International Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review
Pragmatic competence and learning needs of English for students of Tourism Vocational Schools in Nusa Tenggara Barat Province
*1Muhammad Amin, Arifuddin1 and 1Nurahmadi, M.Hum
Universitas Mataram Indonesia.
*Corresponding Author Email: aminunram(at)gmail.com
This research is intended to investigate the gender-based pragmatic competence of students in Tourism Vocational Schools and their learning needs of English in West Nusa Tenggara province. The samples of this study were 115 students in three tourism vocational schools in two different regions in the province. This research employed a mixed-method design. To collect the data, three instruments were used: a Multiple Choice Discourse Compeltion Test (MDCT), a questionnaire, and interview. The findings show that as a whole, students’ pragmatic competence, in both receptive and productive skills, is still low (with the average score of 44.6 and 24.81 respectively). There is a significant difference between male and female students’ performance in the test of English pragmatics. Students prioritize speaking and listening skills in their learning of English. Students list vocabulary and grammar as the most inhibiting factors in expressing themselves pragmatically.
Keywords: Gender, differences, pragmatic competence, tourism vocational school.