Lampiran 3

Teaching English Language Communication Skills to

Homestay Operators in the Northern Region of Malaysia¹Munir Shuib

¹Seri Rahayu Ahmad Kamil

¹Jabil Mapjabil

²Sharmini Abdullah

¹School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang

²Centre for Communication Skills and Entrepreneurship, Universiti

Malaysia Perlis, Perlis

BiodataMunir Shuib (PhD) is an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean of

the Industry and Community Network at the School of Humanities,

Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is also an associate research

fellow at the National Higher Education Research Institute

(IPPTN). His research interests include ESP and graduates’ skills

and competencies. munir@usm.my

 

Seri Rahayu Ahmad Kamil (BA) currently is a postgraduate student

at the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She also

works as a research officer for a project related to ESP, Needs

Analysis and homestay industry under the supervision of Associate

Prof. Dr. Munir Shuib. seri.rahayu@hotmail.com

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Jabil Mapjabil (PhD) is a senior lecturer for Geography Section

at the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia. His

research interests include tourism (ecotourism, sport tourism,

dive tourism & homestay) and geography. bill@usm.my

Sharmini Abdullah (MA) is a lecturer at the Universiti Malaysia

Perlis. She is also the Deputy Dean, Centre for Communication

Skills and Entrepreneurship. Her research interest

includes applied linguistics and communication skills.

sharmini@unimap.edu.my

Abstract

This paper reports a study on the English language skills

needs of homestay operators located in the Northern Region of

Malaysia specifically in Pulau Pinang, Langkawi and Perlis. The

homestay program is a rural tourism program that is fast gaining

popularity in the Malaysian tourism industry. It has attracted

various tourists from local and international segments. This

industry is expected to contribute to tremendous positive

development in terms of economic and socio well being of the

operators. However, there are issues that need to be addressed to

improve the effectiveness and the quality of services provided by

the homestay operators. As will be shown, most of the operators

in the study possessed low level English language proficiency;

therefore, verbal communication among themselves and foreign

guests was considerably limited. In fact, majority of the

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operators could not communicate in English at all or any other

second language except for their mother tongue. Hence, this paper

aims to discuss the need of English language communication

competency among homestay operators and to discuss the main

communicative skills that should be taught to the operators. The

study found that considering their low level of English language

proficiency, a basic elementary course in English language may be

more suitable for them.

Keywords: English language skills, homestay operators, Needs

Analysis, English for Specific Purposes and rural tourism.

1. IntroductionThis paper aims to present the findings from a study on the

English language skills needs of homestay operators in the

Northern Region of Malaysia. Homestay operators are people who

run homestay vacation business usually in rural areas either as

their main income or side income. Their business is registered

under the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism. In Malaysia, homestay

vacation is fast gaining popularity among various tourists from

local and international segments. The popularity of homestay

vacation together with its importance to Malaysian tourism

industry has attracted many scholars to carry out research on it.

However, although various researches have been done, majority of

them tend to focus on the economic or social aspect of the

homestay operators. Very little attention has been given to the

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communication skills of the operators especially in terms of

their interaction with international tourists. As will be shown,

majority of the operators could not communicate in English at all

or any other second language except for their mother tongue.

There is therefore a need to train them to use English in order

to help them communicate more effectively with international

tourists. Hence, this paper aims to discuss homestay operators’

English language communication competency and based on a needs

analysis model suggest the main English language communicative

skills that should be taught to them. It has to be noted that the

study which is reported in this paper is based on homestays in

the Northern Region of Malaysia only, specifically, Penang,

Perlis and Langkawi.

1.1Definition of Homestay

According to Richardson (2001: 2), the terminology of

‘homestay’ is still evolving and various definitions have emerged

in different countries which practice the programme. For example,

Australia associates homestay with bed and breakfast or

accommodation for international students, United Kingdom with

English language learning and United States as ‘bed and

breakfast’. As for Malaysia, homestay is defined as “an

experience where tourists stay with selected families, interact

and experience the daily life of these families as well as

experiencing Malaysian culture. Homestay is not classified as

accommodation facilities. It focuses more on lifestyle and

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experience, which include culture and economic activities”

(Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, 2009). Therefore, in Malaysia,

homestay is considered a vacation where tourists can experience,

enjoy and gain in-depth knowledge about the local people’s

lifestyles and cultures as they stay together with the homestay

operators. Some living aspects of the local people can be learnt

hands on and directly while tourists reside with the local

families, making homestay vacation unique compared to hotel or

lodging.

