Developing professional Russian communication skills for hospitality internships through service-learning: a case study from Vietnam

Internship readiness is critical for language majors preparing to enter the hospitality industry, yet little research has explored how service-learning supports this development in non-English language programs. In Vietnam, the rising demand for Russian-speaking hospitality professionals underscores the need for effective, discipline-specific pedagogical models. This study investigates how a service-learning project embedded in a Russian for Specific Purposes (RSP) module enhances students’ internship readiness through applied language use, reflective learning, and professional skill acquisition. A qualitative single-case study was conducted involving ten third-year Russian majors at a Vietnamese university. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and bilingual materials produced during a semester-long community-based service-learning project. Thematic analysis was guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness framework. The findings indicate that service-learning facilitates internship readiness by enhancing context-specific Russian language use, increasing students’ reflective awareness of communicative challenges, and fostering transferable skills such as teamwork, initiative, and intercultural competence. Students also reported increased self-confidence and a clearer understanding of their future professional roles. The study provides empirical evidence for the pedagogical value of integrating service-learning into RSP instruction. It demonstrates that experiential, community-engaged learning can effectively support both linguistic development and career preparedness. These insights offer a transferable model for vocational language education and contribute to broader discussions on employability-oriented curriculum design in non-English language programs.