The Effects of CEFR - based ESP speaking and listening activities on the success of students in Faculties of Tourism

This study aimed to increase the success of Tourism and Hotel Management students in developing their speaking and listening skills through the use of the suggested ESP speaking and listening activities based on the principles of the CEFR. This study was carried out with the students from the Tourism and Hotel Management Department in the Akdeniz University Faculty of Tourism. The students were randomly assigned as members of the experimental and control groups, with 9 male and 5 female students, making a total of 14 students in each group. To accomplish the aim of the study, the quantitative research method was used. In this experimental study, a pre-test and post-test control group design was applied, and self-assessment checklist was also administered to the students both at the beginning and end of the study to find out the language proficiency level of the students from their own perspectives, and to make the whole process more learner-centered. The data collected through the self-assessment checklist are presented in the form of percentages. During the 12-week implementation of the study, the experimental group studied the suggested speaking and listening activities for English for Tourism at B1 level based on the principles of the CEFR, while the control group followed the traditional teaching method using the current coursebook. Both groups were administered speaking and listening skill pre-tests at the beginning of the study and post-tests at the end of the study in order to assess the effects of the suggested activities. The data obtained from the pre-tests and post-tests were analyzed by using t-test. The findings in the study indicate a significant difference between the experimental and the control groups in terms of speaking and listening skill achievements. It was observed in this study that the improvement in the speaking and listening skills demonstrated by the experimental group was noticeably greater than the improvement found in the control group. In the light of this research, it can be suggested that implementing CEFR-based ESP speaking and listening activities in the English language lessons in the Faculty of Tourism were effective in increasing the achievement levels of the students in those skills.