As Kalsom Kayat (2010: 299) points it out:

The homestay differs from the other commercial

homestays, which are ‘mushrooming’ in many urban

residential areas throughout Malaysia. Guests to

these homestay programs live with the homestay

operators who are usually introduced as their foster

families (or ‘keluarga angkat’ in Malay) throughout

their stay. This element involves the guests eating,

cooking and doing many activities together with

their adopted families allowing the two parties with

probably different cultural backgrounds to interact

and learn from each other.

1.2 Homestay in Malaysia

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Currently in Malaysia, homestay vacation is gaining

popularity among international tourists. Bernama (2009) reported

that from January 2009 to June 2009, about 75,000 tourists

including 17,867 international tourists participated in the

homestay program all over Malaysia. Such a vast influx of the

tourists is expected to boost positive economic development in

the country especially in rural areas.

The Malaysian government places a lot of efforts and

investment on homestay program. Its importance is clearly

reflected by being included in the 9th Malaysia Plan as part of

the government’s major plan to uplift the standard of living

among the rural community. In addition, the Ministry has been

actively promoting the program via digital as well as print media

such as through banners and posters throughout the country.

There are, to date, 139 registered homestays in Malaysia, as

shown in table 1 below. Majority of the homestay are located at

the rural areas where the ‘unique natural or man-made

surroundings such as nature, habitat and vernacular architecture,

historical significant locations, art and crafts, music and

cultural activities, special food and beverage and special

phenomena’ trigger tourists to explore and experience the rural

areas and its pastoral lives (Maimunah & Abdul Rahim, 2009:11) .

Table 1: Number of homestay in each state in MalaysiaNo State No of homestays

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1 Perlis 32 Kedah (including

Langkawi) 14

3 Pulau Pinang 94 Perak 65 Selangor 156 Melaka 57 Negeri Sembilan 88 Johor 159 Kelantan 810 Terengganu 611 Pahang 1212 Sarawak 1913 Sabah 19

Total 139(Homestay Unit, Ministry of Tourism, 2010)

2. English Language Needs for Homestay OperatorsRealizing the potential of homestay programme as a

successful tourism product; all aspects which determine the

survival of the industry should be considered to ensure its

success and sustainability. These include the readiness of the

homestay operators to receive, entertain and communicate

competently in English language with international tourists. In

short, the importance of English language skills among the

homestay operators is undeniable. Good communication skills among

those related to tourism (i.e homestay operators) can enhance the

industry and give a positive image to the tourists.

Currently, problems concerning the English language needs

and communication skills of the homestay operators in Malaysia

are generally underexplored. Most studies on homestay industry

tend to look at the promotion, cultural or management aspects of

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the industry (i.e Liu, 2006; Kalsom Kayat, 2009; Yahaya Ibrahim

and Fauwaz Hasbullah, 2008).

Based on the researchers’ preliminary observation of

homestay operators’ oral interaction with international guests in

one homestay in Malaysia, it was found that there were some

difficulties experienced by the operators in communicating

effectively. For instance, it was observed that during lunch, the

operators (husband and wife) just sat at the table smiling most

of the time hardly uttering anything. When there was a need to

communicate, body language or sometimes Malay language was used

to the puzzlement of the guests. Such communication problem is

also noted by Malaysian Ecotourism Association (MEA, 2009).

Therefore, there is a clear need to address the issues and

problems of communication skills among the homestay operators.

English language acquisition among homestay operators should not

be ignored as they are a kind of ‘mini-ambassadors’ in the

Malaysian tourism industry. Such research is also needed to

ensure the sustainability of the program in the long term.

3. ObjectivesThe objectives of this paper are:

To report quantitative and qualitative findings pertaining

to the English language communication skills of homestay

operators in the Northern Region of Malaysia.

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To determine the English language communication skills that

should be taught to the operators based on the current

findings.

4. Methodology4.1 Conceptual Framework

The study is based on Hutchinson and Waters’ (1987) Needs

Analysis Model. Many past studies on English for Specific

Purposes have employed this model to analyse language needs of

second and foreign language learners (e.g. Basturkmen, 1998,

Sarjit Kaur, 1993, Mason, 1994, Chen, 2005, Taillefer, 2007, Atef

Al Tamimi, 2010). West (1993:4) explains that the model offers “a

useful classification of needs” and as for Mason (1994:1), he

claims that the model “provides a more manageable framework for

analysing the target situation”.

