Problems in English Communication Among Café Staff in Cafes in Udon Thani Province

Abstract

This research consists of purposes were 1. to study the problems in English communication among café service providers in Udon Thani Province and 2. to explore solutions to the problems in English communication among café service providers in Udon Thani Province. This a mixed-methods research integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research instruments included questionnaires and interviews. The sample consisted of 28 café service providers selected through convenience sampling. In addition, a targeted group of 8 café service providers within the Udon Thani Municipality area was selected using purposive sampling. Data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, mean and standard deviation. Meanwhile, data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings revealed that 1) Overall, the English communication skill problems among café service providers in Udon Thani Province were at a moderate level (x̅ = 3.11, S.D. = 0.09). The most frequently reported problem was related to writing skills (x̅ = 3.20, S.D. = 0.05), followed by speaking skills (x̅ = 3.14, S.D. = 0.09), while listening skills were reported as the least problematic (x̅ = 3.05, S.D. = 0.03) and 2) The overall solutions to English communication problems among café service providers in Udon Thani Province were rated at a high level (x̅ = 3.56, S.D. = 0.06). The most highly agreed-upon solution was organizing English communication training programs for café staff to improve essential work-related skills (x̅ = 3.89, S.D. = 0.90), reflecting the need for systematic and continuous skill development. The least agreed-upon solution was displaying English menu item names to assist customers in cases where foreign customers' speech was not understood, which received a moderate level of agreement (x̅ = 3.43, S.D. = 0.73).