Embedding Written and Oral Communication Within the Hospitality Curriculum

Abstract

To meet industry's needs and achieve business-school accreditation, hospitality programs may want to embed written and oral communication within the hospitality curriculum. The initiative should be based on principles of language pedagogy and professional communication. To create a plan for embedding communication in hospitality courses, faculty need to (1) reinforce and build on the written and oral communication instruction students receive in other college courses, (2) choose professional communication principles to emphasize in the hospitality curriculum, (3) develop contextualized assignments featuring hospitality genres, (4) encourage careful communication planning and revising processes, and (5) set standards, provide feedback, and reward good communication performance. This article offers suggestions for such a curriculum initiative, including ideas for faculty workshops.