SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH the real situation of using international english certificates in the university entrance exams of students in hanoi

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY Viện Đào tạo Tiên tiến, Chất lượng cao POHE -*** - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH The real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams of students in Hanoi Instructor: Dr Nguy Thuy Trang Class: Advanced Accounting K63 - English 100 Students: Vu Ha Chau - 11211022 Le Khanh Vi - 11216231 Hoang Gia Vinh - 11216255 Pham Tra My - 11219197 Nguyen Phuong Thao - 11215406 Hanoi, February, 2022 Acknowledgment First off, we had to enlist the assistance and guidance of some individuals to whom we owe our gratitude in order to complete our research We would like to express our gratitude to Ms.Nguy Thuy Trang, Course Instructor, National Economics University for providing us with suitable research guidelines through multiple consultations We would also like to give thanks to everyone who has supported us to write this assignment, both directly and indirectly Last but not least, particularly our classmates and team members, have given insightful comments on this assignment, which have inspired us to better our work We appreciate their assistance directly and indirectly in completing our work Group Advanced Accounting K63 List of Abbreviations Abbreviation Explanation IELTS International English Language Testing System TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEIC Test of English for International Communication GPA Grade Point Average BDC Business Development Company IDP International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges ETS Educational Testing Service EF HCMUTE ASEAN Education First Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education Association of Southeast Asian Nations NEU National Economics University FTU Foreign Trade University HUST Hanoi University of Science and Technology Table of figures Figures Figure II.1: Education’s level of students in Hanoi Figure II.2: The usage or plan to use international English certificates to get into a university Figure II.3.1: Type of international English certificates Figure II.3.2: The important of international English certificates Figure II.3.3: Reasons to use international English certificates for university Figure II.3.4: The positive effects on using international English Page 11 12 13 14 15 16 certificates for university entrance Figure II.3.5: The negative effects on using international English certificates for university entrance Figure II.4.1: Reasons why students don't want to take international English certificates 17 19 Figure II.5.1: Choice of international English certificates 20 Figure II.5.2: Corresponding score students aim at 21 Figure II.5.3: The important of international English certificates 22 Figure II.5.4: Reasons to use international English certificates for 23 university Figure II.5.5: The positive effects on using international English 24 certificates for university entrance Figure II.5.6: The negative effects on using international English 25 certificates for university entrance Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENT II LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .III TABLE OF FIGURES IV TABLE OF CONTENTS VI INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Objectives of the study Scope of the study Research Questions: Methods of the study Tentative report outline .3 CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW .4 I.1 Definition of international English certificates .4 I.2 Kinds of international English certificates I.3 The relationship between international English certificates and college admission I.4 Reasons why students choose to use international English certificates to get into colleges I.5 The effects of choosing to use English certificates to get into universities I.5.1 Positive effects: 1.5.2 Negative effects .10 CHAPTER II: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 11 II.1 Education’s level of students in Hanoi .11 II.2 The usage or plan to use international English certificates to get into a university 12 II.3 If you used or planning to use international English certificates to get into a university 13 II.3.1 Type of international English certificates .13 II.3.2 What you think about the importance of international English certificates? 13 II.3.3 Why did you choose to use an international English certificate for university entrance? 14 II.3.4 What you think about the positive effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? 15 II.3.5 What you think about the negative effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? 17 II.4 If you don't intend to take any international English certificates 18 II.4.1 Reasons why don't you want to take international English certificates? 18 II.5 If you intend to take international English certificates in the near future 19 II.5.1 What is the international English certificate you want to take? 19 II.5.2 What is the corresponding score you aim at? .19 II.5.3 What you think about the importance of international English certificates? 20 II.5.4 Why did you choose to use an international English certificate for university entrance? 21 II.5.5 What you think about the positive effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? 