As a step toward realizing glocalization in the developments of Ponggok through English for tourism, GenPeti began the English training program for staff from three umbul, namely Umbul Ponggok, Umbul Sigedhang-Kapilaler, and Umbul Besuki. This training aims to improve the staff’s ability to communicate with foreign tourists, especially in providing services and information to tourists.
The first week of training was held in two sessions. The first session took place on Tuesday, August 5 2025, discussed the topic of “Introduction”, we focusing on basic skills such as how to greet, introduce self, and build start a conversation with visitors. This material is an important basic skill because the first greeting often shapes tourists’ impression of the service at the location. In this sessions, simple example sentences such as “Good morning, welcome to Umbul Ponggok” and “Let me introduce myself” were provided, and then practiced directly by the staff through roleplay. By using this method, the staff not only learned to memorize sentences, but also understood the intonation, facial expressions, and body language that support welcoming and professional communication. Even though some participants were nervous at first, the warm guidance and interactive methods used in the class helped everyone relax. GenPeti actively provided pronunciation examples, encouraged staff who forgot words, and responded to each attempt with compliments to boost participants’ confidence.
The second meeting was held on August 8, 2025, with two very important follow-up topics in the world of tourism, namely “Providing Information and Assistance” and “Handling Complaints.” This session was designed to expand the communication skills of the staff after previously learning greetings and introductions. In the Providing Information and Assistance section, the staffs were trained to convey important information such as directions to attractions, ticket prices, operating hours, and safety procedures in clear, that is easy for tourists to understand. The training was conducted in the form of interactive simulations, where one staff acted as tourists in need of assistance so that the other staff could practice direct dialogue in realistic situations.
Figure 1 English for Tourism Week 1
The next section, Handling Complaints, was a challenge in itself as it challenged the staff’s ability to stay polite, calm, and solutive when dealing with tourist complaints. Through prepared scenarios, staff are asked to respond to situations such as visitors who are confused about finding lost items or complaining about the cleanliness of the pool. In each simulation, participants learn to use practical expressions such as “Let me help you with that,” “What can I help you with?” or “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, we will handle it immediately.”
The staff from Umbul Ponggok, Besuki, and Sigedhang showed a high enthusiasm for learning, even though some admitted to still feeling nervous when having to speak spontaneously in English. To reduce tension, PMM students accompanied each practice session intensively, providing examples of correct pronunciation and continuously encouraging participants to try even if they made mistakes. This approach made the participants feel more confident, making the learning process both enjoyable and effective.
Figure 2 English for Tourism Week 1
The skills acquired through these exercises are expected to be immediately applied when serving international visitors, so that the service at the three umbul becomes more friendly, informative, and professional. Furthermore, the success of this first week also strengthens the image of the Ponggok tourist area as a destination that is ready to compete at the global level, in line with the spirit of “Glocalisation in Ponggok Tourism Village through the Ponggok EdiTour Initiative (PETI) “, which promotes a combination of local values and international service standards.
