English for Specific Purposes

Hotel Receptionist

Name: Regina Berliani - 1312150034

I. Introduction

English for Specific Purpose is a branch of applied linguistics that focuses on relating
the teaching and learning process to learners’ needs. English for Specific
Purposes(ESP) can be defined as teaching and learning English as a second or
foreign language for the purpose of using it in a particular domain. Hutchinson &
Waters (1992) argue that if learners, sponsors, and teachers know why learners
need English, that awareness will have an influence on what will be accepted as
reasonable content in the language course and what potential can be exploited.
Thus, language teaching is firstly viewed as a process of analyzing the
communicative needs of learners in order to determine what the learner need to do
with the language..
EOP is taught in such a situation in which learners need to use English as part of
their work or profession (Kennedy and Bolitho, 1984: 4). There will be differences in
such courses depending on whether the learners are learning English before; during
or after the time they are being trained in their job or profession. Basically, EOP
courses focus on meeting the demand for workers by providing specific job training
and skills through content-based instruction activities in order to enhance basic skills
development such as sufficient training in listening, speaking, reading and writing
(Anthony, 1997). The content of an English program for someone actually engaged,
for example, on a receptionist course - with its acquisition of practical skills and
theoretical knowledge - is going to be different from a program for someone who is
already a qualified secretary but now needs to operate in English.
Once identified, needs should be stated in terms of goals and objectives, which, in
turn, can serve as the bases for developing tests, materials, teaching activities, and
evaluation strategies (Brown, 1995). So, needs analysis and material evaluation go
hand in hand so that needs analysis determine the needs for a defined group of
people and evaluation helps the teacher determine to what extent those materials,
tests or the whole program meet the learners’ needs.
II. Definition of Receptionist

A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The

work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an
organization or business. The title "receptionist" is attributed to the person who is
employed by an organization to receive or greet any visitors, patients, or clients and
answer telephone calls.
According to Business Dictionary, receptionist is an iividual serving as the first point
of contact in an office. Receptionists are usually seated at the entrance of an office
and do a variety of administrative tasks including, but not limited to, answering
phones calls, making photocopies, distributing mail, signing for packages, and
general office upkeep. Some companies employ a receptionist for the sole purpose
of answering phones, but with the advancement of technology, digital answering
services and outsourced receptionist firms are the new wave of the future.
According to Collins Dictionary, receptionist is in a hotel, office, or hospital, the
receptionist is the person whose job is to answer the telephone, arrange
reservations, or appointments, and deal with people when they first arrive.
A receptionist may also assume some security guard access control functions for an
organization by verifying employee identification, issuing visitor passes, and
observing and reporting any unusual or suspicious persons or activities.
A receptionist is often the first business contact a person will meet at any
organization. It is an expectation of most organizations that the receptionist maintains
a calm, courteous and professional demeanor at all times, regardless of the visitor's
behavior. Some personal qualities that a receptionist is expected to possess in order
to do the job successfully include attentiveness, a well-groomed appearance,
initiative, loyalty, maturity, respect for confidentiality and discretion, a positive attitude
and dependability. At times, the job may be stressful due to interaction with many
different people with different types of personalities, and being expected to perform
multiple tasks quickly.
A few famous people were receptionists in the beginning, such as Betty Williams, a
co-recipient of the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize . A number of celebrities had worked as
receptionists before they became famous, such as singer or songwriter Naomi Judd
and the late Linda McCartney, photographer, entrepreneur and wife of Beatle Paul
McCartney. Other famous people who began their careers as receptionists or worked
in the field include civil rights activist Rosa Parks and former Hewlett-Packard CEO
Carly Fiorina.
III. The Job Description of Receptionist

What Are the Education Requirements?

Hiring standards vary by industry and company, but generally you only need a high
school diploma to start as a receptionist. Most training is received on the job, but
prior knowledge of how to answer telephones professionally, spreadsheets or other
office training is preferred.

