A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills

ABSTRACT
English as well as native speaker English as an important medium of
international communication is every part of the world. It is undeniable that English
is a global language especially in this internationalization. Amongst English skills,
communication skills can be considered the most important ones. However, during
the learning and communication process, learners also make some mistakes that
they need to overcome to improve and master this skills.
Therefore, I would like to discuss the common English communication skill
errors made by Faculty of English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their
communication skills. And this is also the topic of my graduation thesis. Data used
for analysis in this thesis were gathered through survey questionnaires, interviews
and analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative methods. Sixty freshmen in the
English department were selected to become study participants.The survey is
conducted with the first-year students of the English Faculty to collect survey data.
I hope that this study will bring students awareness of the common errors in
learning communication skills and refer to some useful solutions that will help them
improve their communication skills.

1


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Although doing study in a limited time, I received a lot of enthusiastic help
from so many people to complete this graduation paper. I greatly appreciate these
enthusiastic supports.
First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and profound thanks
to Mrs. Luong Thi Minh Phuong M.A, one of the enthusiastic lectures of the
English Faculty at TMU and my supervisor. Thanks to the thoughtful guidance, I
finished the graduation thesis in the most complete way. Without any help from her,
I can hardly finish this graduation thesis.
Secondly, I am sincerely thankful to all the first-year students in the English

Faculty who helped me a lot in this study. They helped me complete the survey and
provided me with important data from the questionnaire so that I could analyze and
provide the best suggestions for my research.
Last but not least, I want to thank my family and my close friends for
supporting me. They helped me to be more spiritual and create good conditions for
me to complete my graduation paper well. I wish to thank all who have kindly given
their advice with source materials during writing.
I know my graduation paper still has mistakes due to my shortcomings. I
would like to receive your comments, suggestions and corrections for the perfect of
my own graduation paper.
Hanoi, April 15, 2021
Student
Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang

2


TABLE OF CONTENT

3


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
N
o
1
2
3
4
5

6

Terms

English meaning

Vietnamese meaning

M.A.
TMU

Master of Art
Thuongmai University

Thạc Sỹ Khoa học - Xã hội
Trường Đại Học Thương

HSBC

Mại
Hongkong and Shanghai Ngân hàng Hồng Kông và

NGOs

Banking Corporation
Thượng Hải
Non - Governmental Tổ chức phi chính phủ

VNU

Organization
Vietnam

Et al.

University
And others

National Đại Học Quốc Gia Hà Nội
Và những người khác

4


LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

5


CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1 Rationale
English is now a global language. Among hundreds of different languages, the
world has chosen English as a means of communication so that everyone can
understand each other. Vietnam is also increasingly developing and popularizing the
English language as an inevitable need.
It is the main language used on the Internet, business and many others fields.
Learning English includes many skills, in which English communication skills is an
important part. This study deals with fundamental errors in freshman English
communication skills and a number of solutions for improvement.
As a four-year student in English department, I understand the difficulties that

freshman students face when communicating in English. They have few
opportunities to practice communicating with foreigners and still have many
difficulties in English communication. That is why I choose the subject of study as:
"A study on common English communication skill errors made by Faculty of
English freshmen of TMU and how to improve their communication skills". The
author hope that through this research topic, I will point out some common errors in
communicating in English and offer some solutions to improve this skill in the best
way.
1.2 Previous of studies
It is a fact that English has become an international language. That is the
reason why a lot of researchers and scholars conduct research and analyze about
problems and challenges encountered by English learners in terms of English
communication skills. There have been lots of international and local studies which
have been done recently relating to English learning.
1.2.1. International studies
In relation to communication skills, Alqahtani Mofareh A, English
Department, Civilian Studies, King Khaled Military Academy, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia conducted a study on: "Difficulties Facing Students in English Language
Conversation'' (2019). This thesis addresses the poor language proficiency of