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) distinguish two types of

language needs: target needs (what the learner needs to do in the

target situation) and learning needs (what the learner needs to

do in order to learn). However, the current investigation will

focus only on the target needs which refer to necessities, lacks

and wants of the target respondents.

4.2 Instruments

The study employs two research instruments; quantitative and

qualitative. To obtain quantitative data, the researchers

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administered a set of closed-ended questionnaire to the

respondents. The questionnaire includes 96 items on (1) the

respondents’ ability to communicate in English, (2) the

respondents’ views about the importance of various communication

skills in English, (3) the respondents’ views about the

communication skills that should be taught to them.

To obtain qualitative data, the researchers carried out

focus group interviews and in-depth interviews with homestay

operators and homestay coordinators in Pulau Pinang, Langkawi and

Perlis. 2 officers from tourism agencies namely Institute for

Rural Advancement (INFRA) and Penang Tourism Corporative (KOPEL)

and a trainer were also interviewed.

For focus group interviews with homestay operators, the interview

questions included:

Operators’ profile

Operators’ experience with international guests

Difficulties or challenges the operators face in

communicating with the international guests

How the operators overcome the challenges

Operators’ motivation to learn English

English language training offered to the operators

International guests’ activities during their stay

Operators’ suggestions to improve the communication skills

in English language

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What communication skills the operators desire to learn

For focus group interviews with homestay coordinators, the

questions included:

Villagers’ participation in the homestay program

Tourists background and response towards the homestay

program

Activities and program held

Homestay packages offered

Roles and responsibilities of coordinators

English language used among their operators, importance,

ability and training

Operators’ challenges in communicating with international

tourists

Initiative to rectify difficulties and challenges when

communicating with international tourists

Suggestions for improvement

In addition to data for homestay coordinators and operators,

qualitative data were also gathered from tourism agencies (i.e.

INFRA and KOPEL) using in-depth interviews. The questions asked

included:

Homestay concept in Malaysia

Functions and tasks of coordinators and operators of

homestay

English language training provided (modules and syllabus)

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Facilities, guidance and monitoring provided

Challenges and difficulties faced by homestay operators when

communicating in English

Last but not least, an in-depth interview with an English

language trainer who had experience teaching English to homestay

operators was administered. The questions asked included:

Background of the trainer

Involvement in providing English language training for

homestay operators

Which English language skills are deemed necessary for

homestay operators

Willingness and participation of the operators towards

English language training

Constraints, challenges and difficulties faced

Suggestions for improvement

4.3 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on homestays located in the Northern

Region of Malaysia (i.e. Penang, Perlis and Langkawi). Findings

of the study therefore may not be generalisable to all homestays

in Malaysia.

5. Quantitative Finding5.1 Operators’ Profile

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Table 2 shows the total number of homestays and operators that

participated in this study. Overall, there are 151 operators who

answered the questionnaire. 80 were from homestays in Pulau

Pinang, 40 from Langkawi and 30 from Perlis.

Table 2: Homestays in Pulau Pinang, Langkawi and Perlis which

participated in the studyState Homestay Frequency %Pulau Pinang Jalan Bharu 21 13.9

Mengkuang Titi 18 11.9Pulau Aman 11 7.3Pulau Betong 7 4.6Sg. Duri 8 5.3Sg. Chenaam 2 1.3Sg. Semilang 11 7.3Sg. Setar 1 0.7Total 80 53

Langkawi Bukit Tangga 1 0.7Padang Lalang 1 0.7Sg. Itau 1 0.7Wang Tok Rendong 37 24.5Total 40 26.5

Perlis Kg. Hujong Bukit 15 9.9Paya Guring 15 9.9Total 30 19.9

Not answered 1 0.7Total 151 100

Majority of the operators who participated in answering the

questionnaire were female with a total of 110 and the other 40

were male as indicated in table 3.

Table 3: GenderGender Frequency %

Female 110 72.8Male 40 26.5

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Not answered 1 0.7Total 151 100

129 respondents were married and the other 14 respondents were

single or widowed. 8 respondents did not answer the question, as

can be seen in table 4.

Table 4: Marital status

Majority of the

respondents’ age were between 40 – 49 years and 50 – 59 years or

23.2% and 38.9% respectively.