Duty
The business duties of a receptionist may include answering visitors' enquiries about
a company and its products or services, directing visitors to their destinations, sorting
and handing out mail, answering incoming calls on multi-line telephones or, earlier in
the 20th century, a switchboard, setting appointments, filing, records keeping,
keyboarding/data entry and performing a variety of other office tasks, such as faxing
or emailing. Some receptionists may also perform bookkeeping or cashiering duties.
Some, but not all, offices may expect the receptionist to serve coffee or tea to guests,
and to keep the lobby area tidy.

Job Brief
As a receptionist you will be the first point of contact for the company and you will
provide administrative support across the organization. You will handle the flow of
people through the business and ensure that all receptionist responsibilities are
completed accurately and delivered with high quality and in a timely manner.

Job Skill
 Customer-Service Skills: You are the first impression of the company. A
successful receptionist will be friendly, organized and knowledgeable about
the company.

 Computer Skills: You will need to answer emails, use the phone system,
create and manage schedules, and possibly learn industry specific software.

 Communication Skills: Listening to customers and management, speaking in a

clear and friendly way over the phone and face-to-face are essential skills for
receptionists

Responbility
 Serve visitors by greeting, welcoming, directing and announcing them
appropriately
  Answer, screen and forward any incoming phone calls while providing basic
information when needed

 Receive and sort daily mail/deliveries/couriers

 Maintain security by following procedures and controlling access (monitor

logbook, issue visitor badges)

 Update appointment calendars and schedule meetings/appointments

 Perform other clerical receptionist duties such as filing, photocopying,

collating, faxing

Job Requirement (Necessities)

 Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite

 Professional appearance

 Ability to be resourceful and proactive in dealing with issues that may arise

 Fluent English in written and spoken

 Possess cultural awareness and sensitivity

 Recognize the ways to open, continue, and close a conversation

Knowledge
The incumbent must have proficient knowledge in the following areas:

 office administration

 an understanding of relevant legislation, procedures policies

Personal Attribute
The incumbent must demonstrate the following personal attributes:

 be honest and trustworthy

 be respectful

 possess cultural awareness and sensitivity

 be flexible

 demonstrate sound work ethics

The receptionist would normally attain the required knowledge, skills and attitudes
through completion of an office procedures course combined with related experience.

Working Condition
The unavoidable, externally imposed conditions under which the work must be
performed and which create hardship for the incumbent including the frequency and
duration of occurrence of physical demands, environmental conditions, demands on
one’s senses and metal demands.

· Physical Demand
Is the nature of physical effort leading to physical fatigue. The receptionist will have
to spend long hours sitting and using office equipment and computers, which can
cause muscle strain. The receptionist may also have to do some light lifting of
supplies and materials from time to time. Environmental Conditions (The nature of
adverse environmental conditions affecting the incumbent) The office may be a busy
facility. The receptionist may have to manage a number of projects at one time, and
may be interrupted frequently to meet the needs and requests of members,
residents, clients and contractors. The receptionist may find the environment to be
busy, noisy and will need excellent organizational and time and stress management
skills to complete the required tasks.

· Sensory Demand
Is the nature of demands on the incumbent’s senses. Sensory demands include use
of the computer, which may cause eyestrain and occasional headaches. The office
may be noisy and busy making it difficult for the receptionist to concentrate.

· Mental Demand
Is the condition that may lead to mental or emotional fatigue. The receptionist will
have to manage a number of requests and situations at one time. Stress may be
caused by the need to complete tasks within tight deadlines.

Opportunities for Advancement

Depending on the industry a receptionist position can have opportunities for
networking in order to advance to other positions within a specific field. Some people
may use this type of job as a way to familiarize themselves with office work, or to
learn of other functions or positions within a corporation. Some people use
receptionist work as a way to earn money while pursuing further educational
opportunities or other career interests such as in the performing arts or as writers.
References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Receptionist

https://www.lttc.ntu.edu.tw/TLResource/Needs_Analysis_of_Banking_and_Financial
_Professionals.pdf

http://repository.um.edu.my/679/1/Ajuntha%20Kuppan.pdf

http://ir.ydu.edu.tw/retrieve/852/21-1-16.pdf