ANALYSING THE DISCOURSE OF TOUR GUIDES, AND TOURISTS INTERACTION: THE CASE OF SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK \SMNP\.

Abstract

This study has intended to analyses the discourse of tour guiding communication. Specifically, an attempt has been made to investigate sources of miscommunication of local tour guides and foreign tourists interaction the case of SMNP .To explain tour guides communication strategies the interaction of foreign tourists the case of SMNP.To address these issues, data have been collected through interview and audio recording of the actual guiding practice. Both the interview and audio data have been first analyzed thematically. Main sources of miscommunications between tour guides and tourists’ interaction the case of SMNP. This is made because tours guides’ description about the sources of miscommunication reflects the way tour guides sense and look at the destination as particular reality. Accordingly, the findings of the analysis show that the sources of miscommunication guides and tourists interaction for a tour guide who involve in the discourse of tour guiding communication are wide-ranging. Specifically, conversation analysis, speech act theory and critical discourse analysis which are considered as different approaches of discourse analysis have been used to describe, interpret and explain the data. The study findings have showed that local tour guides of SMNP view the discourse of tour guiding communication at the SMNP as scientific information, participants with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and prescribed rules and norms of behaving. As a result, individual language ability, the park related knowledge and cultural awareness have been found as major sources of miscommunication between local tour guides and tourists interactions of SMNP. Pronunciation, word choice and grammar have been found to be typical language related problems. Simplification, make up and prevention strategies have been employed to overcome language related problems, whereas providing tourists with cultural orientation has been found to be a remedy for problems related to cultural differences As a result, local tour guides who are knowledgeable on the destination related information and language skills have greater chance of meeting the requirements of tour guiding profession. On-job-training related to destination knowledge, language skills and cultural differences has been recommended for the development of local tour guides profession. The major finding related to tour guides’ belief about the sources of miscommunication between tour guides and tourists interactions is lack of individual linguistic ability. While tour guides who are able to use many languages are positioned at the top that is the winner of the social game (Gee, 2011a), those who speak few languages at the middle, and those who speak only English at the bottom of the hierarchy of the tour guiding practice.