Journal of English Language and Education ISSN 2597- 6850 (Onlin.
, 2502-4132 (Prin.
Journal Homepage: https://jele.
id/index.
php/jele/index Article Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province https://doi.
org/10.
31004/jele.
*Siska Amelia Maldin a 1 Politeknik Pariwisata Batam.
Indonesia Corresponding Author: siskamaldin@btp.
ABSTRACT
Tourism village guides play a strategic role in representing local identity and facilitating cross-cultural however, many experience difficulties in using English effectively and regulating their own While previous studies in tourism-related English for Specific Purposes (ESP) have identified guidesAo communicative needs and emphasized contextualized materials, limited attention has been paid to integrating metacognitive strategy development into ESP module design, particularly in rural Indonesian contexts.
Addressing this gap, this study aims to identify the linguistic, metacognitive, and motivational needs underlying the development of a metacognitive-oriented ESP module for tourism village guides in the Riau Islands.
Using a qualitative needs analysis design, five guides were selected through purposive sampling.
Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and an open-ended ESP needs questionnaire and analyzed thematically.
The findings reveal that speaking skills dominate professional language use, especially in explaining attractions and interacting with tourists, while challenges persist in spontaneous communication and complaint handling.
Moreover, guides demonstrate limited and unsystematic use of metacognitive strategies despite strong professional motivation.
The study concludes that integrating contextualized speaking tasks with explicit metacognitive scaffolding is essential for sustainable, learner-centered ESP module development.
Keywords: Module.
Metacognitive.
Need Analysis.
Guide Article History:
Received 16th December 2025
Accepted 07th January 2026
Published 09th January 2026
INTRODUCTION
Tourism village guides occupy a vital position in representing local identity, facilitating cross-cultural communication, and enhancing visitor experiences in communitybased tourism destinations.
In the Riau Islands, an archipelagic province in Indonesia where village tourism is rapidly expanding.
English proficiency has become a core competency for guides interacting with international visitors.
Regional tourism development reports issued by the Riau Islands Tourism Office and the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS Kepulauan Ria.
document a consistent increase in foreign tourist arrivals, particularly to village-based ecotourism destinations such as mangrove forests, coastal heritage sites, and communitymanaged marine tourism (BPS Kepulauan Riau, 2023.
Dinas Pariwisata Provinsi Kepulauan Riau, 2.
Previous needs analyses in tourism contexts highlight that local guides often face obstacles such as limited vocabulary, uneven fluency, challenges in describing attractions, and reduced confidence in real guiding contexts (Lertchalermtipakoon et al.
, 2.
Beyond linguistic competence, community guides also encounter challenges in selfregulated learning: many struggle to plan, monitor, and evaluate their progress independently, which undermines their ability to continue learning outside formal Evaluations of short-term tourism training programs in the Riau Islands reveal that English training initiatives are often project-based and discontinuous, providing minimal support for independent learning once formal instruction (Dinas Pariwisata Provinsi Kepulauan Riau, 2.
This reflects broader gaps not only in language proficiency but also in strategic learning skills especially metacognitive awareness, which enhance autonomy and A 2021 The Author.
This article is licensed CC BY SA 4.
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Journal of English Language and Education volume 11 Number 1 2026 Copyright .
2026 Siska Amelia Maldin.
Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province sustained improvement in second language acquisition.
Research shows that learners who activate metacognitive strategies like planning, monitoring, and evaluating tend to achieve better outcomes in speaking and other language domains (Fitrianingsih et al.
, 2.
Metacognition, defined as learnersAo awareness and control of their cognitive processes, is widely recognized as a key factor in successful language learning (Haukyus et al.
, 2018.
Jessner, 2018.
Rahimi & Katal, 2012.
Teng, 2.
In language education, metacognitive strategies help learners plan tasks, monitor comprehension and performance, and evaluate outcomes, thereby fostering autonomy and motivation.
Within English for Specific Purposes (ESP), studies on tourism contexts emphasize the importance of contextualized language materials grounded in real communicative tasks.
Needs analyses conducted with local and tourism guides indicate that practical, task-based English content aligned with authentic guiding situations strengthens communicative competence.
However, existing tourism-related ESP materials often focus narrowly on vocabulary lists or scripted dialogues that do not sufficiently develop learnersAo strategic skills for self-directed learning (Setiawan et al.
, 2.
In language education, metacognitive strategies function through three interrelated processes: planning learning tasks, monitoring comprehension and performance, and evaluating learning outcomes.
Empirical studies demonstrate that learners who actively employ these strategies tend to show higher achievement, stronger motivation, and greater autonomy across language skills (Teng, 2.
For adult learners, such as tourism village guides, metacognitive regulation is essential because learning often occurs intermittently, outside formal classroom settings, and must be balanced with professional responsibilities.
