Innovation Service Lecturer Team Improves English Language Skills of Thousand Islands Tour Guides
IPB University lecturers from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK) held an Innovation Service Lecturer program on Pramuka Island, Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta. The program was themed ‘Capacity Building for Ecotourism Tour Guides of Smiling Coral Community’.
The Innovation Service Lecturer team includes Dr Beginer Subhan, Dondy Arafat, Dea Fauziah Lestari and Inna Puspa Ayu. Several FPIK IPB University students, Daniel Setiawan and M Fathoni Sidhiq, also participated.
Dr Beginner Subhan explained the importance of English language skills in the world of tourism to members of the Smiling Coral community. This is because English is an international language commonly used in the tourism industry.
By mastering language skills, tour guides will be easier to communicate with tourists from various countries without language barriers. The tour guides can also provide clear and accurate information about tourist destinations, accommodating the needs and questions of foreign tourists more effectively.
“This English language training is indeed a request from the people of Pramuka Island to strengthen their capacity development,” added Hermanysah, the Chairman of Smiling Coral Indonesia.
Dr Beginer Subhan also shared the tour experience he had when he first came to Pramuka Island in 1997. During the discussion session, there were many materials that participants could take away, ranging from the basics of English, how to communicate well with foreign tourists and additional skills as a tour guide.
“As the frontline of Pramuka Island tourism, English language skills can create a more satisfying and memorable travel experience for foreign tourists, contributing positively to the overall image of Pramuka Island tourism,” he said.
“As a tour guide, you must have high self-confidence, especially when facing foreign tourists,” he stressed.
Not only English language skills training, Dr Beginer Subhan also provided knowledge about coral monitoring and transplantation. The activity was closed by planting coral transplants by the team of Lecturers Mengabdi Inovasi in the area of the Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) Pramuka Island, Kepulauan Seribu.
“With the training and capacity building of ecotourism tour guides in English, it is hoped that it can improve the performance of tour guides in dealing with foreign tourists who continue to grow in the Thousand Islands region,” said Dr Beginer. (*/Rz) (IAAS/MKY)
