Study Guide

Learning outcomes

Students are able to
- communicate in a professional manner both orally and in writing in careers in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries
- use and apply industry-specific English vocabulary in a variety of customer service situations
- understand how cultural differences affect global communication and customer service

Implementation and methods of teaching

This course is taught in class but also features independent learning and online assignments.

The focus is on developing oral skills and honing writing skills needed while working in the field of tourism.

Assignments will be done both individually and in groups, and will include both written and spoken tasks.

Timing and attendance

Spring term of 2024. Regular attendance on at least 80% of the lessons is required. The course will require cooperation and teamwork, freeloading will not be tolerated. The lessons will be held on the Lappeenranta campus.

Learning material and recommended literature

Material provided by the teacher through Moodle.

Alternative completion methods

To be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Learning environment

In-class lessons, assignments and theory material through Moodle.

Student time use and work load

5 ECTS, equivalent to 135 hours of work. 10 lessons (á 90 minutes) throughout the spring term (this number may change a little in the planning process, detailed information will be provided at the start of the course.

Contents

Topics of the course include:

- business correspondence (using formal language, dealing with complaints, responding to customers’ reviews, writing memos for the staff, etc.)
- managing your staff (communication with your employees)
- events organization (event management, stages of event planning, communication with vendors)
- booking policies (reservation terms and cancellation policy; responding to cancellation requests; explaining the terms of package holidays)
- business meetings and negotiations (negotiating with vendors; professional meetings with your staff)

On the course students will invent a hypothetical hotel which also provides serivces in the restaurant and tourism fields. The assignments on the course will be completed from the point of view of the student's own company.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

The course is taught at a B2 level according to the Common European Framework. 

Assessment criteria

The course is evaluated on the basis of continuous assessment.

Active participation in all course activities impacts the course grade.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

The student fails to complete one or more of the required assignments.
The teacher is unable to understand what the student is attempting to say in their writing or speech.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has a satisfactory knowledge of the course content.

The speech is understandable with some difficulty to follow. Interaction is mostly missing. The speech is hesitant, pauses are rather long and pronunciation mistakes sometimes make it hard to understand the message. The student uses only basic structures and makes some mistakes.

Written communication consists of simple expressions and there are plentiful mistakes. The language is clumsy, but the message is delivered.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has a good knowledge of the course content.

The student communicates in English well, interacts adequately and uses means of nonverbal communication. The speech is fairly easy to follow. The speech is fluent and clear, but pauses, hesitations and pronunciation mistakes may occur.

Written communication is quite fluent, clear and mostly correct. The structures and professional vocabulary are adequate to deliver the message. Minor mistakes occur concerning the genre and/or style.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has an excellent knowledge of the course content.

The student communicates in excellent English. Interaction is very skilful, and nonverbal communication effectively supports spoken words. The speech is targeted, extremely logical, relevant and consistent. The speech (language, pronunciation and intonation) is fluent, clear, accurate and naturally paced.

Written communication is very fluent and versatile. The student uses varied structures and extensive professional vocabulary, making occasional mistakes only in the most complex structures. The student can deliver the message effortlessly in the appropriate, genre-specific style.

Learning outcomes

Students knows:
- how to work with the common hotel and restaurant electronic sales and distribution channels
- and is familiar with the principles of modern digital commerce
- guide, familiarize and update their subordinates in the exploitation of digital content
- the laws of digital communication

Implementation and methods of teaching

Online lectures in May 2024, which can also be watched afterwards from the learning platform. Independent studying and assignments.

Timing and attendance

Online lectures and coaching in May and independent studying from June to August. Lecture recordings will be added to the learning platform, so lecture attendance is not mandatory.

Learning material and recommended literature

The studying materials presented at the learning platform

Alternative completion methods

There are no optional ways to complete the course.

Learning environment

Moodle and Howspace

Student time use and work load

All course assignments will be presented in May and deadline for the assignments is at the end of August.

Contents

The course provides an overview of the digital systems and processes in hospitality industry. Student will learn about the digital guest journey mapping and familiarize with the possibilities in different kinds of digital platforms and services.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

No requirements for previous expertise

Assessment criteria

Assignments are evaluated on a scale of 1-5.
Attendance in lectures (or watching the lecture recordings afterwards) is part of the evaluation criteria.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

Student hasn't delivered the assignments.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

Student has delivered the minimum 50% of the assignments. The learning tasks were partially and only slightly in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is only partially in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is partly inadequate.