Within the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), particularly in tourism-related contexts, scholars emphasize the importance of contextualized instruction grounded in authentic communicative tasks (Basturkmen, 2025.
Phaiboonnugulkij, 2018.
Needs analysis studies involving tourism and local guides reveal that task-based English materials aligned with real guiding situations, such as explaining local attractions, responding to touristsAo questions, and handling intercultural communication, significantly enhance communicative competence and professional readiness.
These findings suggest that ESP instruction should not only address linguistic forms but also reflect the situational and functional demands of the tourism workplace.
However, despite growing recognition of metacognition and contextualized ESP, existing tourism-related ESP materials often remain limited in scope.
Many modules prioritize vocabulary memorization, scripted dialogues, and repetitive drills, while providing insufficient scaffolding for learners to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning processes (Setiawan et al.
, 2.
As a result, learners may achieve short-term linguistic gains but struggle to transfer their knowledge to dynamic, real-world guiding situations.
This gap underscores the need for a metacognitive-oriented ESP module design that integrates explicit strategy instruction with authentic tourism tasks, thereby supporting sustainable learning autonomy and professional development among tourism village guides.
Moreover, while ESP research in tourism has documented language requirements and module development .
, communicative needs in tour guiding.
thematic content aligned with local guiding task.
, explicit integration of metacognitive instruction into ESP modules for tourism guides remains rare (Pratiwi et al.
, 2.
This gap is significant because metacognitive strategy training, such as guided reflection, self-monitoring checklists, and performance evaluation tasks, is associated with higher learner autonomy, improved communicative performance, and sustained motivation.
In the context of rural and villagebased tourism in Indonesia, studies suggest that contextualized English training tailored to local features .
ncluding cultural narratives, ecological knowledge, and community identit.
increases relevance and learner engagement (Serasi et al.
, 2.
Adult learners especially guides balancing community work with learning require flexible, practical learning tools that support strategy use and self-regulated practice.
Responding to these linguistic and strategic learning gaps, the present study conducts a need analysis for a metacognitive-oriented ESP module (Table .
specifically designed for tourism village guides in the Riau Islands.
By integrating structured metacognitive components .
A 2021 The Author.
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Journal of English Language and Education volume 11 Number 1 2026 Copyright .
2026 Siska Amelia Maldin.
Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province planning activities, reflection checklists, self-monitoring task.
into contextualized ESP content grounded in authentic tourism guiding practices, the module aims to enhance both language competence and learning autonomy.
Anchored in empirical evidence from metacognition research and ESP needs studies, this initiative seeks to advance ESP pedagogy for tourism by uniting linguistic competence, professional identity, and strategic learning development.
Tabel 1.
Outline of the Metacognition-Based ESP English Module Unit Unit 1Introducing the Tourism Village Welcoming Visitors Unit 2Describing Attractions Telling Local Stories Unit 3-Handling Questions Providing Tourist Assistance Language Focus Greetings expressionsTourism vocabulary .
ocation, facilities.
Descriptive vocabulary .
ulture, heritag.
Narrative structures for storytelling Metacognitive Activities Planning: AuWhat do I want to improve before guiding visitors?Ay- Self-Monitoring:
Checklist practice- Reflection: Short journal on comfort level Monitoring: AuWhich part of the story was difficult?AyEvaluation: Rating clarity, accuracy, fluency Functional Q&AGiving directions, clarifying informationHandling Reflection: Problem-solving (AuHow did I respond to questions?A.
Planning: Next steps for Tasks / Activities Dialogue-based role-play- Oneminute village descriptionMapping a walking route Storytelling .
ocal legends or attraction.
- Pair mangrove/maritime sitesVocabulary matching based on local attractions Simulated tourist Q&A- Giving oral directions- Scenario-based assistance tasks METHOD This study employed a qualitative needs analysisAeoriented research design to identify the linguistic, metacognitive, and motivational needs underlying the design of a metacognitive-oriented ESP module for tourism village guides in the Riau Islands.
The primary objective of the study was not to develop or test an instructional product, but to systematically explore learnersAo target needs and learning needs as the empirical basis for future ESP module design.
This approach is consistent with qualitative traditions in ESP research, which emphasize the central role of needs analysis in understanding professional language use, learning challenges, and strategy requirements in specific occupational contexts (Anam & Rachmadian, 2020.
Basturkmen, 2025.
Yanti et al.
, 2.
The participants consisted of five tourism village guides selected through purposive The inclusion criteria required participants to be actively involved in guiding activities, to have experience interacting with tourists, and to be willing to reflect on their English learning experiences.
The small sample size was intentionally determined in line with qualitative research principles that prioritize depth, richness, and contextual understanding over statistical generalization.
In qualitative ESP needs analysis, a limited number of information-rich participants is considered methodologically appropriate, as it allows researchers to conduct detailed, iterative analysis of participantsAo lived experiences, professional practices, and learning strategies (Kusuma et al.