22 II.5.6 What you think about the negative effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? 23 CHAPTER III RECOMMENDATIONS 25 III.1 Suggestions for students 25 III.1.1 Suggestion on how to use English certificate effectively 25 III.1.2 Suggestion on how to balance other subjects 25 III.2 Suggestion for parents .25 III.2.1 It is a necessity for parents to find out real benefits and understand the right definition of the international English certificate 26 III.2.2 It is necessary to set suitable expectations on students’ goal 26 CONCLUSION 26 Summary 26 Limitations .27 Suggestions for further research .28 REFERENCES IX APPENDIX I INTRODUCTION Rationale of the study There is no doubt that English has become an international language, and even in most countries, it is either the second language or the official language And to confirm people’s English skills, international English certificates will be given after an international English test such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc Therefore, having a good score on an international English test is a necessity to have access to a good academic environment, which can be used for both entering college and studying abroad For overseas students, English plays an important role in a student's life when the curriculum is 100% in English, and social life in a foreign country needs English too Since studying abroad is an increasing trend nowadays, when studying abroad can be the first step to being able to work in multinational companies in developed countries, the number of students left Vietnam to learn at foreign universities is incredibly huge, up to 190,000 in 2021, according to TienPhong.vn And a basic requirement for applying to universities overseas, besides GPA or extracurricular activities experiments, is international English certificates In recent years, universities in Vietnam started to enroll scholars utilizing a combination of international English certificates and university test scores or school reports This percentage accounts for most of the enrollment target, from 40% (according to National Economic University’s admission policy in 2021) to 50% (according to Foreign Trade University’s admissions policy in 2021) This is a great chance for students with the middling academic ability to be able to study at a highranked university in Vietnam since the traditional admissions plan requires a pretty high score that only students with good academic ability can get International English tests can be very beneficial for learning, but that is not the only factor that causes the increase in the use of international English certificates In the context of not many studies have been done about this problem, we decided to research it, “The real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams of students in Hanoi.” Objectives of the study The study is conducted with the aim of finding out the current state of international English certificate usage in different schools and universities and showing several positive and negative effects for students to utilize those certificates in college admission The research also compares the pros and cons of using English cert and points out which candidates are suitable for appropriating international English certificates to apply to university Hence, this study will give parents and students some useful orientation to consider if they should use English cert or not Scope of the study Although the international certificates are required for all people, the researcher cannot cover them all because of the obstacles of time, cost, and human resources Instead, this study just focuses on high school students, graduates and postgraduates who use English certificates in university admission in Hanoi Moreover, the study is carried out to investigate the main factors that affect them to use those certificates in the university entrance exams Research Questions: Why are more and more students choosing to use English certificates to get into universities? What are the effects of choosing to use English certificates to get into universities? who opine that it is fairly important to obtain an international English certificate was the highest number, at 18 people That of extremely important and important were lower at 15 and 6, respectively On the other hand, there were only students who opined the international English certificates were slightly important while no person thought they were not at all important II.5.4 Why did you choose to use an international English certificate for university entrance? Figure II.5.4 Reasons to use international English certificates for university There were many different reasons for this situation was revealed, most students took international English certificates because they gave more advantages for seeking a job in the future The figure for people using international English certificates as they gave more advantages for seeking the job in the future was the highest at 33 students, followed by the reasons of being able to get a higher wage and intend to get a scholarship at 23 and 15 people, respectively 14 students believed many top universities apply English certificates as a method for their entrance condition; therefore, they chose to use international English certificates Students who took international