Instructional Activities that Motivate Learners in Tourism Program

As the world becomes more interconnected due to globalization, people have more reasons to travel, be it for business, study, or holidays. Therefore, tourism has become a thriving industry in many parts of the world. This is also true for Taiwan, where the number of visitors grew from 2.62 million in the year 2000 to over 10 million in 2015, with over 70% of them traveling for pleasure (Tourism Bureau, Visitor arrivals, 1956–2015. Retrieved from http://admin.taiwan.net.tw/statistics/year.aspx?no=134, 2016). To accommodate this boom in the tourism industry, many tourism-related programs have been opened at universities in Taiwan. In 2004, there were 48 tourism-related programs; in 2014, the number grew to 66, which was a 37.5% increase. Another trend that has impacted higher education as a result of globalization is the use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI). In order to document the features of EMI tourism instructional activities, we have identified one of the EMI tourism programs as a site for exploration. We observed classes, interviewed the instructor, and conducted student surveys as well as follow-up interviews. This chapter will start with an overview of studies on EMI programs in Taiwan and then take a close look at classroom activities of the specific course chosen for this study. In the last part of the chapter, we will discuss the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the effects of instructional activities and identify features that motivate learning.