Table 5: Age rangeAge range Frequency %20-39 25 16.640-49 35 23.250-59 59 38.960-69 23 15.370-72 5 3.4Not answered 4 2.6Total 151 100

45.1% of the operators were housewives; 21.9% were self employed

ranging from fishermen, small business operators, and tailor;

whereas the others included of clerks, canteen workers, driver

etc. It indicates that most of the operators were from the low

income group with low education level.

Table 6: Occupation

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Marital status Frequency %Married 129 85.4Single 14 9.3Not answered 8 5.3Total 151 100

Occupation Frequency %Housewife 68 45.1Self employed 33 21.9Retirees 7 4.7Farmer 5 3.3Teacher 4 2.6Cleaner 3 2.0Factory operator 4 2.6Canteen operator 2 1.3Clerk 2 1.3Driver MPL 1 0.7Maintenance staff 1 0.7Barber 1 0.7Not answered 20 13.3Total 151 100

In terms of the duration of operation, majority of the

respondents had been involved in homestay programme for 5 years

and below (54.4%), followed by 6 - 10 years (27.2%) and 13-18

years (6.6%) as indicated in table 7.

Table 7: DurationDuration Frequency %5 years and below 82 54.46 years – 10 years

41 27.2

13 years – 18 years

10 6.6

Not answered 18 11.9Total 151 100

5.2 Homestay Operators’ Communication Skills Target Needs

5.2.1 The Importance of Communications Skills

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The first part of the questionnaire elicits the respondents’

perception of the importance of English language communication

skills to them, namely speaking and listening skills, reading

skills and writing skills. The results are displayed in table 8

below.

Table 8: The importance of communication skills

No Skills Mean 1 The importance of speaking and listening skills 3.22 The importance of reading skills 2.93 The importance of writing skills 2.9(Scale: 1= not important, 2 = somewhat important, 3 = important,

4 = every important)

As can be seen from the table, speaking and listening skills were

seen as the most important for the operators (mean score: 3.2),

followed by reading skills (2.9) and writing skills (2.9).

5.2.1.1 The Importance of Speaking and Listening Skills

The questionnaire contains 18 items on speaking and listening

skills, as listed in table 8. The data reveals that all the 18

speaking and listening skills were perceived as important by the

respondents. However, some of the skills appear to be more

important than others especially with respect to responding to

questions appropriately (3.4), using diplomacy and politeness

(3.4), speaking to foreigners in English (3.3), giving directions

(3.3) and understanding foreigners speaking English (3.3).

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Table 9: The importance of speaking and listening skills

No The importance of speaking and listening skills Mean1 Greeting 3.12 Introducing others to guests 3.33 Giving instructions 3.24 Giving directions 3.35 Explaining information, ideas or opinion 3.36 Asking questions 3.27 Making telephone calls 3.28 Public speaking 3.19 Communicating in a large group 3.110 Communicating with individuals 3.311 Using diplomacy and politeness 3.412 Responding to questions appropriately 3.413 Speaking to foreigners in English 3.314 Counseling/guiding/advising others on options,

information, issues3.1

15 Negotiating 3.016 Listening to presentations 2.917 Understanding foreigners speaking English 3.318 Sharing past experience 3.1

Total mean score 3.2

5.2.1.2 The Importance of Reading Skills

Skills related to reading were also perceived to be important by

the respondents especially reading pamphlets/brochures, reading

formal emails and reading online materials with total mean scores

of 3.1, 3.0 and 3.0 respectively, as revealed in table 10.

Reading business letters was also considered to be important with

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a mean score of almost 3.0. However, reading informal emails was

perceived to be somewhat important only (mean: 2.6).

Table 10: The importance of reading skills

No The importance of reading skills Mean1 Reading formal emails 3.02 Reading informal emails 2.63 Reading business letters 2.94 Reading pamphlets/brochures 3.15 Reading online materials 3.0

Total mean score 2.9

5.2.1.3 The Importance of Writing Skills

Writing skills, similarly, were thought to be important for the

homestay operators to acquire. Of the seven skills listed in the

questionnaire, three received a mean score of over 3.0. These are

writing directions, writing instructions and proofreading,

editing written material. These skills were clearly seen as

important to the operators. Three skills namely writing formal

emails, writing business letters and writing faxes received a

mean score closed to 3.0 and therefore could arguably also be

categorised as important. One skill, writing informal emails,

received a mean score of 2.6 which clearly falls into the

category of somewhat important.

