AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT’S PERCEPTIONS ON ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP) MATERIALS IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK USE IN VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Abstract

This descriptive qualitative study aims to evaluate the alignment of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) materials in the textbook English for Professional Hotel Staff with hospitality students' vocational demands and explore students' subjective perceptions of the materials. Data were gathered through document analysis of Units 1–7 employing a materials evaluation checklist and a focus group discussion with 10 hospitality students at a vocational high school. The document analysis revealed that the textbook consistently presents industry-relevant vocabulary and workplace communicative functions, yet it exhibits an imbalance in language skills where listening and writing are underrepresented alongside irregular authentic materials. The focus group discussion showed that 8 out of 10 students perceived the content as partially relevant to entry-level tasks, 7 students deemed it fundamentally useful but insufficient for workplace readiness, and their classroom engagement was conditional with a strong preference for hands-on role-play activities. These convergent findings indicate that while the textbook offers a solid instructional basis, supplementary authentic tasks and pedagogical adaptations are necessary to foster comprehensive occupational competence.

ABSTRAK

Penelitian kualitatif deskriptif ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi kesesuaian materi English for Specific Purposes (ESP) dalam buku teks English for Professional Hotel Staff terhadap kebutuhan vokasi siswa perhotelan sekaligus menganalisis persepsi siswa terhadap materi tersebut. Data dihimpun melalui analisis dokumen terhadap Unit 1–7 dengan panduan kerangka evaluasi bahan ajar serta diskusi kelompok terpumpun (focus group discussion) bersama 10 siswa perhotelan di sekolah menengah kejuruan. Hasil analisis dokumen menunjukkan bahwa materi menyajikan kosakata perhotelan dan fungsi bahasa yang sesuai dengan tugas kerja secara konsisten, namun cakupan empat keterampilan bahasa belum seimbang karena keterampilan menyimak dan menulis kurang terwakili serta materi autentik masih minim. Hasil diskusi kelompok terpumpun mengungkap bahwa 8 dari 10 siswa menilai materi relevan secara parsial pada tingkat dasar, 7 siswa memandang materi berguna namun belum memadai untuk kesiapan kerja industri, dan keterlibatan belajar siswa bersifat kondisional dengan preferensi tertinggi pada aktivitas simulasi kerja (role-play). Kedua temuan mengonfirmasi bahwa buku teks ini berfungsi sebagai fondasi awal yang baik namun memerlukan materi suplemen autentik dan variasi tugas untuk mengoptimalkan kompetensi komunikasi kerja siswa.