English certificates because they were able to 21 invest in English and reduce pressure because of focusing only on or fewer exams in the national high school exams were the same at students opined that it is more convenient not to have to take graduation English exams, compared to who found it easier to meet the English output standards at the university Just students have other reasons which included being forced by their parents II.5.5 What you think about the positive effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? Positive effects 2.44% 26.83% 43.9% 26.83% 0 19.51% 43.9% 36.59% 4.88% 17.07% 43.9% 34.15% 2.44% 26.83% 34.15% 36.58% It is more simple to pass the entrance exam of a university than utilizing college exam scores I am more confident in using English I can practice using English regularly It is easier to get a scholarship The result of international English certificate illustrates your hard 4.88% work There are more opportunities to get into top universities It could enhance your solving 14.63 % 0 9.76% 41.46% 21.95% 17.08% 19.51% 48.78% 31.71% 34.15% 43.9% 12.19% problems skills and reflexion because it's designed based on 22 reality situation Figure II.5.5 The positive effects on using international English certificates for university entrance The figure II.5.5 revealed different viewpoints of students about the positive effects of using international English certificates for university entrance Almost a half agree that it is more simple to pass the entrance exam of a university than utilizing college exam scores, whereas only 26.83% of students neither disagree nor agree and totally agree with this statement The figure for students agreeing with being more confident in using English is witnessed and could practice English regularly is witnessed, at 43.9% 36.58% of students totally agree it is easier to get a scholarship, followed by 34.15% agreeing and 26.83% neither disagree nor agree Just below half have no opinion about the result of an international English certificate illustrating your hard work, compared to 21.95% agreeing and 17.08% totally agree Approximately 50% agree that possessing an international English certificate produces more opportunities to get into top universities, while no students disagree with this People agree that these could enhance your solving problems skills and reflection because it's designed based on real situations accounts for 43.9% That of neither disagree nor agree is 34.15% and totally agree is 12.19% II.5.6 What you think about the negative effects on using international English certificates for university entrance? Negative effects 23 It is unable for me to allocate time for both certificates and other 4.88% 19.51% 43.9% 26.83% 4.88% 9.76% 31.7% 43.9% 4.88% subjects It is unable to focus on a certain goal 40% It wastes a great deal of money to take the test several times if can 7.32% 12.2% 21.95% 41.46% not reach the goal band 17.07 % It is really stressful because my parents force me to study for international English certificates to 12.2% 24.39% 21.95% 26.83% 14.63 % follow the current trend Crazing about international English certificates leads to the appearance of cram centers and teaching tips and lessons to get 2.44% 12.2% 21.95% 24.39% 39.02 % high scores although the quality is low Figure II.5.6 The negative effects on using international English certificates for university entrance In figure II.5.6, generally, there are different opinions about the negative effects of international English certificates for university entrance Almost half of the figures for students believe it is unable for them to allocate time for both certificates and other subjects, followed by 26.83% agreeing and 19.51% disagreeing Students who agree that they are unable to focus on a certain goal account for 43.9% while those who agree is 40% and neither disagree nor agree is 31.7% 41.46% of students opine that it wastes a great deal of money to take the test several times if they cannot reach the goal band while there are only 7.32% who totally disagree More 24 than one-fifth disagree, neither disagree nor agree, and agree with the effect that it is really stressful because my parents force me to study for international English certificates to follow the current trend Crazing about international English certificates leads to the appearance of cram centers and teaching tips and lessons to get high scores although the quality is low is the last negative effect which 39.02% of students totally agree with, compared to only 2.44% who totally disagree CHAPTER III RECOMMENDATIONS III.1 Suggestions for students III.1.1 Suggestion on how to use English certificate effectively Nowadays, using English certificates to apply to university is more popular among all students However, students should some research because each school has different rules about international English certificates For example, Foreign Trade University requires students must have at least 6.5 IELTS while National Economics University accepts students from 5.5 III.1.2 Suggestion on how to balance other subjects Many students meet the problem of balancing time learning English and other subjects This situation could lead to ineffective study Students should have a clear timetable and follow it To study most effectively, students should determine their