Evaluating Tourism Ambassadors’ English Proficiency in Listening and Reading Comprehension Skills
Abstract
This study evaluates the English for Tourism (EfT) receptive competence, specifically listening and reading comprehension of nine active youth tourism ambassadors in Demak Regency. Employing a descriptive quantitative design, the research administered CEFR Level B1 listening and reading assessment instruments to measure baseline performance. The empirical results reveal an overall mean listening score of 53% and a mean reading score of 63%. While participants successfully decoded explicit numerical data, literal keywords, and direct contrasts, they experienced substantial performance drops when encountering rapid connected speech, technical jargon, multi-word phrasal verbs, and complex pragmatic discourse inference. This study concludes that Demak’s tourism ambassadors possess an intermediate receptive baseline adequate for routine information retrieval, yet insufficient for handling advanced international communication demands. To bridge these performance gaps, the study recommends transitioning general training into a targeted English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum emphasizing task-based listening modules, pragmatic inference, and objective pre-service receptive benchmarking.
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Candra, A. K., Prasetyo, D., Komunikasi, I., Nginden, S.-A., & Timur, I. (2022). Strategi Komunikasi Promosi Pariwisata Daerah Oleh Duta Wisata Ikon Cak dan Ning Surabaya. Digicom: Jurnal Komunikasi Dan Media, 2(1). www.surabaya.go.id
Creswell, J. W. (2016). Research Design : Pendekatan Metode Kualitatif, Kuantitatif, dan Campuran. Pustaka Pelajar.
Diani, M. A., Mujahid, & Fitriana. (2024). Promotional Strategies and the Role of Tourism Ambassadors in Increasing Tourist Visits in Penajam Paser Utara Regency Program Magister Ilmu Komunikasi Fakultas Pascasarjana Universitas Fajar Makassar. Jurnal Sinar Manajemen, 11(3), 28–36.
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Kanah, Sumawidari, I. A. K., & Oka, I. M. D. (2019). Analisis Kompetensi Mahasiswa Program Studi Perhotelan. Epigram, 16(1), 19–28.
Kanca, I. N. (2024). Analisis Keterampilan Berbahasa Inggris di Bidang Industri Pariwisata untuk Pemula. YASIN, 4(6), 1750–1761. https://doi.org/10.58578/yasin.v4i6.4474
Kholidi, M. A., Azhan, N. A. S., & Ariawan, S. (2022). Needs Analysis of English Language Use in Tourism Industry in Selangor, Malaysia. LSP International Journal, 9(1), 123–136. https://doi.org/10.11113/lspi.v9.18285
Kusumastiti, W., Palupiningsih, A., Tinggi, S., & Ambarrukmo, P. (2021). Needs Analysis on English Macro-Skills for the Tourism Students of Higher Education. Yavana Bhāshā: Journal of English Language Education, 4(2).
Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2008). Human Resource Management (12th ed.). Thomson.
Miolo, S., Muziatun, M., & Fatsah, H. (2025). Strategi Pengembangan Kompetensi Bahasa Inggris bagi Pengelola Wisata di Teluk Tomini melalui Perkampungan Bahasa. Ideas: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial, Dan Budaya, 10(4), 1213. https://doi.org/10.32884/ideas.v10i4.2067
Namtapi, I. (2022). Needs Analysis of English for Specific Purposes for Tourism Personnel in Ayutthaya. In LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network (Vol. 15, Number 1). https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/LEARN/index
Narolita, M., Mentari, K. R., & Kegia, G. A. (2026). Needs Analysis of English for Tourism among Tourism Ambassadors in Demak. IKON : Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi, 30(2), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.37817/ikon.v30i2
Narolita, M., & Putri, A. R. A. (2025). Needs Analysis on English Language Use in Tour Guiding. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Dan Riset Pendidikan, 3(4), 5558–5565. https://doi.org/10.31004/jerkin.v3i4.1238
Oktavinanda, G., Rahma, E. A., Mursawal, A., & Syahputri, V. N. (2022). Voices from Coastal Communities: English Need Analysis of Local Tour Guide. Lingua Didaktika: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Pembelajaran Bahasa, 16(2), 155. https://doi.org/10.24036/ld.v16i2.119741
Peraturan Daerah Kabupaten Demak Nomor 5 Tahun 2025 (2025).
Pradnyana, I. W. C., & Lasmi, N. W. (2025). Kualitas Sumber Daya Manusia Dalam Perkembangan Pariwisata di Obyek Wisata Sangeh. ECo-Buss, 8(2), 1920–1931. https://doi.org/10.32877/eb.v8i2.3480
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Human Resource Management (17th ed.). Pearson.
Rosana, A. S., & Kusumawati, D. (2024). Peran Duta Wisata sebagai Brand Ambassador Pariwisata Kabupaten Demak. JAB, 10(01).
Sugiyono. (2025). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Theme parks | LearnEnglish Teens. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/b1-listening/theme-parks
United Nations. (2015). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Published
2026-10-30
How to Cite
NAROLITA, Mella; MENTARI, Karina Rizka; SUJJADA, Lirobbihim.
Evaluating Tourism Ambassadors’ English Proficiency in Listening and Reading Comprehension Skills.
EDUCATION AND LINGUISTICS KNOWLEDGE JOURNAL, [S.l.], v. 8, n. 2, p. 115-128, oct. 2026.
ISSN 2686-1860.
Available at: <https://ejournal.uniska-kediri.ac.id/index.php/EDULINK/article/view/9475>. Date accessed: 01 nov. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.32503/edulink.v8i2.9475.
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Articles
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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9166-6040