Table 11: The importance of writing skills

No The importance of writing skills Mean1 Writing directions 3.22 Writing instructions 3.0

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3 Writing business letters 2.94 Writing faxes 2.85 Writing informal emails 2.66 Writing formal emails 2.97 Proof reading, editing written materials 3.0

Total mean score 2.9

5.2.2 Ability in Using Communication Skills

Our informal preliminary investigation concerning the ability of

the operators to communicate in English indicates that the

homestay operators lacked sufficient ability to use the language

effectively. This informal finding is supported by the data

gathered from the questionnaire, as displayed in table 12 below.

Table 12: The ability in using communication skills

No Skills Mean 1 The Ability of Using Speaking and Listening Skills 2.02 The Ability of Using Reading Skills 1.93 The Ability of Using Writing Skills 1.9(1 = unsatisfactory, 2 = satisfactory, 3 = good, 4 = excellent)

As can be seen from the table, for all the three types of

communication skills, the respondents rated themselves as either

unsatisfactory or satisfactory. The mean score for the three

types of communication skills range from 1.9 to 2.0 suggesting

that the operators generally agreed that they had low ability to

communicate in English.

5.2.2.1 The Ability in Using Speaking and Listening Skills

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Table 13 indicates that the homestay operators’ ability in using

speaking and listening skills ranges from 1.8 to 2.3. Five skills

that were perceived to be unsatisfactory are greeting, public

speaking, communicating in large group, negotiating and sharing

past experience. All of these skills received a mean score of

below than 2.0.

This means that they perceived their ability in using speaking

and listening skills as satisfactory. Caution, however, needs to

be taken when interpreting this finding. This is because it is

possible that they may have overrated themselves. Covington

(1989) in Turner (2006) explains this overestimation of ability

as a way to establish and maintain the respondents’ dignity and

worth. Similarly Bandura (1989: 1176) states, “the stronger

[people’s] belief in their capabilities, the stronger and more

persistent are their efforts”.

Table 13: The ability in using speaking listening skills

No The ability of speaking and listening skills Mean1 Greeting 1.82 Introducing others to guests 2.13 Giving instructions 2.04 Giving directions 2.15 Explaining information, ideas or opinion 2.06 Asking questions 2.07 Making telephone calls 2.08 Public speaking 1.99 Communicating in a large group 1.9

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10 Communicating with individuals 2.111 Using diplomacy and politeness 2.312 Responding to questions appropriately 2.113 Speaking to foreigners in English 2.014 Counseling/guiding/advising others on options,

information, issues2.0

15 Negotiating 1.916 Listening to presentations 2.017 Understanding foreigners speaking English 2.018 Sharing past experience 1.9

Total mean score 2.05.2.2.2 The Ability in Using Reading Skills

The mean scores for their ability in using reading skills range

from 1.8 to 2.0. Majority of skills received mean scores of below

2, namely reading informal emails, reading business letters and

reading online materials. This suggests that they believed that

generally their reading skills are unsatisfactory.

Table 14: The ability in using reading skills

No The ability of reading skills Mean1 Reading formal emails 2.02 Reading informal emails 1.83 Reading business letters 1.94 Reading pamphlets/brochures 2.05 Reading online materials 1.9

Total mean score 1.9

5.2.2.3 The Ability in Using Writing Skills

The homestay operators’ ability in using writing skills were also

unsatisfactory. From table 15, five skills were perceived to be

most unsatisfactory: writing business letters, writing faxes,

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writing informal emails, writing formal emails and proofreading,

editing written materials.

Table 15: The ability in using writing skills

No The ability of writing skills Mean 1 Writing directions 2.22 Writing instructions 2.13 Writing business letters 1.94 Writing faxes 1.85 Writing informal emails 1.86 Writing formal emails 1.97 Proof reading, editing written materials 1.9

Total mean score 1.9

5.2.3 Training Needs for Communication Skills

To help determine the communication skills that should be taught

to the operators, namely their training needs, they were asked

what skills they thought were important for them to learn. The

findings reveal that the operators wanted training in all three

types of communication skills. As indicated in table 16, all

three types of communication skills were considered by the

operators to be important for them to learn with the total mean

scores of 3.1 each. In other words, the operators believed that

training in speaking and listening, writing and reading skills

were necessary for them in order to communicate effectively with

their guests.

Table 16: Training needs in communication skills

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No Skills Mean 1 Training Needs for Speaking and Listening Skills 3.12 Training Needs for Reading Skills 3.13 Training Needs for Writing Skills 3.1(1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, 4 = strongly

agree)

5.2.3.1 Training Needs for Speaking and Listening Skills

From table 17, it can be seen that all speaking and listening

skills received an average mean score of 3.0 and above indicating

that training for the listed skills was felt to be necessary.

