DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM COMPETENCIES THROUGH ESP INSTRUCTION
Keywords:
English for Specific Purposes, Sustainability competencies, Employability, Communicative tasks, Learning outcomes, Task-based activities
Abstract
Although sustainable tourism research increasingly highlights competence development and educational transformation, the role of language education in fostering sustainability competences remains underexplored. To address the aforementioned gap, this paper looks into the possible contributions of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction in developing sustainable tourism competences within tertiary-level students. Drawing on competence-based education and United Nations Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the study suggests a conceptual framework linking ESP pedagogy with sustainability-oriented learning outcomes. It argues that ESP courses for tourism and hospitality students can extend beyond language acquisition by promoting intercultural awareness, critical thinking, ethical communication, and responsible professional practices. The integration of sustainability-focused communicative tasks and curriculum design strategies enables ESP instruction to prepare graduates to actively support sustainable tourism transformation and improve employability.
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References
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Ünlü, Z., & Qureshi, H. (2021). ESP Course Design and Employability: Small-Scale Exploratory Study at Tourism Faculties. ELT Research Journal, 10(1), 83–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-020-00779-w
Walker, R. & Harding. (2006). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 1: Provision, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Walker, R. & Harding. (2009a). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 2: Encounters, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Walker, R. & Harding. (2009b). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 3: Management, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Willis, J., Leeming, P., & Harris, J. (2026). A Framework for Task-Based Learning and Teaching: Revised Edition. Multilingual Matters.
Alimehmeti, G., Fia, M., & Paletta, A. (2024). The sustainability-to-employment pipeline: the impact of SDG-related curricula on graduates’ employability. Studies in Higher Education, 49(12), 2328–2342. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2299328
Boeve-de Pauw, J., Olsson, D., Berglund, T., & Gericke, N. (2022). Teachers’ ESD Self-Efficacy and Practices: A Longitudinal Study on the Impact of Teacher Professional Development. Environmental Research, 28(6), 867–885. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2042206
Briede, L., & Drelinga, E. (2020). Personal Sustainability and Sustainable Employability: Perspective of Vocational Education Students. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 22(2), 40–48. https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2020-0015
Buerkle, A., O'Dell, A., Matharu, H., Buerkle, L., & Ferreira, P. (2023). Recommendations to Align Higher Education Teaching With the UN Sustainability Goals – A Scoping Survey. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 5, 100280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2023.100280
Byram, M., & Zarate, G. (1997). The sociocultural and intercultural dimension of language learning and teaching. Council of Europe Publishing.
Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for specific purposes. Cambridge University Press.
Eurofound. (2025). Sustainable tourism in a digital age: Preparing the tourism sector for the twin transitions. Publications Office of the European Union. Retrieved 19 March, 2026 from https://eurofound.link/
ef25038
European Commission: Directorate-General for Communication. (2020a). The European Green Deal. Publications Office. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2775/19001
European Commission. (2020b). Languages for Jobs. Providing multilingual communication skills for the labour market. Retrieved March 20, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/languages/policy/strategic-framework/documents/languages-for-jobs-report_en.pdf
Fernando, A. R. R., & Tajan, G. P. (2024). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Through Participatory Research (PR): A Systematic Review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 482, 144237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144237
Harding, K. (1998). Going International English for Tourism, Student's Book. Oxford University Press.
Hymes, D. H. (1972). On communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics: Selected readings (pp. 269–293). Penguin.
Kesić, S., & Lipovšek, E. (2024). Sustainability Awareness in ESP. In The Eighth International Scientific Conference Tourism and Green Investments Conference Proceedings (pp. 412–4189. https://doi.org/10.52370/tisc24412sk
Kim, M. S., & Baker, M. A. (2024). Sustainable tourism employment: A comprehensive overview of tourism employees’ experience from a tourist-employee interaction perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 228–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.07.009
Pešić, D. (2022). English language knowledge as a determinant of employability in hotel industry – The case of Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia. Hotel and Tourism Management, 10(1), 125–134. https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2201125p
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge University Press.
Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420
Trang, T.T.T., & Phuong, V.T. (2023). Needs Analysis About Intercultural Communicative Competence Among Undergraduate Tourism Students. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 52(6), 2599–2620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-023-10012-1
UNESCO. (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: learning objectives. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.54675/CGBA9153
UNEP & WTO. (2005). Making Tourism More Sustainable: A Guide for Policy Makers. UNEP/UN Tourism. Retrieved February 23, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284408214
UNTWO. (2001). Global Code of Ethics for Responsible Tourism. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from https://www.untourism.int/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism
Ünlü, Z., & Qureshi, H. (2021). ESP Course Design and Employability: Small-Scale Exploratory Study at Tourism Faculties. ELT Research Journal, 10(1), 83–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-020-00779-w
Walker, R. & Harding. (2006). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 1: Provision, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Walker, R. & Harding. (2009a). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 2: Encounters, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Walker, R. & Harding. (2009b). Oxford English for Careers: Tourism 3: Management, Student’s Book. Oxford University Press.
Willis, J., Leeming, P., & Harris, J. (2026). A Framework for Task-Based Learning and Teaching: Revised Edition. Multilingual Matters.
Published
2026-10-16
How to Cite
Pešić, D., Radovanović, A., & Marinković, I. (2026). DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM COMPETENCIES THROUGH ESP INSTRUCTION. Tourism International Scientific Conference Vrnjačka Banja - TISC, 9(1), 389-398. https://doi.org/10.52370/TISC26389DP
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Articles
