A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING A DIGITAL LANGUAGE LEARNING PLATFORM FOR TOURISM STUDENTS

Abstract

Professional communication in the tourism industry requires more than general foreign language proficiency; it also involves the ability to perform communicative tasks in authentic tourism and hospitality service situations. Accordingly, there is a need to design digital language learning environments for tourism students that integrate professional needs, domain-specific content, scenario-based tasks, and competency assessment. This study aims to develop an integrative conceptual model for a digital language learning platform designed to enhance the professional communicative competence of tourism students. The study employs a theoretical-conceptual research design and draws on a thematic and comparative analysis of literature on English for Specific Purposes (ESP), professional communication in tourism, intercultural competence, digital and technology-enhanced language learning, task-based language teaching, and language assessment. The theoretical synthesis identified a set of professional language competencies and six content modules: hotel communication, travel agency communication, tour guiding, restaurant and hospitality services, tourist complaint handling, and intercultural communication. The main outcome of the study is an integrative model structured around the sequence of industry needs → professional communicative competencies → ESP content → professional scenario-based tasks → digital interaction → feedback → competency assessment. A distinctive feature of the model is that digital tools are conceptualized not as stand-alone technological components but as elements of a pedagogical environment connecting professional tasks, language use, feedback, and assessment. As the study is theoretical in nature, no technical prototype was developed and the effectiveness of the proposed model was not empirically tested. The framework may provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent development of a digital platform and its empirical validation through pilot studies.