WECI SPECIAL COURSE

INTRODUCTION

This booklet explains the details of a proposal by WECI for a new one-year full-time diploma in
Applied Business English for the Hospitality/Tourism Industry.

Students who have graduated with a B.A. degree, or Higher Vocational Studies will be invited to commence this course in 2010.

This new fulltime educational offering, concentrating largely on practice, rather than theory, will include 6 months of intensive Business English and other courses taught in English to fully prepare advanced students for employment in the Hotel/Hospitality/Tourism sector

Following this, there will be a 6 month internship for students working within companies co-operating with WECI.

Co-operating companies will be expected to report monthly on internees/apprentices, and hopefully rotate them through various departments during their internship.

Academic standards will be maintained by an oversight committee, comprising

• Representatives from Co-operating companies offering internships
• WECI Academic leadership
• WECI native English-speaking teaching staff,

Please take the time to read through this proposal and feel free to offer additional suggestions on course contents, or contact WECI for further details, particularly if you are interested in offering internships to better trained students within your company.

• PROPOSAL:

New Full-Time English for Business -One Year Diploma:

• TRAINING COURSE NAME:

Applied Business English for the Hospitality/Tourism Industry

• TARGET STUDENTS:

• Age 18 years old and above        
• Minimum Educational Background-
• Higher Vocational Certificate (HVOC), OR
• Bachelor Degree (B.A., B.Sc, etc,)

• PROGRAM LENGTH:

ONE YEAR FULL TIME: (5 day week)

• Intensive English for Business - 6 months including:
• Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism, and Related Businesses
• Facilities Management
• Health, Safety & Environment Conservation
• Basic Accounting
• Organizational Behaviour
• Customer Service
• Leadership & Supervision
• Cross Cultural Studies

• Internship 6 months (Apprentice/trainee with Co-operating Hotel / Business Sector)

• CERTIFICATE/Diploma:

All students must satisfactorily complete the FULL one year program in both theory and practice in order to receive certification.

• PROPOSED SCHEDULES:

FIRST GROUP:          May, 2010 - March, 2011

SECOND GROUP:     November, 2010 - September, 2011

(All classes will continue as above schedules every year)

• 2 groups per year
• 2 classes per group
• 15 students per class

• BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSAL:

WECI has been teaching English for different sectors both private and government since 2002, mostly for leading Hotel Businesses in Prachuab Kirikhan and Petchaburi Provinces. We have been teaching English Language and Hotel Training with native English speaking Teachers from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the USA. All those hotels which have used our programs have improved staff levels in English language skills and general communication skills between hotel staff and guests.

WECI is one of the very few private schools in this area that has won an MOE award.  WECI is also recognized by the Skill Development Center of Prachuab Kirikhan and Petchaburi Provinces who give study grant for students on approved English Course.

Non English-Speaking Staff are a major issue in many, if not most, Thai hotels, both in lower positions and upper ones, especially with guest contact staff. Thailand has limited opportunities to improve and develop businesses in the hotel, travel and related industries because of the current staff English problem. We all know that most Thais who have graduated from high schools or gained bachelor degrees have studied English for 6-10 years. But there are not many of them that are truly able to speak English well.

Typically students from school, universities, hotels, other business and government sectors choose WECI because of its reputation that has been maintained by continuously offering stimulating, effective learning development to all our students of different ages in all the above mentioned areas.

Following our previous experience WECI now proposes setting up a one-year program of study in Applied Business English for the Hospitality/Tourism Industry by teaching all subjects in English. WECI will co-operate with hotels and other private sectors to arrange training programs for those students who complete all required English courses at WECI and enter actual internship training in a real situation with co-operating companies.

• OBJECTIVES:

• To produce and develop sufficiently qualified personnel for Hotel, Tourism and other Businesses. Graduating students will become employees able to use English to work, operate, and co-operate effectively in the Hotel and Tourism Industry.

• To enable graduating students to use effective English in all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing).      

• To cultivate virtue/moral principles, ethics, discipline, loyalty, awareness of professional ethics, and social responsibilities, including support and development of the Thai Nation’s Resources and culture.

• To improve and develop the student’s personality in order to present an understanding and pleasant work attitude, while maintaining good human relations, as well as understanding the principles of the service business and having a service-minded approach to their employment.

