Báo cáo thực tập tốt nghiệp ngoại ngữ specialist skills and knowledge in translation field at an giang department of foreign affairs

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY - HO CHI MINH CITY AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES SPECIALIST SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN TRANSLATION FIELD AT AN GIANG DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SUPERVISOR: NGUYEN DUC HANH, PHD INTERNSHIP REPORT CLASS: DH18TA, ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 - 2021 FULL NAME: TRAN MINH TRI STUDENT’S CODE: DTH166362 An Giang, May 1, 2021 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the process of internship, I have received a great deal of help, guidance and encouragements from teachers and friends First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my instructor, Mr Nguyen Duc Hanh, who gave me suggestions on how to shape the study and is always dedicated and ready to give me valuable advice Secondly, I would like to give a lot of thanks to Mr Phuc, Ms Ngan and all the staff members at the Department of External Relations to allow us to work and helping us throughout this internship Next, I would like to express my gratitude to all teachers in the Faculty of Foreign Languages for their lectures for four years that help me very much Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and friends who have always encouraged, supported, and helped me complete this paper Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF PICTURES ABSTRACT CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF INTERNSHIP AGENCY 1.1 Background 1.2 Office hours 1.3 Contact details 1.4 Duties 1.5 Organizational structure 1.6 Dress code 1.7 Layout CHAPTER 2: INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES 11 2.1 Main duties 11 2.1.1 Theoretical learning 11 2.1.2 Translation 13 2.1.3 Gaining experience from the instructor of the External Relations Department 14 2.1.4 Listening and pronunciation practice 14 2.1.5 Simulation of welcoming an Indian delegation 15 2.1.6 Presentations 15 2.1.7 Meeting with the director, expressing gratitude, and concluding the internship 16 2.2 Evaluation 17 Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report 2.2.1 Advantages 17 2.2.2 Disadvantages 17 2.2.3 Solutions 18 2.2.4 Lessons from the internship 18 CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 19 3.1 Conclusion 19 3.2 Suggestions 19 Suggestions to the Department of External Relations of An Giang Province 19 Suggestions to An Giang University and Faculty of Foreign Languages 19 Suggestions to students of next courses 19 REFERENCES 21 APPENDICES 22 Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report LIST OF PICTURES Picture 1: The Department of External Relations Picture 2: The Department organization chart Picture 3: Simulation of India embassy reception 15 Picture 4: The presentation 16 Picture 5: Meeting with the director 17 Picture 6: Background of the simulated Indian Embassy reception 22 Picture 7: Example of a reception between two countries 22 Picture 8: Example of a diplomatic invitation card 23 Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report ABSTRACT This report mainly aims to re-describe the entire process of my seven-week internship at the Department of External Relations of An Giang Province The first part of this report is the overall description of the internship agency including its position, functions, the organizational structure and the staff of department The focus of the report will be presented shortly after the introduction of the Department of External Relations In this section, I would describe in detail the activities during the internship including domestic and foreign information, necessary skills and professional and non-professional knowledge In addition, I presented the advantages and disadvantages of the Department of External Relations as well as the advantages and disadvantages of myself during the internship At the end of this article, I make conclusions and give some suggestions to the Department of External Relations, the An Giang University, the Faculty of Foreign Languages and students of the next courses Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF INTERNSHIP AGENCY 1.1 Background The Department of External Relations is a professional body affiliated with An Giang Provincial People’s Committee It is assigned to recommend the Provincial People’s Committee on the public administration of external relations in An Giang as well as it does other functions authorized by the Provincial People’s Committee and the Laws The Department of External Relations is administratively managed by the Provincial People’s Committee and technically directed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Picture 1: The Department of External Relations 1.2 Office hours The working hours of the Department are from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report - In the morning, they work from am to 11 am - In the afternoon, they work from pm to pm 1.3 Contact details Address: 8/18 Ly Thuong Kiet street, My Binh Ward, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province Tel: +84 763 940 103 Fax: +84 763 940 104 Email: songoaivu@angiang.gov.vn 1.4 Duties The Department of External Relations has the following duties: o Submitting to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of a long-term and yearly master plan of external relations activities, programs, and projects authorized by the Department of External Relations' administration and related to the local socio-economic strategy o Recommending that the Provincial People's Committee develop yearly external relations programs for reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister approval o Suggesting The Provincial People's Committee issues legislative papers governing An Giang's external relations operations and is responsible for