospitality industry on the basis of their knowledge and emotional assessment of the phenomena studied.

The next step in the implementation of the system we developed was the lecturer's presentation of factual material on verbal and non-verbal means of communication, which allow using language, and non-lingual means, symbols and signs to transmit information in the process of communication. This material can be used by hotel service managers in their future social experience, because the correct interpretation of various movements will contribute to effective communication in the team. In his work, the lecturer paid great attention to such elements of kinesics as gestures, postures, body movements, which are used as additional expressive means in different cultures, since this problem is of particular importance due to the expanding economic ties of Russia. The lecturer drew the students' attention to such elements of the taxis as various types of touching the interlocutor in the process of communication, focusing their attention on different interpretations of the same gestures.

As a part of the reflective-evaluative component of our system, we stimulated the formation of reflection of students' own professional activities. The participation of students in the analysis of situations that were professional in nature allowed them to adequately assess their actions and reactions to the statements and actions of others, as well as to predict behavioral trajectories. The development of reflection among future hotel service managers is extremely important due to the specifics of their future professional activity, which involves understanding the current situation and anticipating its development. Reflection allows looking critically from the perspective of another, to group and analyze your thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions. This analysis initiates the correction of behavior, the reassessment of ideas and values, which will positively affect the effectiveness of the professional activities of managers and their interaction with colleagues and clients.

Conclusion

The quintessence of the experimental work was not only to obtain knowledge and information about the practical activities of the hotel service manager, but also to develop their business communication skills, decision making skills, debate about controversial issues, reasonably express their point of view, conduct self-assessment of their actions and carry out their correction and, as a result, the preparation of future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in the context of a subject-language integrated environment. So, the reflective-evaluative component of our system allowed:

  • eliminating the shortcomings in the process of preparing future hotel service managers for intercultural interaction in the context of a subject-language integrated environment;

  • timely receiving information on the effectiveness of the ongoing process, the development of skills, the formation of professionally important qualities;

  • diagnosing the process of preparation for intercultural interaction on the basis of what was achieved in the previous stages;

  • differentiating methods and forms of work, taking into account the individual development of future hotel service managers.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia Boris Eltsyn.

References

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About this article

Publication Date

31 October 2020

eBook ISBN

978-1-80296-091-4

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European Publisher

Volume

92

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1st Edition

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Sociolinguistics, linguistics, semantics, discourse analysis, translation, interpretation

Cite this article as:

Savelyeva, N., Nevraeva, N., Bozhko, E., Alexander, K., & Olga, P. (2020). Pedagogical Model Of Preparation Of Future Hotel Service Managers For Intercultural Interaction. In D. K. Bataev (Ed.), Social and Cultural Transformations in the Context of Modern Globalism» Dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Turkayev Hassan Vakhitovich, vol 92. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 3324-3331). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2020.10.05.442