Skills that were considered to be more necessary to be trained

are giving directions, explaining information, ideas or opinion,

communicating in a large group, communicating with individuals,

using diplomacy and politeness, speaking to foreigners in English

and understanding foreigners speaking English. All these have a

mean score of 3.2.

Table 17: Training needs for speaking and listening skills

No Training needs for speaking and listening skills Mean1 Greeting 3.02 Introducing others to guests 3.13 Giving instructions 3.14 Giving directions 3.25 Explaining information, ideas or opinion 3.26 Asking questions 3.17 Making telephone calls 3.18 Public speaking 3.19 Communicating in a large group 3.2

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10 Communicating with individuals 3.211 Using diplomacy and politeness 3.212 Responding to questions appropriately 3.113 Speaking to foreigners in English 3.214 Counseling/guiding/advising others on options,

information, issues3.1

15 Negotiating 3.016 Listening to presentations 3.117 Understanding foreigners speaking English 3.218 Sharing past experience 3.0

Total Mean Score 3.1

5.2.3.2 Training Needs for Reading Skills

From table 18, it can be seen that reading skills also need

attention. All the reading skills received a mean score of 3.1

or above. Therefore, training for these skills is also necessary

as perceived by majority of respondents.

Table 18: Training needs for reading skills

No Training needs for reading skills Mean1 Reading formal emails 3.12 Reading informal emails 3.13 Reading business letters 3.14 Reading pamphlets/brochures 3.15 Reading online materials 3.2

Total mean score 3.1

5.2.3.3 Training Needs for Writing Skills

Majority of respondents also felt that they needed training in

writing skills too as indicated in table 19. Of the seven writing

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skills listed in the questionnaire, the skills that they seemed

to need attention most are writing directions, writing

instructions, writing formal emails and proof reading, editing

written materials.

Table 19: Training needs for writing skills

No Training needs for writing skills Mean1 Writing directions 3.22 Writing instructions 3.23 Writing business letters 3.04 Writing faxes 3.05 Writing informal emails 3.06 Writing formal emails 3.27 Proof reading, editing written materials 3.2

Total mean score 3.1

6. Qualitative Findings6.1 Data from Homestay Operators and Coordinators

Data from focus group interviews involving selected homestay

operators and homestay coordinators were consistent with the

quantitative findings. In terms of their ability to communicate

in English, majority of the respondents interviewed agreed that

the homestay operators’ ability was low. One of operators in

Perlis’s homestay claimed that “I’m not good in English language…

so I communicate in Malay language and sometime the kids will

help me up” and this statement were mutually agreed by many other

respondents during the interviews.

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Many of them claimed that they would use Malay or even sign

language to compensate for their inability to speak in English.

One operator stated that she would speak in Malay with a mixture

of sign language when she invited her guests for lunch/dinner.

She explained “for example, when we invite them for

lunch/dinner...we just speak in Malay – we just say EAT... (while

at the same time showing hand signal)”. This communication

strategy was also mentioned by a few of the coordinators. One of

them claimed “many operators use hand signal and mix it with

Malay language”.

Some operators said that they did try to communicate in

English, but in situations where they found it too difficult to

use the language, they would ask their children to help them. A

coordinator from Langkawi made a similar remark. He said that “in

Wang Tok Rendong (a village in Langkawi), we have children; they

work at hotel and they can communicate in English, therefore, for

the time being….they help the family”.

Sometimes it seems, even tourist guides were used to help

the operators communicate with their guests. This was mentioned

by a homestay coordinator who explained that to welcome the

guests at the beginning of their stay; he would give his speech

in Malay language and then ask the guests’ tourist guide to help

translate it.

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Despite the lack of English, all of the respondents

interviewed agreed that all the skills listed in the

questionnaire were important for the operators to communicate

effectively with English-speaking guests. Nevertheless, they felt

that speaking and listening skills were more important for

homestay operators compared to the other two skills. As explained

by one respondent from Langkawi “speaking is the most important

skill and second is writing”.

In addition, all of them agreed that training in English

communication skills should be offered in order to help them

improve their use of the language. As one of the respondents

said, “we will be interested to learn English, if training is

offered”. One operator even suggested that a book or dictionary

is produced on how to interact with foreign tourists.

