Pragmatic and Move Analysis in Thai EFL Learners’ Business Correspondence Writing in Hospitality Services

Abstract

This study investigated pragmatic and move analysis in Thai university students’ business correspondence writing in the field of hospitality services. The students joined a pre-experience excursion at a five-star hotel, Graceland Khaolak Beach Resort, as preparation to join internship programs in the field of hospitality. This visit provided them with experiential learning for data collection. The study used purposive sampling. The sample of the study was 112 Thai EFL learners who studied English for Business Correspondence (936-300) in semester 1/2026 at a university in the southern part of Thailand. The data collection consisted of students’ email writing to inform their clients, sent in a given situational context. The instrument was a reply email to their clients asking for information about a hotel booking. The data analysis followed the conceptual framework, including Swales’ move analysis in email writing, Colston’s figurative language, and Grice’s cooperative principle to observe the students’ business correspondence writing. Descriptive statistics were used to support the data analysis. The results of the move analysis showed that the frequent errors in their email writing were found in move 2 and move 4, which were the establishing communication chain and closing moves. In terms of cooperative principles, some students violated the maxim of quality as they could not address specific names of room categories (i.e., deluxe room) to their clients. Most students used simile as a creative meaning device to end their concluding move for creating impression at 22.32 percent. Finally, pedagogical implications for writing emails with assertive speech acts were given. The results of the study would contribute something new to the field in terms of a meaning-making focus in writing business correspondence.