, 2023.
Park, 2.
Such an approach facilitates thick description and enables the identification of recurring patterns and themes across cases, supporting analytic rather than numerical generalization.
Moreover, the focused sample made it possible to explore nuanced communicative demands and metacognitive practices embedded in real guiding contexts, insights that may be overlooked in large-scale quantitative studies but are essential for informing context-sensitive ESP module Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and an open-ended ESP needs The interviews focused on participantsAo real guiding tasks.
English communication challenges, strategies used to cope with linguistic difficulties, and experiences related to planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own learning.
The open-ended questionnaire complemented the interviews by allowing participants to articulate their needs.
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Journal of English Language and Education volume 11 Number 1 2026 Copyright .
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Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province expectations, and motivational factors in written form.
This combination of instruments facilitated data triangulation and ensured a comprehensive understanding of learnersAo professional and learning-related needs, in line with established procedures in tourism ESP needs analysis research (Yanti et al.
, 2.
Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis, following systematic coding procedures to identify recurring patterns related to .
target situation needs, including communicative functions and language skills required in tourism guiding, and .
learning needs, particularly metacognitive awareness, strategy use, and motivational factors.
The resulting themes were interpreted as pedagogical implications for a metacognitive-oriented ESP module design.
By grounding the analysis in participantsAo authentic experiences and perceptions, this qualitative needs analysis provides an empirically informed foundation for designing ESP materials that integrate contextualized language content with explicit metacognitive strategy support for tourism village guides in the Riau Islands.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Linguistic Needs of Tourism Village Guides The findings indicate that English is used frequently by tourism village guides, particularly in mangrove and cultural tourism activities.
Most participants reported using English often when explaining mangrove conservation, answering questions about local culture, and interacting with foreign visitors.
These findings reflect clear target situation needs, where speaking skills dominate professional language use.
Similar results have been reported in tourism and hospitality needs analysis studies, which emphasize that oral communication is the most critical skill for tourism professionals, particularly in authentic, unscripted interactions with tourists.
This confirms that ESP modules for tourism guides must prioritize functional speaking skills embedded in real guiding tasks rather than general English competence alone (Anam & Rachmadian, 2020.
Lertchalermtipakoon et al.
, 2021.
Setiawan et al.
, 2025.
Yanti et al.
, 2.
Data for this needs analysis were collected through semi-structured interviews and an open-ended ESP needs questionnaire, allowing participants to describe their English use, learning experiences, and challenges in authentic tourism guiding contexts.
The combination of oral and written data allowed participants to elaborate on their communicative practices when guiding mangrove tours and cultural tourism activities, as well as to express learning needs that may not be revealed in closed-response instruments.
The qualitative data revealed that English was used frequently, particularly for explaining mangrove conservation, answering touristsAo questions about local culture, and interacting with international visitors.
At the same time, participants consistently identified specific situations such as handling complaints and responding spontaneously to unfamiliar questions as the most difficult aspects of English use.
This dual-instrument approach strengthened data credibility and reflects best practices in ESP needs analysis, which emphasize the importance of capturing both contextual language use and learner perceptions to inform course and material design (Kusuma et al.
Park, 2.
Although most participants rated their English ability as AufairAy to Augood,Ay their responses revealed persistent difficulties in using English effectively in real guiding situations.
Less experienced guides, in particular, reported lower speaking confidence and greater difficulty managing interactions such as answering unexpected questions or addressing visitor This mismatch between perceived proficiency and actual communicative performance suggests that existing English exposure has not sufficiently prepared guides for the dynamic demands of tourism communication.
Previous ESP studies similarly note that tourism learners often possess basic vocabulary knowledge but struggle with fluency, pragmatic appropriateness, and adaptability in authentic contexts.
These findings reinforce the importance of ESP materials that focus on situational language use rather than isolated linguistic forms (Basturkmen, 2025.
Kusuma et al.
, 2023.
Park, 2.
Metacognitive Needs and Learning Strategy Use A 2021 The Author.
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Journal of English Language and Education volume 11 Number 1 2026 Copyright .
2026 Siska Amelia Maldin.
Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province Thematic analysis of the interview and questionnaire data was conducted through systematic coding procedures to identify recurring patterns related to target situation needs, particularly communicative functions and required language skills.
The analysis revealed that speaking emerged as the most critical skill for tourism village guides, followed by listening comprehension in interactive situations.
Guides needed English primarily to explain environmental concepts, describe cultural practices, answer touristsAo inquiries, and manage service-related interactions.
These findings confirm that tourism guiding requires spontaneous, task-based oral communication rather than rehearsed or scripted language use.
Similar patterns have been identified in tourism and hospitality ESP studies, which consistently report speaking and interactional competence as core target needs due to the unpredictable and interpersonal nature of tourism communication (Kusuma et al.
