English and the Success of Tourism
English is emerging as what is referred to as an “international language”. Worldwide, more people speak English as a foreign language than a first language; it is used for business, educational, and recreational purposes (Llurda 314-315). Tourism as a business force is especially prevalent in Puno, Peru, and there are hopes to expand it. The tourism industry is distributed not only among travel agencies and tour guides; hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, and souvenir shops are all frequently visited by travelers. As humans interact using language, clear communication between tourist and local produces a more efficient and positive experience on both ends. English language education in particular is critical to Puno’s potential for future economic development through tourism, as it allows for open channels of communication. As a result, the quality of English language education in Puno must be improved in order to best complement efforts to attract visitors. If the ability to speak English becomes more widespread among those who work in the tourism sector, then the business sector will become more efficient and successful.
Furthermore, because in Puno the English language is used for the purposes of tourism, it is important that the cultural aspect of language-learning be addressed carefully. For example, a word can translate concretely from Spanish to English, but the word can also carry different implications; for example, when referring to El Día del Campesino, one of the English teachers at the Centro de Idiomas asked if “peasant” would be an appropriate translation for campesino. Errors in language such as this can be costly in areas like marketing, where the image of a peasant and a hard-working land laborer send very different messages. Because of the variations in culture that exist across languages, it is important that teachers be well-versed in both cultures to help students navigate these differences. In these cases, non-native speaking teachers can be very helpful to students in explaining why although a word's translation is technically correct, the context or connotation does not come through.
Furthermore, because in Puno the English language is used for the purposes of tourism, it is important that the cultural aspect of language-learning be addressed carefully. For example, a word can translate concretely from Spanish to English, but the word can also carry different implications; for example, when referring to El Día del Campesino, one of the English teachers at the Centro de Idiomas asked if “peasant” would be an appropriate translation for campesino. Errors in language such as this can be costly in areas like marketing, where the image of a peasant and a hard-working land laborer send very different messages. Because of the variations in culture that exist across languages, it is important that teachers be well-versed in both cultures to help students navigate these differences. In these cases, non-native speaking teachers can be very helpful to students in explaining why although a word's translation is technically correct, the context or connotation does not come through.
The concept of “voluntourism” has risen in popularity in recent decades. Voluntourism, according to Jakubiak, involves short-term (typically from one week up to three months) volunteer projects as an alternative form of travel (Jakubiak 435-436). Projects that involve teaching, usually English, comprise 37% of all instances of voluntourism (Jakubiak 435). Although the effectiveness of such efforts is questioned (or often completely contested) (Jakubiak 440), short-term volunteer teaching projects can have success in cases like that of Puno, where a relatively short-term intervention can have a lasting impact. Rather than working directly with students for a few weeks, working with teachers who will devote their entire careers to teaching young language learners would be a much more beneficial undertaking, ensuring that they are teaching to their utmost capabilities and at high standards.
English has the potential to benefit a wide range of people in Puno, especially those whose livelihood is dependent upon interactions with tourists. During our eight weeks in Puno, my site partner and I developed a habit of visiting the (mostly) women who worked in the artesanía stores, stores that sell traditional art and handicrafts, in the center of town and having conversations with them. One woman, around 25, asked us to teach her phrases in English; she wanted to be able to have conversations with the tourists that would come to browse the shop, but did not have enough money or time to devote to formal classes at the Centro de Idiomas. She asked us for basic words and phrases that would be useful to her with tourists – the names of the items, colors, basic descriptive adjectives, payment, and small talk. On a daily basis, my site partner and I would compile lists of all the phrases and short dialogues we could think of and bring them to the girl, patiently going over pronunciation and translation. On our last day in Puno, she gave my site partner and scarves as a thank you; I was moved by her generosity. But I realized that, from her perspective, it was a fair exchange; she knew that English was something that would be able to improve her ability to do her job, and my site partner and I were a means to that end.
English has the potential to benefit a wide range of people in Puno, especially those whose livelihood is dependent upon interactions with tourists. During our eight weeks in Puno, my site partner and I developed a habit of visiting the (mostly) women who worked in the artesanía stores, stores that sell traditional art and handicrafts, in the center of town and having conversations with them. One woman, around 25, asked us to teach her phrases in English; she wanted to be able to have conversations with the tourists that would come to browse the shop, but did not have enough money or time to devote to formal classes at the Centro de Idiomas. She asked us for basic words and phrases that would be useful to her with tourists – the names of the items, colors, basic descriptive adjectives, payment, and small talk. On a daily basis, my site partner and I would compile lists of all the phrases and short dialogues we could think of and bring them to the girl, patiently going over pronunciation and translation. On our last day in Puno, she gave my site partner and scarves as a thank you; I was moved by her generosity. But I realized that, from her perspective, it was a fair exchange; she knew that English was something that would be able to improve her ability to do her job, and my site partner and I were a means to that end.