Introduction of Communicative Language Teaching in Tourism in Cuba

Abstract

In the early 80's, ideas of the communicative approach filtered through to Cuba, but in no way are these ideas widely used in language teaching in the country today. The importance of the tourism industry to Cuba over the past few years has resulted in a careful examination of language teaching for workers in the industry. As a result of this analysis, an experimental programme based on the ideas of the communicative approach was implemented at the Centre for Studies in Tourism in Havana in September 1987. A description of this programme will be presented. Special emphasis will be given to the difficulties encountered by teachers in a foreign language setting who had been previously used to teaching prescribed, teacher-centred, structural methods. One of the other experimental features of this programme was the incorporation of a Canadian focus into the teaching of English in tourism, in an attempt to move away from the consideration of the U.S. and Great Britain as the only sources of English language content and social context. Attempts to extend this type of programme to all sectors of tourism will also be described.