However, they stated that the focus should be more on oral

communication rather than written communication. This is because,

as one of the coordinators said, most of the interaction between

homestay operators and international guests is carried out face

to face. Some operators, he added, do communicate in writing with

their international guests prior to and after the guests’ visit,

but this form of interaction is not frequent.

A respondent from Langkawi opined that “speaking covers

70%....because, when tourists arrive, we have to talk a lot…

writing skills are more important for the top management of that27

particular homestay….but overall, speaking skills are the most

important of all”.

One coordinator suggested that the operators should be

offered a special English language course which is tailor made

for them. As he pointed out:

“Generally, it is important to offer English

language that cater for the operators’ specific

needs....to greet and to welcome guests, to invite

them for lunch... in my opinion, a relevant course

of English language is important, one that can help

and make the conversation easier for operators to

practice”.

The language course should also be basic and related to the

tourism industry especially the homestay. As one respondent

explained, “basic level is sufficient because majority are elders

therefore it is difficult (for them) to remember” and the course

should teach about “greeting, welcoming, inviting, food etc”.

Another theme that emerged from the interviews concerns

their readiness to follow English language classes. The study

found that the operators were very interested in improving their

English and had positive attitudes and motivation to learn the

language. They were highly motivated to improve their English

language skills as they were fully aware of their role as a host

and realized that competency in English language skills would

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make them more effective and give positive impact for their core

business as a homestay provider.

6.2 Data from Homestay Tourism Agencies

Data from homestay tourism agencies were gathered from 2

respondents namely, the Director of KOPEL and the Director of

INFRA.

Both the Director of KOPEL and INFRA agreed about the

importance of offering an English language course to homestay

operators. Both also thought that the course should be tailor

made to the operators’ needs. For instance, according to the

Director of KOPEL, the course must be related to the activities

carried out by the homestay operators. For example, if the main

activity is related to fishing, then the English language course

must have this element as part of their content.

As for the Director of INFRA, he claimed that the operators

would need English for marketing and promotion purposes. In other

words, the course to be offered to them must include these

activities so as to make it relevant to the operators’ needs.

6.4 English Language Trainer

A certified master trainer also contributed to the

qualitative data. She is a freelance trainer under a corporate

company and has a certificate from the Ministry of Tourism

29

Malaysia to teach English language courses. She joined the

Ministry of Tourism in 2006 and is certified to teach tourism

related courses such as Mesra Malaysia, Act Tourism and Tourism

English. She also has some experience teaching English to a group

of homestay operators.

In her opinion, the level of English language skills among

homestay operators is very weak and the operators faced a lot of

challenges in communicating in English language. Therefore, she

opined that the training of English language is crucial and

necessary to improve the operators’ communication skills.

Pertaining to the English language course for homestay

operators, she said currently there are no English language

courses which are specifically tailored for homestay operators.

She claimed that “we (on behalf of Ministry) don’t have anything

yet, they (Ministry of Tourism) asked me to come out with (a

course), this is also ad hoc, they just called me to come out

with something for the homestay operators”. Asked about which

communication skills the operators really needs,she responded as

follows:

“It is not so much in learning English grammar. It

is more to conversation English. I think for them,

it is conversation English”

30

6.5 Homestay International Guests

3 international guests participated in the study, 1 from

Bangladesh who was also an international student from local

university while the other 2 were international tourists from the

United States.

The student from Bangladesh had another negative view about

the operators’ ability to use English. As he pointed it out:

“Language is the only problem, in term of behaviour

and how they (homestay operators) treat us/entertain

us; they are well trained but the language should be

improved so the homestay’s objective would be more

effective. Some of my friends also get bored during

the stay because they (his friends) can only

understand English or Arab and they (his friends)

cannot understand their family”.

He also stressed the importance of English language training

for the homestay operators. He claimed the operators do need to

be trained on “simple English structure so they can be prepared

to receive guests”. He suggested that the expressions that should

be taught to the homestay operators are related to food, family

information, culture, weather, sport and activities.

31

For the tourists from the United States, they both agreed

that basic English language proficiency among homestay operators

is crucial especially to communicate with tourists from the

United States who are for the first time coming to Malaysia to

experience the homestay program. They opined that the operators

do not need to be excellent in communicating in English but a

basic level so the two stakeholders can understand each other is

sufficient. They claimed it would be much appreciated if the

operators were able to communicate basic English language. This

would also encourage other tourists to experience the homestay

program themselves. They also suggested that a homestay

dictionary or brochure be available in each homestay to help the

operators to explain their daily lives, activities and the local

culture.

