A synchronic investigation of the significance of foreign languages for the tourism trade in Malaysia

The enormous growth of the tourism industry in Malaysia has made it a major revenue earner and the government aggressively promotes the industry. Research has helped the growth of the industry, providing relevant data input that can be used for effective decision making in terms of knowledge, wealth and human capital. A study was conceptualized to investigate the use and role of foreign languages which are particularly important in tourism-related workplaces. A discussion of the responses principally centre on foreign language ability, contact with foreign languages and visitors, cultural attributes of foreign language learning, pragmatic use of foreign languages, perception about training and readiness to work in tourism-related workplaces. The vibrant nature of the tourism trade necessitates keeping pace with rapid changes in the needs and wants of the industry. Synchronic data fits into the dynamics of change to better understand the state of the tourism industry.