THUONG MAI UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC A study on the problems in communicating in English with foreign customers in Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company and some[.]
THUONG MAI UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH - - GRADUATION THESIS TOPIC: A study on the problems in communicating in English with foreign customers in Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company and some suggested solutions Students: Chu Thi Ly Class: K55N2 Student ID: 19D170097 Supervisor: Luong Thi Minh Phuong, M.A Ha Noi, 2022 ABSTRACT It is impossible to deny that English is becoming increasingly important in our lives As a result, English communication skills are always used by employers to evaluate and select employees for their companies To be able to communicate effectively in English, we must have good listening comprehension, the ability to speak fluently with correct pronunciation, daily practice of grammar and vocabulary, and a variety of other factors Limitations due to poor listening skills or incorrect pronunciation can reduce communicators' confidence, making them afraid to communicate and negatively impacting work and study Recognizing the gravity of the situation, I conducted research on the difficulties that international customer service at Rivernet Vietnam Company has in communicating with customers in English Based on this, the study will recommend solutions to help them feel more confident when communicating with foreigners The study was conducted with qualitative and quantitative methods through a structured questionnaire and interviews The collected data were analyzed both descriptively and artistically i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In practice, success will be difficult to achieve without everyone’s support, help, and concern Teachers, students, and others have provided me with encouragement, guidance, and words of encouragement and concern as I carried out and completed this graduation paper The research I conducted was based on the results of a survey I conducted, as well as references from books, specialized journals by numerous authors, and related studies First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mrs Luong Thi Minh Phuong, M.A - the person who directly guided my scientific research She spent a lot of time and effort, always standing by and guiding me wholeheartedly throughout the research process Her advice, feedback and encouragement were really helpful for me to complete this graduation successfully Secondly, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company Thank you to the company director for allowing me to an internship at the company and supporting me in the process of completing my graduation Thank you to the company's foreign customer service department for participating in the survey of the study, and thank you for giving me comments and suggestions to help me complete the research Furthermore, I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the teachers and students of the English Faculty of Thuongmai University Thank you to all my friends and family members who encouraged and supported me throughout the process of completing this graduation Although I have tried our best, there are inevitably shortcomings in the research I would like to ask for the teacher’s comments and suggestions to help improve the research Once again, I sincerely thank you! Hanoi, November 2022 Chu Thi Ly ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .iii LIST OF ABBREVIATION vi LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES vii CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1 Rationale of the study 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Object and scope of the study .2 1.4 Significance of the study .3 1.5 Research methodology 1.5.1.Methods of data gathering .3 1.5.2 Method of data processing 1.6 Organization of the study 1.7 Previous studies 1.1.1 Foreign studies 1.1.2 Domestic studies CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND .6 2.1 Definitions of communication, communication skills 2.2 Communicating in English in business and the importance of communication 2.3 Forms of communication in English 10 2.3.1 Listening .10 2.3.2 Speaking .11 2.4 Difficulties in communicating in English 12 2.5 Factors affecting English communication 14 iii 2.6 Solutions to improve communication in English 16 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 17 3.1 Major reasons for choosing the job 18 3.2 Current English communication skills of international customer service employees at Rivernet Vietnam .19 3.2.1 The reality of assessing the personal ability of English communication skills of Rivernet Vietnam’s Customer Service employees 19 3.2.2 The reality of the level of English communication skills of international customer service staff at Rivernet Vietnam 20 3.2.3 The reality of the importance of English communication skills in business 21 3.2.4 The reality of practicing English communication skills of Rivernet Vietnam’s Customer Service employees 22 3.2.5 The reality of the difficulty level of English communication skills of Rivernet Vietnam’s Customer Service employees .24 3.2.6 The reality of difficulties encountered when communicating in English of Rivernet Vietnam’s Customer Service employees .24 3.2.7 The reality of how to practice English communication skills of Rivernet Vietnam’s Customer Service employees 26 3.3 Factors affecting the English communication process of customer service employees at Rivernet Vietnam .26 3.3.1 Subjective factors .27 3.3.2 Objective factors 28 3.4 Solutions help customer service department employees at Rivernet Vietnam improve their ability to use English in communication 29 3.4.1 For subjective factors 30 3.4.2 For objective factors 31 3.5 Main finding and discussion .32 3.5.1 Main factors affecting the English communication skills of Rivernet Vietnam's international customer service department 32 iv 3.5.2 Discussion 33 CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS .35 4.1 Suggestions for improving listening abilities 35 4.2 Suggestions for improving speaking abilities 35 4.3 Suggestions for