Student has either attended 50% of the online lectures or watched 50% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

Good (4,3): The student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have partly followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments partly complies with the instructions given.

The student has attended at least 70% of the contact lectures or watched at least 70% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

Excellent (5): Student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments are in line with the instructions given.

The student has attended all of the contact lectures or watched the lecture recordings.

Learning outcomes

Introduces the student to personnel planning and payroll management. The student becomes acquainted with the most common collective agreements in the field of tourism and catering and learns to draw up shift lists taking into account the provisions of the collective agreement. The student gets acquainted with the aspects of payroll and learns how to calculate payroll costs.

Collective agreements and personnel planning
The student is familiar with the collective agreements in the field and the rules for working in an employment relationship

Shift list planning
The student understands and is able to implement manual and IT shift planning and preparation. He / she is able to take into account the collective agreements in force, the Working Hours Act and other commonly agreed rules of the game. The student is able to take into account the company's productivity and economic factors when compiling the list and is able to anticipate the need for labor in accordance with forecasts

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

Students knows:
- principles of service design
- use blue printing as a method tool
- recognizes and understands the importance of a holistic customer experience and is able to utilize it in their work
- analyze and create service touch points along the customer path

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

The student knows and knows prevailing megatrends such as:
- smart cities
- Climate change
- Hybrid trading
- Business empathy
- The meanings of digitalisation and artificial intelligence
- data analysis capabilities

and is able to consider their significance and potential for the hotel and restaurant industry

Implementation and methods of teaching

Online lectures in May 2024, which can also be watched afterwards from the learning platform. Independent studying and assignments.

Timing and attendance

Online lectures and coaching in May and independent studying from June to August. Lecture recordings will be added to the learning platform, so lecture attendance is not mandatory.

Learning material and recommended literature

The studying materials presented at the learning platform

Alternative completion methods

There are no optional ways to complete the course.

Learning environment

Moodle and Howspace -learning platforms. Online lectures via Zoom.

Student time use and work load

All course materials and assignments will be presented in May and assignments' deadline is at the end of August.

Contents

The course provides an overview of the trends and future prospects of the hospitality industry. Student familiarizes with the megatrends and their importance for the future of the hospitality industry.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

No requirements for previous expertise

Assessment criteria

Assignments are evaluated on a scale of 1-5.
Attendance in lectures (or watching the lecture recordings afterwards) is part of the evaluation criteria.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

Student hasn't delivered the assignments.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

Student has delivered the minimum 70% of the assignments. The learning tasks were partially and only slightly in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is only partially in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is partly inadequate.

Student has either attended 50% of the online lectures or watched 50% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

Good (4,3): The student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have partly followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments partly complies with the instructions given.

The student has attended at least 70% of the contact lectures or watched at least 70% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

Excellent (5): Student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments are in line with the instructions given.

The student has attended all of the contact lectures or watched the lecture recordings.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
-form an overview of the tourism and hospitality industry as a whole
-describe the role and importance of different operations and contents of the field in the customer’s experience
-illustrate and model a customer’s experience
-evaluate and develop one’s own service skills and competences in appropriate, field-specific tasks
-operate productively in creation of the customer’s experience, as a part of a customer-oriented service entity and its different phases
-explain the key field-specific and work-related laws and regulations and the significance of safety in the industry

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
-specify the business and service concept and its key characteristics and operating principles
-form a holistic overview of the operational environment of the tourism and hospitality industry
-act as a sales-oriented and responsible customer service person in operative work and service roles typical of tourism business, and observe required safety and quality standards
-illustrate the key operations in the tourism, accommodation and restaurant and hospitality and event business
-identify and point out topical issues and development challenges and trends in the field and discuss the economic impact of the industry regionally, nationally and internationally
- model tourism and hospitality business and services from a customer's perspective
-evaluate one’s own learning, strengths and development needs

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

The student knows and knows prevailing megatrends such as:
- smart cities
- Climate change
- Hybrid trading
- Business empathy
- The meanings of digitalisation and artificial intelligence
- data analysis capabilities

and is able to consider their significance and potential for the hotel and restaurant industry

Implementation and methods of teaching

Online lectures in May 2024, which can also be watched afterwards from the learning platform. Independent studying and assignments.