their substance o Executing legal instruments governing external relations operations, authorized external relations master plans, and information education and communication linked to the Department of External Relations' jurisdiction o Assisting the Provincial People's Committee with consular matters o Supervising non-governmental groups' operations, as well as national territory and border issues o Proposing the formation of an external relations committee by the Provincial People's Committee to meet the demands of the province's economic growth Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report o Assisting the Provincial People's Committee in studying and evaluating the implementation of overseas Vietnamese policies in An Giang under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' supervision o Organizing international conferences and seminars, and also putting international agreements into effect o Collaborating with appropriate ministries and authorities and providing favorable conditions for them to engage in foreign economic operations in An Giang o Collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing information on politics, security, international, and regional economy impacting An Giang and recommending to the Provincial People's Committee ways to deal with it in collaboration with relevant authorities o Reporting on foreign affairs execution in An Giang on a regular and ad hoc basis to the Provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as required by law o Conducting investigations, resolving complaints, combating corruption and negativity, and dealing with law-breaking occurrences in the context of external relations o managing and using the allotted money and property in accordance with laws and decentralization by the Provincial People’s Committee o Performing additional missions as directed by the Provincial People's Committee's laws and missions Retrieved from website: http://songoaivu.angiang.gov.vn(2021) 1.5 Organizational structure The formation of a professional division inside the Department must guarantee that the Department's work is fully covered, that each department's roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and that there is no overlap with other departments within the department The Department of External Relations has successfully structured the entire organization into the appropriate number of specialized divisions to fulfill their duties and works most effectively, with the main function of managing external activities directly for the People's Committee Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report of An Giang Province, as follows: Board of Directors Specialized Division (International Relations, Border Management and Consular Division) Inspection Division Office Picture 2: The Department organization chart 1.6 Dress code Mr Phuc advised that we wear casual clothing for both ladies and men throughout our internship, but we were also permitted to wear casual or business attire Furthermore, personnel of the Department of External Relations are obliged to dress in specific ways for specific diplomatic events The "uniform" they wear will be determined by the function, which might be casual, informal, or formal 1.7 Layout Each division has its own personnel to take on the job of each part, as seen in the organizational chart above Board of Directors - Mr Huynh Cong Huan – Director - Mrs Ngo Thi My Ngoc – Deputy Director Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report Specialized Division (International Relations, Border Management and Consular Division) - Mr Dang Van Nen – Head of Division - Mr Men Mon Dy – Deputy Head of Division - Ms Huynh Quang Thanh Truc – Deputy Head of Division - Mr Chau Chanh Ke – Deputy Head of Division - Mr Tran Ky Viet – Official - Ms Nguyen Hong Nhung – Official - Ms Nguyen Thi Dieu Hue – Official - Ms Nguyen Thi Kim Yen – Official - Ms Ngo Thi Kim Ngan – Official Inspection Division - Ms Ngo Thi Phuong Mai – Chief Inspector Office - Ms Nguyen Thi My Chi – Chief of Office - Mr Nguyen Van Phuc – Deputy Chief of Office - Ms Trinh Thi Huynh – Official - Ms Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen – Official - Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Xuan – Official - Ms Huynh Ngoc Xuan – Official Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 10 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report CHAPTER 2: INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES 2.1 Main duties 2.1.1 Theoretical learning In the first week, I was guided by Mr Phuc with basic information, functions and duties of the Department of External Relations before entering the practice Foreign information In this section, Mr Phuc gave basic information on countries with whom the Department of External Relations has previously collaborated The goal of learning about international information is to improve An Giang's image and attract partners to invest in the province This work was completed in the following order: o An introduction to basic international facts, economics, and culture o An investment and development partnership strategy o Understanding and collaborating with the regions of each country appropriate to local circumstances o Foreign information content in local agencies and units Time management skills This is only a little portion of my internship, but I am extremely pleased with it and believe it is important According to Mr Phuc “The key to making a difference in every human being is the method of time management” Time management may be done in a variety of ways, including: o Making definite, detailed plans o Taking careful note of the golden timeframes o Developing focus and discipline o Starting as soon as feasible and never procrastinating o Choosing a target that corresponds to the completion time o Keeping one's living area and workplace clean and orderly o Not working in accordance