Curriculum development methodologies for English for occupational purposes in tourism management : a case study from a South African university of technology

Abstract

The development of English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) curricula for universities of technology has become increasingly important. These institutions aim to produce graduates who can function effectively, upon entry into the occupational world. Since English is regarded as the global lingua franca, the demand for EOP is growing worldwide, so that, universally, employees can function in their fields of specialisation. Therefore, EOP wants and needs analyses have become imperative. This implies that the methodologies used to gather data from stakeholders in the development of EOP curricula should be effective. This paper takes a closer look at such methodologies, by exploring the perceptions of stakeholders on some of them, and the value that stakeholders could add to EOP curriculum development for Tourism Management at a South African university of technology.