Timing and attendance

Online lectures and coaching in May and independent studying from June to August. Lecture recordings will be added to the learning platform, so lecture attendance is not mandatory.

Learning material and recommended literature

The studying materials presented at the learning platform

Alternative completion methods

There are no optional ways to complete the course.

Learning environment

Moodle and Howspace -learning platforms. Online lectures via Zoom.

Student time use and work load

All course materials and assignments will be presented in May and assignments' deadline is at the end of August.

Contents

The course provides an overview of the trends and future prospects of the hospitality industry. Student familiarizes with the megatrends and their importance for the future of the hospitality industry.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

No requirements for previous expertise

Assessment criteria

Assignments are evaluated on a scale of 1-5.
Attendance in lectures (or watching the lecture recordings afterwards) is part of the evaluation criteria.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

Student hasn't delivered the assignments.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

Student has delivered the minimum 70% of the assignments. The learning tasks were partially and only slightly in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is only partially in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is partly inadequate.

Student has either attended 50% of the online lectures or watched 50% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

Good (4,3): The student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have partly followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments partly complies with the instructions given.

The student has attended at least 70% of the contact lectures or watched at least 70% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

Excellent (5): Student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments are in line with the instructions given.

The student has attended all of the contact lectures or watched the lecture recordings.

Learning outcomes

Students knows:
- how to work with the common hotel and restaurant electronic sales and distribution channels
- and is familiar with the principles of modern digital commerce
- guide, familiarize and update their subordinates in the exploitation of digital content
- the laws of digital communication

Implementation and methods of teaching

Online lectures in May 2024, which can also be watched afterwards from the learning platform. Independent studying and assignments.

Timing and attendance

Online lectures and coaching in May and independent studying from June to August. Lecture recordings will be added to the learning platform, so lecture attendance is not mandatory.

Learning material and recommended literature

The studying materials presented at the learning platform

Alternative completion methods

There are no optional ways to complete the course.

Learning environment

Moodle and Howspace

Student time use and work load

All course assignments will be presented in May and deadline for the assignments is at the end of August.

Contents

The course provides an overview of the digital systems and processes in hospitality industry. Student will learn about the digital guest journey mapping and familiarize with the possibilities in different kinds of digital platforms and services.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

No requirements for previous expertise

Assessment criteria

Assignments are evaluated on a scale of 1-5.
Attendance in lectures (or watching the lecture recordings afterwards) is part of the evaluation criteria.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

Student hasn't delivered the assignments.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

Student has delivered the minimum 50% of the assignments. The learning tasks were partially and only slightly in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is only partially in line with the instructions given. The content of the reports is partly inadequate.

Student has either attended 50% of the online lectures or watched 50% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

Good (4,3): The student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have partly followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments partly complies with the instructions given.

The student has attended at least 70% of the contact lectures or watched at least 70% of the lecture recordings.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

Excellent (5): Student has delivered the assignments. The delivered assignments have followed the instructions given and the content of the delivered assignments are in line with the instructions given.

The student has attended all of the contact lectures or watched the lecture recordings.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
-specify the business and service concept and its key characteristics and operating principles
-form a holistic overview of the operational environment of the tourism and hospitality industry
-act as a sales-oriented and responsible customer service person in operative work and service roles typical of tourism business, and observe required safety and quality standards
-illustrate the key operations in the tourism, accommodation and restaurant and hospitality and event business
-identify and point out topical issues and development challenges and trends in the field and discuss the economic impact of the industry regionally, nationally and internationally
- model tourism and hospitality business and services from a customer's perspective
-evaluate one’s own learning, strengths and development needs

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

Students are able to
- communicate in a professional manner both orally and in writing in careers in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries
- use and apply industry-specific English vocabulary in a variety of customer service situations
- understand how cultural differences affect global communication and customer service

Implementation and methods of teaching

This course is taught in class but also features independent learning and online assignments.

