NAVIGATING CROS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION: HOW KUTA MANDALIKA TRADERS ACQUIRE ENGLISH SKILLS TO ENHANCE MULTILINGUAL TOURIST SERVICES

Abstract

This study explores how local traders in Kuta Mandalika acquire English through daily interactions with international tourists. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research involved five local traders selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the participants acquired English informally through direct communication with tourists, observation, self-learning, peer interaction, and the use of digital translation tools. Their English proficiency enables them to greet visitors, explain products, negotiate prices, and maintain effective communication during transactions. Furthermore, interactions with tourists from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds promote intercultural communication skills and encourage the use of multilingual communication strategies, including code-switching, gestures, and translation applications. Despite challenges such as limited vocabulary and unfamiliar accents, the traders successfully adapted their communication to meet tourists' needs. The study concludes that the tourism environment in Kuta Mandalika provides a natural setting for English language acquisition while fostering intercultural and multilingual communication among local traders.