Enhancing English Communication Skills of Restaurant Entrepreneurs in the Phuket Old Town Community through Online Lessons to Promote Lifelong Learning

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Phuket Old Town is one of Thailand’s most significant tourist attractions and a globally recognized destination, renowned for its Sino-Portuguese architecture, multicultural way of life, and diverse local culinary heritage. These unique cultural attributes serve as key attractions for high-quality international tourists. However, many local restaurant entrepreneurs continue to face challenges in English communication, which is essential for effectively conveying the cultural value of local cuisine and providing quality hospitality to international visitors. This limitation suggests that local cultural capital has not yet been systematically transformed into communicative capital that can effectively support tourism development. The purposes of this research were to 1) study the cultural context and knowledge of Phuket’s local culinary and 2) develop a training manual and online English communication lessons for restaurant entrepreneurs to enhance their English communication skills for high-quality foreign tourists and to promote lifelong learning.
Method: This research adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. The sample consisted of 1) 40 restaurant entrepreneurs selected through purposive sampling and 2) 10 tourism stakeholders in the Phuket Old Town selected by Purposive sampling. The research instruments included observations of the local culinary context, group discussions, focus group interviews, satisfaction surveys, and English communication skills assessments. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics, including mean, percentage, and standard deviation.
Results: The results revealed that 1) Local Culinary Knowledge of Phuket, including both savory and sweet local dishes was compiled into a bilingual (Thai-English) electronic book (E-book) to be disseminated as a resource for cultural and language learning, and 2) The training manual and online English communication lessons under the course “English for Restaurant Staff”, consisting of six modules, significantly improved learners’ academic performance and satisfaction at a high level. In addition, the HUSO MOOC platform was evaluated as an effective channel for lifelong learning and for enhancing restaurant entrepreneurs capacity to communicate effectively with foreign tourists.
Application of this study: The findings demonstrate the potential of integrating local cultural knowledge, digital technology, and English language pedagogy to create innovative learning models aligned with the local context, promote high-quality tourism and promote sustainable community economic development. The outcomes indicate that entrepreneurs were able to apply the English communication innovations learned from the training to real business practices and improve their service to foreign customers more effectively. In addition, enhances customer satisfaction and generates sustainable income for local businesses, while also creating social and economic value for the community through new learning content, innovative pedagogical approaches, and the use of online technology to expand educational opportunities.
Conclusions: This research contributes new knowledge and highlights the uniqueness of a learning innovation aligned with Phuket’s local context through the development of a training manual and online English lessons under the English for Restaurant Staff, delivered via the HUSO MOOC platform. It promotes lifelong learning while systematically integrating cultural knowledge, digital components, and English language instruction to drive high-quality tourism development and support sustainable community-based economic growth.