The Managing Directors/CEO's/Owners/Director/Partners/General Managers
All FHRAI Members
CC: All Members of the Executive Committee
All Regional Associations
President FHRAI
Sub:- ETS-FHRAI Report on “Job-Relevant English Communication Needs for Hospitality Roles in India”
Dear Member,
Greetings from FHRAI!
As you may be aware, FHRAI, in collaboration with Educational Testing Service (ETS), has undertaken a study titled “Job-Relevant English Communication Needs for Hospitality Roles in India”, examining the English communication skills required across key hospitality roles.
The report was launched at the 56th FHRAI Annual Convention and it provides evidence-based insights into the communication requirements of employees across Front Office, Food & Beverage and Housekeeping. The study draws on inputs from experienced hospitality professionals and English proficiency data from hospitality employees across India, examining four core skills—Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.
Please find below a brief synopsis of the report:
Job-Relevant English Communication Needs for Hospitality Roles in India
The ETS–FHRAI study finds that English requirements are role-specific rather than determined by seniority. Most roles require an intermediate level of English, while certain responsibilities require stronger proficiency. Speaking is particularly important for guest-facing roles, where employees need to understand guests, respond to requests, explain services and handle complaints. Senior Front Office and Food & Beverage roles require stronger professional writing skills for reports, documentation and other workplace communication. Food & Beverage roles also demonstrate some of the most diverse communication requirements.
The findings demonstrate that English is an operational skill, not just a guest-service skill. It is important for customer interactions as well as training, staff coordination, reporting, record-keeping and handling customer issues. The study therefore provides hospitality employers with an evidence-based, role-specific framework to define English requirements, assess candidates, identify training needs and support employee development. Rather than applying one English standard across the workforce, organisations can align communication expectations with the actual requirements of each job, helping build a more capable and job-ready hospitality workforce.
The detailed reports can be accessed here:
We sincerely hope that this report will be helpful for the hospitality industry in assessing English proficiency needs for various employees across the departments and support their development.
With best regards,
Jaison Chacko
Secretary General
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The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India
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