DEVELOPING AN ESP COURSE FOR TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY IN UZBEKISTAN: A NEEDS-BASED, TASK-ORIENTED APPROACH

This article presents the design of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for adult learners working or preparing to work in Uzbekistan’s growing tourism and hospitality sector. The course focuses on developing professional communication skills needed for guest interactions, including describing cultural sites, handling complaints politely, giving clear directions, and writing formal emails. A mixed-method needs analysis consisting of interviews, surveys, observations, and job-ad reviews identified key language gaps in learners’ confidence, accuracy, and intercultural communication. The course design draws on task-based learning, communicative language teaching, and problem-based learning frameworks (Woodrow, 2018), supported by ESP models such as English for Cross-Cultural Nursing (Bosher) and Airport English (Cutting). These models inform the course’s emphasis on polite, culturally sensitive, and functional service communication. Authentic materials, role-plays, and case studies form the core of instruction and assessment, ensuring alignment with real workplace tasks. Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments evaluate learners’ ability to perform practical job-related communication in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Overall, the course aims to build learners’ fluency, intercultural awareness, and problem-solving abilities in English to better meet the demands of Uzbekistan’s expanding tourism industry.