• To enable students who complete this program to work in the hospitality business and other businesses, not only in Thailand, but world-wide.

• To develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills in students.

• To develop students ability to respect differences between cultures, and to act with integrity.

• At WECI our emphasis in educating each student is on     ensuring full comprehension in every subject so that students can actually apply this knowledge to their lives or job performances with demonstrated competence.

• The program also aims to mentor students and to guide them towards positions of increased responsibility.

• To help society and the Thai nation to save costs, by offering an effective opportunity to study in Thailand, rather than traveling to overseas countries, by producing more efficient pre-trained English-speaking personnel in the Hospitality/Tourism and related business sectors.

• To develop and enable students to have a sense of urgency, to strive for excellent quality and work towards being an Asian Community and Global Citizen.

• ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY AND OVERSIGHT

An Academic oversight Committee will be responsible for developing the curriculum and establishing rules and regulations that affect the student study program, and will include:

• Business Sector Management Representatives
• WECI - Managing Director
• WECI - Director of Studies and Instructors
• Participating Student Representative

This WECI leadership structure is designed to guarantee responsible management between the co-operating business sectors and the institution’s resources committed to achieving the program mission and objectives.

• PROGRAM TARGET:

• 2 groups per academic year
• 2 classes per group (minimum)
• 15 students per class (maximum)

• ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• 18 years old and above
• A completed application form and application fee of 500 THB (not refundable)
• A copy of Higher Vocational Diploma (HVOC), or university degree (BA, B.Sc., etc.)

The above must show all courses completed and the grades received.

• A valid medical certificate (less than 3 months old).
• A copy of Personal I.D.
• A copy of House Registration
• 4 photos (taken less than 3 months ago)
• = size 1 inc.
• = size 2 inc.

• WECI Placement Test Results (Listening, Speaking Reading Comprehension and Writing)

• FEES AND FINANCIAL AID:

If the student wishes to live in Hua Hin, close to the institute, please note that the cost of living typically varies slightly every year. To maintain the standards expected from the institution, the fees will be reviewed each year in February. Fee amounts are not included in this document; however, they are available separately and details can be sent with the application form and other appropriate documents.

Non payment of fees at the appropriate time may result in expulsion from classes and ultimately from the program.

The institution buys textbooks/worksheets for students who are then charged for them. These textbooks must be taken by students, they are not optional.
Financial aid for enrolled students:

Financial aid is considered within the limit of the funds available to help enrolled students whose financial situation has dramatically changed in a way that could not be anticipated upon enrolment. It is a last resort that should be sought only after all other possible financial aid options are deemed impossible, and documentation to support the request is required. Financial aid is awarded against tuition fees (excluding room and board) on a course-by-course basis. Since the financial aid fund is limited, academic status, attendance and disciplinary records will be taken into consideration for prioritizing requests.

The institute has an extremely limited budget for financial aid. It granted very few awards to students who enrolled in the last 3 months of English courses. Prospective students who believe their personal circumstances are so exceptional that they might warrant consideration for financial aid should contact the administration office for information about application and documentation requirements. All requests must be approved in writing by the WECI Managing Director.

• EVALUATION:

In order to complete the program and receive the certificate, a student must complete

• all required Business English as Intensive Courses (300 hrs.)
• eight General Business Courses
• six months apprenticeship/internship training at the co-operating company/hotel where English is required.
• must receive a minimum of “C” grades for all above courses (8.1-8.3).

9    INTERNSHIP:

The aim is to provide students with interesting, informative and high quality training opportunities, which enhance professional competence and enrich personal development.  These opportunities will take place both in the international segments (hotels/companies) or within smaller establishments in Hua Hin, Cha Am or other provinces of Thailand.

NOTES TO ALL INSTRUCTORS:

Most of enrolled students are familiarized with the theories of those subjects in Thai, therefore “ROLE PLAYS” will take place in all courses.  All Role Plays for all courses will be designed by instructors to have students develop and refine their perceptions of elements interacting in human communication.  Observation, analytical, interpretive and creative skills are trained in order to develop a greater understanding of familiar and unfamiliar human behavioral patterns as well as growing awareness of one’s own communicational skills.

Please note that topic timings are subject to change given the needs of the students and market.  If more time is required on specific areas and target language in order to facilitate learning, then there must be flexibility within the course outline.