“Can I Take Your Order?”

Analyzing Language Needs in the Restaurant Industry

Abstract

This article presents the design of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course tailored for Latin American immigrants, particularly Mexican Americans, with experience in the U.S. restaurant industry. Despite their years of hands-on knowledge, many of these workers face linguistic barriers that restrict their participation in guest-facing roles. To address this gap, the course was developed through a targeted needs assessment combining survey responses from both restaurant managers and waitstaff in casual dining settings. The study identified key communicative challenges, including customer interactions, teamwork, and culturally appropriate service encounters. Drawing on stakeholder feedback and current literature in hospitality communication and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), the course offers a practical, research-informed approach that aligns instruction with real-world workplace demands. This article outlines the survey methodology and highlights how stakeholder perspectives informed each stage of course development. By centering the lived experiences and strengths of immigrant restaurant workers, the ESP course fosters professional advancement through focused, relevant language instruction. The project illustrates how needs-driven ESP design can be used as a tool for linguistic empowerment and social mobility. Implications are offered for educators seeking to create responsive, stakeholder-informed ESP curricula for other vocational contexts.