What are some common mistakes?
Even if you follow these tips and tricks, you may still make some mistakes when communicating with hotel, hospitality and tourism staff. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid:
– Using too formal or too casual language. Depending on the context and the relationship with your interlocutor, you should adjust your level of formality or informality. For example, if you are talking to a manager or a VIP guest, you should use more formal language than if you are talking to a colleague or a friend.
– Using incorrect grammar or pronunciation. Grammar and pronunciation errors can affect your clarity and credibility when communicating with hotel, hospitality and tourism staff. For example, if you say “I have been work here for two years” instead of “I have been working here for two years”, you may confuse your listener or make a bad impression. You should review your grammar and pronunciation regularly and practice with native speakers or tutors.
– Using inappropriate or offensive words or expressions. Some words or expressions that may be acceptable or common in your culture or language may be inappropriate or offensive in another culture or language. For example, if you say “That’s a piece of cake” to mean “That’s easy”, you may sound arrogant or insensitive to your listener who may not understand the idiom. You should learn about the culture and etiquette of the country or region where you work or travel and avoid using words or expressions that may cause misunderstanding or offense.
Here are some tips to avoid common mistakes in English in the hotel, tourism, and catering industry:
Mixing up “lend” and “borrow”: Some people use “borrow” when they actually mean “loan” or “lend.” For example, a non-native speaker might say: Can you borrow me an eraser? When what they mean to say is: Can you loan me an eraser? In standard English, “to borrow” means to take something from someone, knowing that you will give it back. “To lend” or “to loan” means to pass something on to someone else for a short time.
Confusing “me too” and “me either”: Preply tutor, Moujahid B., noticed that a lot of his students get confused about the difference between “me too” and “me either.” “The difference between ‘me too’ and ‘me either’ is that one is positive, and the other one is negative. The positive one is ‘me too’, so for example, if you say ‘I like traveling’ then I would say ‘me too’ which means ‘I like traveling too.’ On the other hand, if you say ‘I don’t like extreme sports’ then, if I agree with you, I would say ‘me either’ which means ‘I don’t like extreme sports either.’
Be polite but not necessarily formal: Hotel English should be simple and to the point. You have to be polite but not necessarily formal2.
Use vocabulary specific to your job or industry: You may use vocabulary specific to your job or industry.
Use a lot of conversational English: You will use a lot of conversational English.
Written hotel English focuses on lists and charts: Written hotel English focuses on lists and charts2.
Repeat certain phrases many times: You will repeat certain phrases many times.
Handle a lot of questions and requests: You have to handle a lot of questions and requests.
Handle a lot of complaints: You will also handle a lot of complaints2.
Learn from resources:
There are many resources available for learning English for the hotel, tourism, and catering industry such as
Business English websites
, Online English courses,
Online hotel
English videos,
Official websites of hotels and other travel companies
Travel blogs,
Conversational English books,
Business English books,
I hope these tips help you avoid common mistakes in English in the hotel, tourism, and catering industry!
English is a vital skill for hotel, hospitality and tourism staff. By following these steps, tips, and tricks, you can improve your English and communicate effectively with your guests, customers, and colleagues. You can also enhance your career prospects and enjoy your work more.
I hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at justpracticehere@gmail.com. Thank you for reading!
