A FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ENGLISH FOR HOSPITALITY: DESIGNING AN ESP PROJECT FOR WAITERS

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) plays a crucial role in tourism and hospitality contexts where effective communication directly affects service quality and customer satisfaction. This article presents a case study of designing and implementing a four-week ESP course for waiters and waitresses working at a heritage restaurant in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The course aims to improve participants’ spoken interaction skills with international guests, focusing on functional language use in authentic workplace scenarios. A mixed-methods needs analysis involving observation, interviews, and questionnaires informs the course design. A functional-notional syllabus is adopted to prioritize communicative functions such as greeting guests, taking orders, recommending dishes, and responding to customer inquiries. Authentic materials, including the restaurant’s real menu, are used to enhance relevance and learner engagement. Assessment relies primarily on formative feedback and performance-based tasks. The findings suggest that a needs-driven, functional ESP approach supported by authentic materials can effectively address workplace communication needs in tourism settings. Pedagogical implications for ESP practitioners working in hospitality contexts are discussed.