What Tourism Students Want and Need vs What Tour Guides Demand: An Indonesian 'Culture-Based English for Tour Guides' Material

Authors

  • Baiq Suprapti Handini

    Language Education Science Study Program, Faculty of languages, Arts, and cultures, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia

    Department of English Language Education, Faculty of Language Arts and Humanities, Universitas Hamzanwadi, Lombok Timur 83611, Indonesia
  • Suhardi

    Language Education Science Study Program, Faculty of languages, Arts, and cultures, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
  • Jamilah

    Language Education Science Study Program, Faculty of languages, Arts, and cultures, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
  • Titi Lestari

    Language Education Science Study Program, Faculty of languages, Arts, and cultures, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
  • Angesti Palupiningsih

    Language Education Science Study Program, Faculty of languages, Arts, and cultures, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
  • Maman Asrobi

    Department of English Language Education, Faculty of Language Arts and Humanities, Universitas Hamzanwadi, Lombok Timur 83611, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11276
Received: 26 July 2025 | Revised: 7 August 2025 | Accepted: 13 August 2025 | Published Online: 14 October 2025

Abstract

This study, situated in the first stage of the Design-Based Research (DBR) framework, conducts a needs analysis for developing English learning materials for tour guiding that integrate Lombok's local culture. The data were obtained from multiple stakeholder groups through questionnaires administered to 24 tourism students and 4 lecturers, as well as semi-structured interviews with 3 professional local tour guides. Employing a mixed-methods design, quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages and mean scores), while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis facilitated by NVivo. Findings indicate a notable misalignment between the general English priorities emphasized by students and lecturers and the culturally specific communicative competencies highlighted by professional guides, particularly in narrating and contextualizing local cultural heritage in English. Current vocational English materials were found to be limited in cultural authenticity and inadequately aligned with real-world tour guiding discourse. In response, this study identifies culturally embedded content—such as the legend of Princess Mandalika, Sasak traditions, and Lombok's culinary and natural attractions—as essential thematic foundations for instructional materials. By aligning pedagogical content with professional communicative demands, this research advances English for Specific Purposes (ESP) scholarship and underscores the utility of DBR in systematically bridging the gap between academic instruction and authentic workplace language practices in the tourism sector. The outcomes provide a pedagogically grounded framework for developing culturally resonant, practice-oriented ESP materials that enhance both linguistic competence and cultural mediation skills.

Keywords:

English Tour Guide' Material; Need Analysis; Tourism Students

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How to Cite

Handini, B. S., Suhardi, Jamilah, Lestari, T., Palupiningsih, A., & Asrobi, M. (2025). What Tourism Students Want and Need vs What Tour Guides Demand: An Indonesian ’Culture-Based English for Tour Guides’ Material. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(10), 1050–1064. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11276

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 10 (October 2025)

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Baiq Suprapti Handini, Suhardi, Jamilah, Titi Lestari, Angesti Palupiningsih, Maman Asrobi

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.