Professionally integrated foreign language training for hospitality students in the context of digitalization

Abstract

Introduction. Personnel training for the tourism industry able to meet the challenges of its development in a particular region is one of the priorities of specialized universities. Digital technologies in a global creative economy require new approaches to the choice of training content and applied pedagogical technologies. The aim of the article is to develop and test the model of foreign language learning through the creation of professionally integrated Internet content, focused on information and advertising promotion of tourism products of the Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation). Materials and methods. The methodology is based on the comparative analysis of the data, formalized open and closed questionnaire surveys and expert assessment. A survey was conducted among 42 hospitality students of Petrozavodsk State University (Russian Federation). Results. The experimental training in group interaction creating a digital professionally oriented product stimulated the formation of digital, communicative and soft skills. Comparative analysis of the obtained data revealed a high level of development of these competencies among the experimental group students. Their indicators were significantly higher (p=0.0001) in the skill of creating a digital tourism media product and in the ability to interact in a team (φemp =3.655, p≤0.01), as well as in presentation skills for tourism product promotion in a digital environment (φemp =1.878, p≤0.05). Discussion and conclusion. The conducted research revealed the effectiveness of the author's methodology of English teaching in a professionally integrated digital environment for the development of skills that ensure competitiveness in the hospitality industry. Recommendations for intensification of teaching foreign languages in tourism through individual and group interdisciplinary digital projects are offered.