Task-Based Approach In Tourism English Teaching

With growing economic globalization, and China's succession to WTO and China success in holding the 2008 Olympic Games, tourism industry in China has become a new economic growing point in the new century, facing the unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Meanwhile tourism industry abysmally lacks of certain talents. Many travel services search for interpreters who are skilled in tourism services, but usually fail. Some five-star hotels take great pains to employ receptionists who are good at communicative ability in foreign languages. That is to say, tourism industry urgently needs talents with certain ability in foreign languages, especially in English. How to satisfy the needs in the employment market and how to train employees with strong communicative ability in English are the clear responsibility to the teachers of tourism majors.Task-based Approach appeared in the 1980s and is one of foreign language teaching methods famous in the world. This study combines the modern teaching theory TBA with Tourism English teaching. It attempts to indicate that the new teaching pattern can greatly improve students' interest, and the ability of cooperating with others. What's more, it can improve the efficiency of Tourism English teaching in class and develop effective, doable Tourism English teaching method. Tourism English teaching with TBA aims at training learners' linguistic communicative ability, so as to meet the needs for professionals in tourism industry, adjust to and promote the tourism development in China.This dissertation is divided into three parts .The first part expounds the background of TBA development of foreign language teaching in China and overseas, especially analyzing the concept and features of tasks in the TBA. The second part analyzes the features of the course of Tourism English, its importance, and existing problems in traditional Tourism English teaching. The third part in the paper expatiates the predominant main principles, and requirements for teachers when applying TBA in Tourism English teaching. Finally the paper illustrates specific feasible examples.This article is not only theoretically but also practically supported. I hope it will be of great benefit to us Tourism English teachers.