with inspiration Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 11 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report o Learning to say no when it's essential Diplomacy Through this section, Mr Phuc gave us information on diplomacy It's the art of bargaining and negotiating between persons who represent a group or a country This term usually refers to international diplomacy, which is the process of directing and implementing international relations through the intervention or reconciliation of diplomats on issues such as the economy, trade, culture, tourism, war, and peacekeeping, and is also known as foreign relations Diplomats generally negotiate international treaties before the politicians of countries provide their initial formal approval Diplomatic protocol Diplomatic protocols are an essential component of diplomatic operations It is critical that diplomatic etiquette be followed anytime there is diplomatic action In this section, Mr Phuc presented the rules in the diplomatic protocol including: o Mutual respect, equality, non-discrimination, reciprocity, and integrating international law with national rules and customs must all be incorporated into the diplomatic etiquette o How to greet a group of international guests o Seating is arranged according to rank o The way to receive foreign guests and to give a party o Gifts and flowers o The national flag, the national anthem and the national emblem Communication skills Mr Phuc taught us communication skills which are essential for success, during the internship Effective communication methods, the form of communication, causes of ineffective communication, communication aspects, factors affecting communication, communication experience, communication techniques, feedback methods, relationship-building skills, and emotional control skills were all explained by Mr Phuc I learnt a lot over this process, practiced and Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 12 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report implemented what he taught in daily conversation, and now I'm more confident in my ability to communicate How to write remarks and minutes Next, Mr Phuc demonstrated how to take minutes in a meeting, write entire remarks and minutes, and show us a few simulations Now I know how to write a complete remark This can help me get things done quickly, such as drafting minutes and remarks at company meetings, increase professionalism in the workplace, and cut down on time while still knowing what was discussed Summarizing the report Mr Phuc assigned a topic to each of our groups in this part The collaboration between Vietnam and Japan was the subject of our discussion He requested that I condense this report into 2000 words, containing general facts, economic conditions, diplomatic and political connections with Vietnam, Japan-Vietnam relations, and other details Mr Phuc then demanded to study the required facts to collaborate with a foreign country, such as population, weather, culture, and so on After completing this exercise, I learnt the basic method for summarizing the report 2.1.2 Translation After a week of getting to know the Department of External Relations, we carried out translation since it was necessary for the department's work, including translation from Vietnamese to English and vice versa: + English - Vietnamese: It included "Embassy of India, Hanoi - Note Verbale to Oc Eo Cultural Relic Management Board"; "strategic management of stakeholders-LRP"; "job attraction and career choice motivation in a socialist market economy the case of the young Vietnamese workforce"; "Reverse Bloom: A new hybrid approach to experiential learning for a new world"; "behavioural adaptability in VUCA Acting for sustainable performance post-COVID" Mr Phuc thoroughly examined and corrected the translations He also discussed Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 13 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report translation techniques that can save time and make it easier for the reader and listener to grasp My ability to translate has considerably increased + Vietnamese - English: It included "Letter of Intent Between Ha Tinh Province and MV State"; "circular guiding the implementation of tax liabilities applying to foreign organizations and individuals" Mr Phuc checked spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary after we finished the translations He also taught us how to compose sentences, utilize intonation, and use proper situations 2.1.3 Gaining experience from the instructor of the External Relations Department During the internship, Mr Phuc offered numerous life experiences, necessary skills, and efficient learning methods Mr Phuc also offered career guidance and specific recommendations for future career paths He also shared a lot of personal stories with me, so I learned a lot from him 2.1.4 Listening and pronunciation practice In the last week of the internship, Mr Phuc tested our listening abilities This is a crucial ability Mr Phuc had provided us with English conversation films, and we had to rewrite all that the keywords had heard After the listen, Mr Phuc assessed and advised us on how to write correct information, keyword writing, and expressive abilities He used to test our pronunciation abilities during the internship by providing us with a word to pronounce After that, he made a correction and came up with a solution Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 14 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report 2.1.5 Simulation of welcoming an Indian delegation Picture 3: Simulation of India embassy reception During the sixth week, Mr Phuc assigned us a challenge in which we played the roles of the host and guest teams The host team consisted of seven members from An Giang Province, while the visitor team was from the Indian Embassy I pretended to be a chief of staff throughout