competence and choose a suitable method III.2 Suggestion for parents Besides that, the decisions of parents also have significant impacts on students' usage of international English certificates Therefore, there are some suggestions for parents to make appropriate decisions for this III.2.1 It is a necessity for parents to find out real benefits and understand the right definition of the international English certificate Parents should figure out the true benefits of international English certificates 25 Using international English certificates indeed has countless advantages in university entrance Consequently, some parents misunderstand this and opine that students must have one Lots of people own international English certificates, which leads to a new trend for students That is the reason why parents force students to study for these certificates without finding out the real benefits III.2.2 It is necessary to set suitable expectations on students’ goal Parents should be aware of their children’s abilities in order not to expect a too high score If not, parents might create stress for students For example, a student could only achieve 6.0 in the IELTS exam but his parents expect him to get an 8.0; therefore, the student will be stressed In conclusion, there are various recommendations for parents in advising students to have international English certificates Although international English certificates have lots of positive effects, parents need to be careful in researching these and build motivation for students CONCLUSION Summary In this research, the research team has made a survey questionnaire on a Google tool called Google Form to find out the real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams of high school students in Hanoi This form had been answered by 50 students in Hanoi from plenty of schools such as NEU, HUST, FTU, etc Undergraduate and high school students take the most part of the study with 93 percent The research results had shown that international English certificates are very common with half of the people in the study having their certificates, and 41 percent are willing to earn one All of the participants use IELTS as their international English certificate to apply to universities, which made IELTS the 26 most common certificate to earn Most of the people being researched agree that these certificates are fairly important, so that made international English certificates become an essential part of applying to a university since almost every University had added international English certificates as a material to pass the admissions test Limitations Although there have been significant research findings on students' perspectives on choosing an international English language certificate as a tool for university admission, it still needs to be acknowledged that the research has some limitations:  Test scale: The study involved a group of 100 participants Therefore, only 100 student opinions were consulted Moreover, the goals and abilities of the participants are at different levels and the narrow scope has partly prevented us from fully understanding the program's effects based on the survey Therefore, we still don't know if students at different levels in different provinces will have opinions if they partake in this program  Gender: Due to the subject's gender, about 66,98% of the subjects were female so we cannot be sure if the effect is gender-related  Survey time: This lies in the fact that the survey-based research is conducted over a short period of time (2 weeks) with surveys being sent out sporadically This deadline creates barriers for researchers to consider the background study of the participants as much as their motivations  Granularity: Last but not least, the survey was only designed in the form of 30 questions, without too many opinions and perspectives, which did not create rich choices for students It would be better if the author could complete the survey in more detail before experimenting Suggestions for further research The findings and limitations of the study point to some suggestions for further research In Hanoi, students are exposed to English and international English 27 certificates earlier and easier than students in many regions of the country However, it is impossible to confirm that the use of international English certificates in other provinces is less necessary or not as common as in the capital The researchers hope to conduct a similar study on the evidence of only using international English certificates in many different areas of the country, with the aim of helping students nationwide to understand and know better Get the most out of your international English certifications 28 REFERENCES [1] 10 Lợi ích sở hữu chứng IELTS bạn định phải biết! (2019) IELTS Fighter [2] About the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test (2021) ETS TOEIC [3] Vì chứng quốc tế lên ngôi? (2020) Báo Lao Động [4] Bí để cân việc học làm hiệu (2021) NEU-Elearning [5] Blog, E English tests- a complete guide (2021) Education First [6] Branch Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications (11 April 2012) [7] British Council, IDP Education (1980) [8] Cobuild, C (2021) Definition of 'certificate' In Collins Dictionary Harper Collins [9] English language certificates: choose the right test! (2021) APRIL