Kompetensi Berbicara Bahasa Asing Pramuwisata Arab

Abstract

Foreign language ability is one of inevitable prerequisites for tourists guide in serving foreign tourists. The most needed abilities is speaking competence, particularly in serving tourists for transfer in, check in dan transfer out. This research is intended to investigate speaking language abilities of tourists’ guides in Puncak area, particularly their ability in speaking of Arabic language. Based on the qualitative approach, this research uses partisipative observation and interview of key informants, consist of 4 tourists guides within this area, 5 members of tourists guide association, and 2 owners of tour and travel bureau. Findings are that tourist guides learn speaking in Arabic language by themselves, building some interactions with Arab tourists or Arab inhabitants, or by learning Arabic in formal or semi informal school. Furthermore, some tourist guides learned Arabic (mostly local dialect) in one of Arabic nations while they worked there, and therefore they are preferred both by travel agencies and Arab tourists. Tourists guide who are only able in speaking Arabic language will do transfer in, check in, and transfer out processes by using Arabic language, whilst tourists guide with ability in speaking of Arabic and another foreign language (English) will prefer the most language they able to speak and will do switch code whenever needed.