The focus is on developing oral skills and honing writing skills needed while working in the field of tourism.

Assignments will be done both individually and in groups, and will include both written and spoken tasks.

Timing and attendance

Spring term of 2024. Regular attendance on at least 80% of the lessons is required. The course will require cooperation and teamwork, freeloading will not be tolerated. The lessons will be held on the Lappeenranta campus.

Learning material and recommended literature

Material provided by the teacher through Moodle.

Alternative completion methods

To be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Learning environment

In-class lessons, assignments and theory material through Moodle.

Student time use and work load

5 ECTS, equivalent to 135 hours of work. 10 lessons (á 90 minutes) throughout the spring term (this number may change a little in the planning process, detailed information will be provided at the start of the course.

Contents

Topics of the course include:

- business correspondence (using formal language, dealing with complaints, responding to customers’ reviews, writing memos for the staff, etc.)
- managing your staff (communication with your employees)
- events organization (event management, stages of event planning, communication with vendors)
- booking policies (reservation terms and cancellation policy; responding to cancellation requests; explaining the terms of package holidays)
- business meetings and negotiations (negotiating with vendors; professional meetings with your staff)

On the course students will invent a hypothetical hotel which also provides serivces in the restaurant and tourism fields. The assignments on the course will be completed from the point of view of the student's own company.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

The course is taught at a B2 level according to the Common European Framework. 

Assessment criteria

The course is evaluated on the basis of continuous assessment.

Active participation in all course activities impacts the course grade.

Assessment scale

1-5

Failed (0)

The student fails to complete one or more of the required assignments.
The teacher is unable to understand what the student is attempting to say in their writing or speech.

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has a satisfactory knowledge of the course content.

The speech is understandable with some difficulty to follow. Interaction is mostly missing. The speech is hesitant, pauses are rather long and pronunciation mistakes sometimes make it hard to understand the message. The student uses only basic structures and makes some mistakes.

Written communication consists of simple expressions and there are plentiful mistakes. The language is clumsy, but the message is delivered.

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has a good knowledge of the course content.

The student communicates in English well, interacts adequately and uses means of nonverbal communication. The speech is fairly easy to follow. The speech is fluent and clear, but pauses, hesitations and pronunciation mistakes may occur.

Written communication is quite fluent, clear and mostly correct. The structures and professional vocabulary are adequate to deliver the message. Minor mistakes occur concerning the genre and/or style.

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

The student has an excellent knowledge of the course content.

The student communicates in excellent English. Interaction is very skilful, and nonverbal communication effectively supports spoken words. The speech is targeted, extremely logical, relevant and consistent. The speech (language, pronunciation and intonation) is fluent, clear, accurate and naturally paced.

Written communication is very fluent and versatile. The student uses varied structures and extensive professional vocabulary, making occasional mistakes only in the most complex structures. The student can deliver the message effortlessly in the appropriate, genre-specific style.

Learning outcomes

Introduces the student to personnel planning and payroll management. The student becomes acquainted with the most common collective agreements in the field of tourism and catering and learns to draw up shift lists taking into account the provisions of the collective agreement. The student gets acquainted with the aspects of payroll and learns how to calculate payroll costs.

Collective agreements and personnel planning
The student is familiar with the collective agreements in the field and the rules for working in an employment relationship

Shift list planning
The student understands and is able to implement manual and IT shift planning and preparation. He / she is able to take into account the collective agreements in force, the Working Hours Act and other commonly agreed rules of the game. The student is able to take into account the company's productivity and economic factors when compiling the list and is able to anticipate the need for labor in accordance with forecasts

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

Students knows:
- principles of service design
- use blue printing as a method tool
- recognizes and understands the importance of a holistic customer experience and is able to utilize it in their work
- analyze and create service touch points along the customer path

Assessment scale

1-5

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
-form an overview of the tourism and hospitality industry as a whole
-describe the role and importance of different operations and contents of the field in the customer’s experience
-illustrate and model a customer’s experience
-evaluate and develop one’s own service skills and competences in appropriate, field-specific tasks
-operate productively in creation of the customer’s experience, as a part of a customer-oriented service entity and its different phases
-explain the key field-specific and work-related laws and regulations and the significance of safety in the industry

Assessment scale

1-5