International Care [10] Huyen Nguyen Chay theo IELTS qua muc de bo lot nhan tai (19/10/2021) Lao dong [11] Huyen Thanh Rong cua vao dai hoc voi chung chi tieng anh (01/04/2021) Cong an Nhan dan ix [12] Khơng phải có chứng ngoại ngữ quốc tế đậu đại học (2021) Tuổi Trẻ Online [13] International certification standards (2021) BDC [14] Jennifer Weingarten The Complete Guide to English-Language Certificate (05/10/2019) Study Portals Masters [15] Muốn du học cần IELTS bao nhiêu? Bạn biết? (2018) IELTS Fighter [16] Đi du học cần IELTS bao nhiêu? Cần lưu ý quốc gia giới (2020) Tiếng Anh Du Học [17] Nhat, L (2021) lợi ích chứng tiếng Anh IELTS VNExpress [18] What is TOEFL? (2021) Study Link [19] THÔNG BÁO XÉT TUYỂN KẾT HỢP VÀO ĐẠI HỌC CHÍNH QUY NĂM 2021 (2021) [20] TOEFL, E About the TOEFL iBT Test (2021) ETS Home [21] Tuyển sinh 2021: Dùng “tấm vé” chứng ngoại ngữ quốc tế có vào đại học? (2021) Trường Đại Học Trà Vinh [22] TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI THƯƠNG CÔNG BỐ PHƯƠNG THỨC XÉT TUYỂN ĐẠI HỌC NĂM 2021 (2021) Trường Đại Học Ngoại Thương x xi Appendix SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Which university are you studying at? a National Economics University b Foreign Trade University c Academy of Finance d Other:… What educational level are you? a High school students b Undergraduate c Postgraduate Did you use or plan to use international English certificates to get into a university? a Yes b No, and I don’t intend to take any certificates c No but I intend to get an international English certificate in the future Which international English certificates you have and the corresponding score? a IELTS … b TOEFL … c TOEIC… d Other:… What you think about the importance of international English certificates? Not at all important = Slightly important = Important = Fairly important = Extremely important = 5 Opinion Why did you choose to use an international English certificate for university entrance? a I am able to invest in English b It gives more advantages for seeking jobs in the future c I can get a higher wage with English certificates than without d I am forced to take an English certificate by my parents e I could reduce pressure because of focusing only on or fewer exams in the national high school exam f It is convenient not to have to take graduation English exam g Many top universities apply English certificates as a method for their entrance condition h I intend to get a scholarship and study abroad i Other reasons: … What you think about the positive effects of using English certificates for university entrance? Strongly agree = Agree = Neutral = Disagree = Strongly disagree = 5 It is more simple to pass the entrance exam of a university than utilizing college exam scores I am more confident in using English I can practice using English regularly It is easier to get a scholarship The result of the international English certificate illustrates ii your hard work There are more opportunities to get into top universities It could enhance your solving problems skills and reflection because it's designed based on reality situations Other: What you think about the negative effects of using English certificates for university entrance? Strongly agree = Agree = Neutral = Disagree = Strongly disagree = Opinion It is unable for me to allocate time for both certificates and other subjects It is unable to focus on a certain goal It waste a great deal of money to take the test several times if can not reach the goal band It is really stressful because my parents force me to study for international English certificates to follow the current trend Crazing about international English certificates leads to the appearance of cram centers and teaching tips and lessons to get high scores although the quality is low Other: In case you not intend to take any certificates* Why don’t you want to take international English certificates? a It waste of time b It waste of money c I have no conditions to study d It is unable to allocate time for both certificates and other subjects e Other: In case you have not had any certificates* What certificates and the corresponding score you aim at? iii a IELTS … b TOEFL … c TOEIC … Why did you choose to use an English certificate for university entrance? a I am able to invest in English b It gives more advantages for seeking jobs in the future c I can get a higher wage with English certificates than without d I am forced to take an English certificate by parents e I could reduce pressure because of focusing only on or less exams in the national high school exam f It is convenient not to have to take graduation English exam g Many top universities apply English certificates as a method for their entrance condition h I intend to get a scholarship and study abroad i Other reasons: … iv ... to research it, ? ?The real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams of students in Hanoi. ” Objectives of the study The study is conducted with the. .. FINDINGS The study summarizes researches on Hanoi students? ?? real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams: II.1 Education’s level of students in Hanoi. .. to find out the real situation of using international English certificates in the university entrance exams of high school students in Hanoi This form had been answered by 50 students in Hanoi