the simulation and my mission organized the meeting according to diplomatic etiquette This simulation was a new experience for us, and meeting with a delegation provided us with many lessons and experiences that we may use in our future jobs Following the simulation, Mr Phuc pointed out our errors and offered advice on how to improve our performance, including some translation recommendations 2.1.6 Presentations During this section, Mr Phuc instructed each group to pick a topic and to present it in one hour Our group discussed Vietnam-Japan collaboration from the past to the present, with a focus on the COVID-19 issue Mr Phuc asked questions after the presentation, and we had to use all of the abilities that he had taught earlier, such as critical thinking, communication, presentation skills paired with speaking and expression, and problem-solving skills After this section, I felt more Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 15 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report comfortable speaking in public My ability to communicate has significantly increased Picture 4: The presentation 2.1.7 Meeting with the director, expressing gratitude, and concluding the internship On the last day of the internship, my team met Mr Phuc and Mr Huynh Cong Huan, the head of the Department of External Relations we said our goodbyes and expressed our gratitude to Mr Huan and the whole Department of External Relations staff for enabling us to work professionally and assisting us throughout our internship Mr Huan shared a wealth of knowledge and career advice with us After the meeting, we received the assessment card and took photographs for memory Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 16 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report Picture 5: Meeting with the director 2.2 Evaluation 2.2.1 Advantages Equipments and the working environment During our internship, we worked at the Department of External Relations' meeting room This place was bright, and airy, with lights, fans, air conditioners, projectors, and computers It gave me the most pleasant and comfortable working atmosphere Meeting the needs of students Throughout our internship, Mr Phuc gave us the flexibility to pick the time and topic for our reports throughout our internship, and he established favourable conditions for us to express our creativity and obtain the greatest outcomes Mr Phuc also answered all of our questions, assisted us in understanding critical problems, and provided an environment in which we could study and be creative 2.2.2 Disadvantages Less participation in actual activities Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), The operation of entrance and exit, as well as the welcoming greeting of international tourists, had been Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 17 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report halted We were not attended meetings or were not participated in diplomacy, therefore we didn't understand more diplomatic activities and how to organize a ceremony correctly to welcome a foreign delegation Limited knowledge and English I found it challenging to translate and understand information about other nations since my understanding of politics, economics, culture, and English was inadequate There are issues that I need to solve I've made significant progress as a result of this internship 2.2.3 Solutions Asking questions During my internship, asking questions was really beneficial This broadened my knowledge and helped me overcome challenges 2.2.4 Lessons from the internship I've gained a lot of new, practical, and valuable experience and abilities as a result of all of the aforementioned activities, as follows: o Acquiring fresh information in a variety of domains o Significant improvement in translating abilities o Knowing how to properly manage my time o Having a wealth of information regarding future work o During a presentation, knowing how to get people's attention is crucial o Developing communication abilities and understanding how to create new relationships o Developing abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing o To attract interviewers, I'm improving my CV writing and interviewing abilities Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 18 Instructor: Nguyen Duc Hanh, PhD Internship Report CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS 3.1 Conclusion After the seventh week of the internship, I had learned a lot of new things and gained a lot of valuable experiences I can apply what I learned at school to reallife situations It has been a memorable time to access a real working environment Besides, I gained a lot of knowledge and skills Now that I've completed the internship, I'm quite confident in what I've learnt This is an invaluable resource for me in my search for suitable employment after graduation 3.2 Suggestions Suggestions to the Department of External Relations of An Giang Province I have a proposal in addition to the benefits that the Department of External Relations provided for us Students should be allowed to participate in the Department's actual activities so that they have more possibilities to learn Suggestions to An Giang University and Faculty of Foreign Languages I hope that the Faculty of Foreign Languages will continue to have internships at the Department of External Relations for students in the future The specific information we gained via the internship process will be extremely beneficial to us in the future Suggestions to students of next courses I have some advice for students who prepare to practice at the Department of External Relations, as follows: o Students must thoroughly research information on the internship site, including location, activities, and internship time o Students should seek assistance from the instructor when students are encountering difficulties Tran Minh Tri – DH18TA Page 19