7. DiscussionFirst and foremost, the results indicate that majority of

the operators exhibited a very basic level of English and very

limited range of English vocabulary. Most typically resorted to

Malay language with a mix of non-verbal language to communicate

with international guests when they could not find suitable

English words. Some of the operators also tended to depend on

others (e.g. children, spouse and translator) when there were

necessities to communicate in English language. This is an

interesting finding because despite their lack of English

language proficiency, they were still able to communicate, albeit

32

with difficulty, with foreign guests using various communication

strategies, both linguistic non-linguistic.

Using communication strategies to compensate for one’s

language lacks is not uncommon among second language users.

Faerch and Kasper (1983) define communication strategies as

potentially conscious plans for solving what an individual

presents itself as a problem in reaching a particular

communicative goal. There are many forms of communication

strategies noted in the literature of second language acquisition

including topic avoidance, message abandonment, literal

translation and mime. Our observation reveals that these

strategies were frequently employed by the operators whenever

they encountered difficulty in conveying their messages. Such use

of strategies should not be regarded as a failure on their part,

but rather an illustration of their creativity. In other words,

it illustrates their creativity in communication by using

available resources such as their mother tongue and body language

to compensate for their English language lacks.

Nevertheless, the fact that they lacked English language

proficiency suggests that the homestay operators certainly needed

training in English language communication skills especially in

oral communication skills. It is worth pointing out that majority

of operators considered most of the skills listed in the

questionnaire including skills related to reading and writing as

33

important to acquire. Many of them indicated that speaking,

listening, reading and writing were important for homestay

operators to acquire with oral communication skill as the most

important. The question then is that should they be taught all

these skills?

Our observation of their interactions with foreign guests

and data from focus group interviews suggest that it may not be

necessary to teach them all these skills. The data reveals that

the homestay operators tended to engage in certain specific

communicative situations, especially talking about customs and

traditions, food, family and places of interest. These situations

require communicative skills such as giving explanations,

descriptions, instructions and directions and asking questions.

These skills were among those which were perceived as highly

important by the respondents and also among those perceived to be

problematic by the respondents.

Other skills which may also be worth teaching include

introducing guests to others and speaking politely. These skills

were among the skills rated as highly important by the operators.

In addition, the training should incorporate the teaching of

vocabulary needed by the operators. Words which are related to

their daily activities such as food, family and tradition would

be appropriate to be introduced.

34

These findings are important since currently, as indicated

by most respondents (i.e. homestay operators, homestay

coordinators, English language trainer and tourism officers)

involved in this study, there are still no suitable English

language courses offered to homestay operators in the Northern

Region of Malaysia. English language training offered for the

time being was found to be insufficient to train the operators to

be effective in carrying out their role as a homestay host. The

findings of this study, then could provide useful information for

the agencies responsible for training homestay operators,

especially the Ministry of Tourism, to help them re-design their

training programme.

A bilingual booklet containing simple guidelines on how to

communicate with foreign guests may also be worth developing. The

guidelines should be based on the communicative functions that

the operators tend to engage in. Adding related graphics and

pictures would help the operators to understand better. In

addition, since they are bound to communicate with foreigners,

some information or tips on intercultural communication may be

beneficial.

8. ConclusionThe suggestions made above are based on the findings from

quantitative and qualitative data gathered among homestay

operators in northern Malaysia. They may not, however, be

35

generalizable to operators throughout the country. Further larger

scale study may be needed to support or confirm the findings.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that the findings will offer some

insights for authorities responsible for training homestay

operators in Malaysia to develop an English language course which

is more relevant to their needs. As Hutchinson and Waters (1987)

point it out, a course:

“…should satisfy their needs as learners as well as

their needs as potentials target users of the

language. In other words, they should get

satisfaction from the actual experience of learning,

not just from the prospect of eventually using what

they learnt” (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987:48)

From our needs analysis of the operators, it may be

concluded that a course that would satisfy the operators’ needs

should be one that emphasises on oral communication skills

(without neglecting reading and writing skills), especially those

that are directly related to their daily activities.

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Glossary

INFRA Institute for Rural Advancement (Institut Kemajuan

Desa)

KOPEL Penang Tourism Corporative (Koperasi Pelancongan Pulau

Pinang)

NA Needs Analysis

ESP English for Specific Purposes

39

FGI Focus Group Interview

40