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The
importance of speaking foreign languages in the International Hospitality
Business
The world gets
smaller and smaller and one can reach any continent and country
within a couple of hours of air-travel. This also means that people
from different cultures, speaking different languages meet and need
(and wish) to communicate. Previous generations wished to introduce
ESPERANTA as the common language for intercultural communication;
today however the trend is that all citizens of the world consider
English as the International language of communication. In most
countries, English is taught as the second language.
 Switzerland
Depending on
regions this might be different. A good example is Switzerland,
since in this small country of 7 million inhabitants four national
languages are spoken. It is expected that citizens speak at least
two of the national languages, and English is taught from an early
age. There are many other bilingual or multilingual countries in
the world.
Hotel Management
schools in Switzerland are also multicultural. Member schools of
ASEH (Association Suisse des Ecoles Hôtelières) teach
programs in English, French or German. All schools require their
instruction in one Swiss national language as well as English. (list
of member schools can be found at www.aseh.ch - homepage "members")
Learn and
perfect a language while on internship
 Students
would also gain additional language skills depending upon which
Swiss language region they do their paid internship. Obviously tourists
come from many different countries and will always be very pleased
to be greeted or helped in their mother tongue. I am sure all readers
know how nice it feels to get a welcome in your own language or
even dialect.
Swiss trained
hospitality managers often speak four languages and therefore get
employment and career opportunities all over the world.
Do not forget
that the learning of another language helps to better understand
foreign culture.
Martin
Kisseleff
President
Swiss Hotel Schools Association (ASEH) - May 2002
For
more information, please contact the ASEH office, CH-1897 Le Bouveret
Tel. : +41/(0)79. 402.77.77 Fax : +41/(0)24-482.88.99
e-mail : info@aseh.ch Web : www.aseh.ch
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