Hospitality Certificate
Hospitality English
Free course ~90 min · 6 modulesLinkedIn-ready certificate

Hospitality English

The English you actually use on shift — free to learn.

Hotels don't need IELTS scores. They need a receptionist who can handle an overbooking at 11pm, explain a bill dispute without escalating it, and give clear directions to a guest who speaks four words of English. This course teaches the specific English that comes up in real hotel and restaurant shifts - not textbook phrases, but the sentences you actually reach for under pressure.

Who it's for
Seasonal and hospitality workers whose first language is not English: hotel staff, waiters, bartenders, resort and event staff, receptionists.
Leads to
Hospitality English Certificate

At a glance

Course
Free, online, self-paced
Certificate
€7.99, paid only after you pass
Exam
20 questions, 75% to pass, free retakes
Verification
Unique certificate ID, publicly checkable at hospitalitycertificate.com/verify
Study time
About 90 minutes, 6 modules
Issued by
Hospitality Certificate (CertHub network)

Module 1 of 6

First Impressions, Accents & Phonetics

Eye-contact acknowledgement, English as a shared working language, and telephone NATO phonetics.

The first ten seconds

Most guests who complain about poor service don't complain about rudeness. They complain about feeling invisible.

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A worker who stares at their keyboard for ten seconds burns more goodwill than a two-minute wait where the guest was acknowledged immediately.

The tool: two-second eye contact plus a slight nod. It signals 'I see you' before you say a word — and buys thirty seconds of patient waiting.

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Receptionist turns from the keyboard to make welcoming eye contact with an arriving traveler.
Phrases to keepClick audio icon to listen

“I'll be right with you — one moment please.”

Acknowledging an arriving guest immediately while finishing an active task

“Thank you for your patience, Mr. [name]. How can I help you today?”

Warmly transitioning to the guest after an initial wait

“Welcome to [hotel]. I'm just finishing up — I'll be with you in a moment.”

Arrival greeting when finishing paperwork or phone logging

English as a working language — not your mother tongue either

In most European hotels, the English conversation is between two non-native speakers. A Spanish receptionist. A Japanese guest. Neither side has English as their first language.

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This requires different habits than speaking to a native speaker.

Use short sentences. 'The restaurant is on the second floor. It opens at seven. You need a reservation.' is faster to process than the same information in one long clause.

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Phrases to keepClick audio icon to listen

“Let me write that down for you.”

Preventing verbal misunderstandings by providing visual written clarity

“To confirm: room 214, breakfast at 7, checkout Thursday the 14th.”

Structured confirmation using short, isolated facts

“Is that correct — shall I repeat it?”

Checking comprehension without implying the guest lacks language skills

Telephone English and the NATO alphabet

The phone strips every visual cue. You cannot smile, nod, or lip-read. Accent problems that face-to-face service hides become obvious. Comprehension drops on both sides.

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Three rules fix most phone problems.

First: spell everything. Every surname, booking code, and email address — using the NATO phonetic alphabet. 'B for Bravo, O for Oscar, S for Sierra.' It is not old-fashioned. It eliminates booking errors.

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Receptionist speaking into a headset while carefully writing a caller's booking details on a notepad.
Phrases to keepClick audio icon to listen

“May I place you on a brief hold while I check availability?”

Politely requesting permission before muting or transferring

“One moment please while I open your reservation profile.”

Explaining system delays so silence does not sound like disconnection

“That is B for Bravo, O for Oscar, S for Sierra...”

Spelling names, codes, and emails using the NATO phonetic alphabet

“Allow me to echo that back: arriving the 14th, departing the 17th, one superior twin.”

Active echo verification of key reservation data

“The line is slightly muffled — could you repeat the confirmation code one more time?”

Asking for repetition politely by attributing the issue to line quality

Spelling, numbers and dates: practice

The full spelling alphabet used on the phone in hotels, airlines and emergency services (the ICAO/NATO alphabet):

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A Alfa, B Bravo, C Charlie, D Delta, E Echo, F Foxtrot, G Golf H Hotel, I India, J Juliett, K Kilo, L Lima, M Mike, N November O Oscar, P Papa, Q Quebec, R Romeo, S Sierra, T Tango, U Uniform V Victor, W Whiskey, X X-ray, Y Yankee, Z Zulu

Practice: spell your own surname out loud using it. Then spell 'Nguyen' and 'Schmidt'. Say them slowly, in groups of three letters, and stop for the caller to write.

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Phrases to keepClick audio icon to listen

“That's fifteen, one-five, not fifty.”

Removing doubt between teen and -ty numbers

“Arriving on the fifth of June, that's Friday.”

Saying a date with the month name and weekday

A full phone booking, with the guest's replies

Real calls rarely follow the script. This example shows the receptionist adapting when the caller says something unexpected.

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Receptionist: Good morning, Hotel Aurora, Marta speaking. How can I help you? Caller: Hi, do you have anything for next weekend? Receptionist: I'd be happy to check. Which dates exactly, and for how many people? Caller: Friday and Saturday, two of us. Oh, and a dog. Is that a problem?

The unexpected reply. Do not guess. If you know the pet policy, give it with the cost. If not: 'Let me check our pet policy for you, one moment please.'

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Quick Shift Check

What should you do the moment a guest arrives, even if you're in the middle of another task?

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You can take the 20-question exam any time — no need to finish every module first.

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