Evolution of Language Teaching in the Cuban System of Schools of Hospitality and its Implications

Abstract

This paper describes the evolution of language teaching in the training of personnel who work or will work in the tourism sector. It shows how the duration of the programs has influenced the decisions made by the academic authorities to define how many hours and which languages and levels certain specialties of direct and constant contact with the foreign client require. The available documentation that led to the final decisions was reviewed. The current situation keeps language teaching and certification in the tourism sector in a very heterogeneous situation at the national level, in spite of the efforts made by the collective bodies created to achieve such homogeneity.