Necessity of English for tourism purposes in daily activities of tour guides
| Author | Luiz Seiti |
| Position | University 'Eqrem Çabej' Gjirokastër, Albania |
| Pages | 271-276 |
ISSN 2410-759X Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Vol 1 No 1
Acces online at www.iipccl.org IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania May 2015
271
Necessity of English for tourism purposes in daily activities of tour guides
Luiz Seiti
University ”Eqrem Çabej” Gjirokastër, Albania
Abstract
Tour guides use passion and feelings to express a three dimensional view and provide depth of
meaning to what is being shared. Language is the main tool which tour guides use to communicate
with their audience. Students who have English as their second language (ESL) need not only to
be taught new language skills but also educated in the principles, theories and ethos attached to
interpreting a site. e paper will discuss how educators of translators and tour guides (including
bilingual guides) need to be culturally sensitive and recognize ESL students and their dierences.
Introduction
I rst started considering the issues associated with tour guides, interpreters and
educators eighteen months ago and even though time has passed the topic remains
valid. Having taught tour guiding for seven years to both local and international students
and to both tourism and translating students, it occurred to me that site interpretation
techniques should consciously be a part of my teaching methods. is led to me paying
more attention to teaching students not just how to be a guide but to be aware of getting
their message through and the consequences if they don’t. For ESL (English as a Second
Language) students the issues include not just the technique but the message as well as
perhaps cultural dierences.
Discussion will consider the issues involved with translators who have to not only translate
a language but have to understand (whether written or oral) a message, agree with the
information to some extent and be prepared to pass it on – what are the implications
and issues if they don’t? is paper will contemplate how we as educators can assist
both the translator and interpreter in getting the message to the visitor. ere are also
many similarities between the role of an interpreter and that of an educator, as they both
endeavor to convey a message to their respective visitors or students.
Methodology for this paper has been opportunistic and based on the hindsight gained
from having worked as a tour guide and teaching in the industry. ESL students refer
primarily to Asian students.
Issues for guides and translators
Safety
Safety is a primary issue for guides. If translation of the message is incomplete or incorrect,
not only could visitors misunderstand specics of a site, they could easily be placed at
risk. e story has been told of a group of visitors at a natural site, whose translator did
not convey the full intention of the park ranger and consequently placed their visitors
(customers) in danger, when the visitors and translator failed to follow the instructions
as outlined by the ranger. An alternative strategy with less reliance just on the language
component may have assisted the site interpreter to overcome this situation.
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