improving vocabulary and grammar .36 4.4 Suggestions for improving English communication reflexes 37 4.5 Suggestions for increasing confidence in English communication 37 CONCLUSION 39 4.1 Major findings of the study .39 4.2 Limitation of the study 39 4.3 Future Research Recommendations 40 REFERENCES 41 QUESTIONNAIRE .43 v LIST OF ABBREVIATION No Abbreviation English meaning Vietnamese meaning JSC Joint Stock Company Công ty Cổ phần IELTS International English Hệ thống Kiểm tra Anh ngữ Language Testing System Quốc tế Test of English for TOEIC International Communication vi Bài kiểm tra tiếng Anh giao tiếp quốc tế LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 3.1 Seniority reasons for choosing the workplace of the employees who responded to the survey Figure 3.2.1 The reality of assessing the personal ability of English communication skills Figure 3.2.2 The reality of the level of English communication skills of international customer service staff Figure 3.2.3 The reality of the importance of English communication skills in business Figure 3.2.4 The reality of practicing English communication skills Figure 3.2.5 The reality of the difficulty level of English communication skills Figure 3.2.6 The reality of difficulties encountered when communicating in English Figure 3.2.7 The reality of how to practice English communication skills Figure 3.3.1 Level of approval of subjective reasons Figure 3.3.2 Level of approval objective reasons Figure 3.4.1 Level of approval of solutions for subjective reasons Figure 3.4.2 Level of approval of solutions for objective reasons vii 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1 Rationale of the study In today’s globalization and internationalization process, we cannot deny that English plays a significant part in everything from business to other sectors and facets of our life People may readily communicate information, study, and research using English, which is considered an international language Almost every job required English, and even English proficiency was considered a criterion for career advancement That is the reason why someone who is fluent in English will have a better job advantage, a job with a high salary, and more opportunities than someone who does not speak English English is now more crucial than ever for Vietnam, a nation in a period of progress and integration It is regarded as the main language of instruction in order to provide graduates with the content knowledge, communication skills, and competencies required by the modern labor market It turns into a tool for interpersonal communication in both daily life and work Vietnam is welcoming of integration, and many foreigners and foreign businesses invest there You must utilize English as a common language in order to communicate More and more businesses are using English It can be challenging to communicate in a language other than one's native tongue, nevertheless Learning a new language takes longer than a few hours, and it usually takes students more than ten years to become proficient communicators Every person has to develop certain abilities in order to communicate effectively in English, including speaking, listening, and confidence These abilities can help us become better communicators By these skills, we can become communicators continue to be confident and have more job opportunities Therefore, I have chosen the topic "A study on the problems in using English in communication with foreign customers in Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company and some suggested solutions" Subjects of the study are international customer service staff of Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company They are individuals who have acquired English communication skills and are able to interact with foreign clients 1.2 Aims of the study Outlining research objectives clearly can assist research teams comprehend the study aims and focus the research paper in the right path The researcher developed three primary aims to achieve the study's purpose: Firstly, the subject of the study is an employee of the international customer service department of Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company As a result, the study will investigate attitudes and motives in the process of communicating in English Second, the study seeks to identify the elements influencing the English communication process (objective and subjective factors) Finally, the research will provide solutions to help employees improve better in the process of communicating with international customers To meet the objectives proposed above, this study focused on three main questions: How is the reality of English communication skills of customer service employees at Rivernet Vietnam? What are the factors affecting the English communication process of customer service employees at Rivernet Vietnam? What solutions help customer service department employees at Rivernet Vietnam improve their ability to use English in communication? 1.3 Object and scope of the study The object of the study talks about the problems that customer service staff at Rivernet Vietnam face in the process of communicating with customers in English and offers some solutions Therefore, the article focuses on the current situation and difficulties that employees face in the communication process, and at the same time finds out the causes and offers some solutions Because of the limitation in time and lack of experience, the study focused on employees of the international customer service department of Rivernet Vietnam ... one of the main communication tools, so learning English is more important That is reflected in the Law on Education of Vietnam, Ministry of Education and Training The training has enhanced the. .. make an impression and control and adjust the communication process according to their goals 2.2 Communicating in English in business and the importance of communication English is important in. .. Joint Stock Company and some suggested solutions" Subjects of the study are international customer service staff of Rivernet Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company They are individuals who have