, 2023.
Lertchalermtipakoon et al.
, 2021.
Setiawan et al.
, 2.
The needs analysis further revealed varied levels of metacognitive awareness among the guides.
In addition to target needs, thematic analysis also identified learning needs, particularly related to metacognitive awareness and strategy use.
Coding of participantsAo responses showed that while most guides reported engaging in planning and reflection before and after learning, these processes were largely informal and unsystematic.
While most participants reported planning learning goals before studying and reflecting on their learning outcomes afterward, their strategy use was inconsistent and largely intuitive.
When facing comprehension difficulties, guides tended to rely on guessing meaning, asking others, or repeating exposure, but none reported systematically documenting vocabulary or maintaining learning journals.
This indicates limited use of structured metacognitive strategies such as selfmonitoring tools or reflective records.
These findings align with prior research showing that adult EFL learners often engage in metacognitive processes implicitly but lack explicit strategy training to optimize learning outcomes.
Studies consistently demonstrate that learners who receive metacognitive strategy instruction show greater autonomy, improved performance, and sustained motivation, especially in speaking skills (Fitrianingsih et al.
, 2025.
Haukyus et al.
Jessner, 2018.
Rahimi & Katal, 2.
Motivational Needs and Professional Orientation Motivation emerged as a strong driving force in participantsAo English learning.
Guides consistently identified professional improvement, effective communication with tourists, village promotion, and personal enjoyment as key motivators.
This professional and community-oriented motivation suggests that English learning is perceived as a practical tool for enhancing service quality and strengthening village identity rather than merely an academic requirement.
This professional and community-oriented motivation suggests that English learning is viewed not merely as an academic requirement but as a tool for enhancing service quality and village reputation.
These findings are consistent with ESP research emphasizing that learner motivation is closely tied to perceived relevance and immediate applicability of learning content.
These are also consistent with tourism ESP research emphasizing that learnersAo motivation is closely linked to perceived relevance and immediate applicability of learning materials.
When ESP content aligns with learnersAo professional identities and local tourism contexts, engagement and persistence increase significantly.
This underscores the need for a metacognitive-oriented ESP module that integrates motivational elements with self-regulation support (Basturkmen.
Pratiwi et al.
, 2023.
Teng, 2.
Implications for Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design Taken together, the findings highlight a clear need for an ESP module that simultaneously addresses communicative demands, metacognitive strategy development, and learner motivation.
The absence of vocabulary journals, structured reflection tools, and explicit self-monitoring practices indicates that current learning experiences do not adequately support autonomous learning.
Therefore, a metacognitive-oriented ESP module should incorporate planning guides, reflection checklists, self-evaluation tasks, and scenario-based speaking activities grounded in authentic tourism village contexts.
A 2021 The Author.
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Journal of English Language and Education volume 11 Number 1 2026 Copyright .
2026 Siska Amelia Maldin.
Need Analysis of a Metacognitive-Oriented ESP Module Design for Tourism Village Guides in the Riau Islands Province Such integration responds directly to learnersAo expressed needs and aligns with contemporary ESP theory.
The positions of needs analysis are developed as the foundation for effective, learner-centered material design.
These findings reinforce calls in the literature for ESP instruction.
In addition, it goes beyond linguistic content to cultivate strategic, reflective, and motivated language users in professional tourism settings (Basturkmen, 2025.
Phaiboonnugulkij, 2018b.
Serasi et al.
, 2.
CONCLUSIONS
This qualitative needs analysis demonstrates that tourism village guides in the Riau Islands rely extensively on English for authentic, task-based communication, particularly when explaining local attractions, responding to touristsAo inquiries, and managing servicerelated interactions.
however, although the guides report moderate levels of English proficiency, they continue to face challenges in spontaneous speaking, handling complex explanations, and adapting language use to unpredictable guiding situations.
These findings highlight a persistent gap between existing linguistic competence and the dynamic communicative demands of tourism workplaces, reinforcing the need for ESP instruction that prioritizes contextualized oral interaction over decontextualized linguistic drills.
Beyond linguistic demands, this study contributes to ESP research by foregrounding metacognitive needs as a central yet underexplored dimension of tourism ESP, revealing that while guides engage in basic planning and reflection, their learning remains largely intuitive and unsupported by systematic metacognitive tools.
At the same time, strong professional and community-oriented motivation underscores the importance of relevance and applicability in tourism education.
Collectively, this study advances ESP pedagogy by providing empirical evidence for the integration of authentic tourism tasks with explicit metacognitive scaffolding and offers a practical framework for designing learner-centered, sustainable ESP modules that enhance communicative competence, learning autonomy, and professional readiness in tourism education, particularly within rural and community-based tourism contexts.
REFERENCES