6


English language students, particularly in terms of their conversational skills and/or
ability to achieve the desired standards of fluency in either the classroom
environment or public sphere. It aims to identify the inability of students to learn
English language conversation skills accurately, the factors behind the difficulties
faced by students seeking to communicate in English and the practical solutions
which enable students to master English communication skills. The results of the
study demonstrate that the difficulties and challenges faced by students when

speaking in English such as the fear of making errors, imprecise understanding of
English vocabulary and grammar, and incorrect word and/or sentence articulation.
To fully investigate this issue, a quantitative survey instrument containing multiple
questions was undertaken in addition to a number of interviews with a random
sample of students and teachers in order to elicit the main student challenge in
speaking English. To this end, the researcher elucidated the research problem,
importance, objectives, hypotheses, and methodologies, as well as drawing
conclusions.
Another study on communication skills was implemented by Panida
Karachedee, Faculty of Education, Burapha University:

" Need analysis for

English communication skills of employees at HSBC in Thailand" ( January 2017).
The study analyzed aspects of communication skills, with the objective to outline
the needs and problems of English communication of the staff, and offer appropriate
methods to improve communication skills in English. By a quantitative survey
instrument containing multiple questions was undertaken, the study demonstrates
that listening skill was the English communication skill that Thai employees at
HSBC in Thailand thought was the most serious problem. The unfamiliarity of the
foreigners’ accent and pronunciation was considered as the most serious problem of
listening skills. Besides, The inability to use correct grammar in communication
seemed to be a problem of Thai employees at HSBC in Thailand. Finally, the
research has clarified the problem and devised a strategy to improve communication
skills including internal training and taking English courses at a language academy.

7


1.2.2. Domestic studies

The study: " A study on how to improve English communication skills of
receptionists in Muong Thanh grand Ha Noi hotel" (2018) by Tran Thuy Dung of
English Faculty, Thuong Mai University. The aim of this study is to identify
problems in English communication and find out some appropriate solutions to
improve English communication skills of receptionist in Muong Thanh Grand
Hanoi hotel in which, the study focuses on finding the reality of the staffs in
Reception Department 's using English in communicate with foreigns guests and
giving them the suggestions for better communication. The expectation is that the
receptionists at MTGH hotel can communicate in English confidently and fluently
to achieve high efficiency at work.
Besides, another study “English communication skills of students with
foreigners - proposing solutions to join NGOs” (2008), the author selected English major students from four typical universities in Hanoi: VNU University of
Languages and International Studies,Vietnam National University, Foreign Trade
University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Foreigners mentioned
in the study are good at English communication skills and qualifications, most of
whom are from Europe, Australia and North America using English as their mother
language. Research methodology used in the article is investigation, interview and
observation. The research results show that when students communicate with
English speakers in different countries, the most common errors they encounter are
intonation, accent and regional culture.
1.3. Aims of the study
My research is to find out the frequently encountered mistakes that freshmen
students of English Faculty at TMU encounter in their English communication, and
find solutions to help them improve their English communication skills. My
research aims at the following basic goals:
●

Analyze the situation of communication in English by first-year students of English
Faculty at TMU and the common errors encountered by themselves

8


●

Propose solutions to improve English communication skills for Faculty of English
freshmen of TMU.
1.4.

Research question

In order to accomplish the above mentioned aims, the study targets at finding
the answer to the following questions.
-

What is the attitude of first-year students of English Faculty at TMU

towards the oral English communication skills?
- What are the common errors that the freshmen of English Faculty at TMU
encounter when communicating in English?
- How to improve the oral English communication skills of freshmen students
of English Faculty at TMU?
1.5. Research subject
The research subject is to find out the common errors faced by English - major
freshman at Thuong Mai university in communication in English and offer some
solutions to improve this skill in the best way
1.6.

Scope of the study

Research topics are conducted on the scope of Thuong Mai University. The
research focuses on the freshmen in the English Faculty at TMU to point out their
common mistakes when communicating in English and offer some solutions to
improve this skill in the best way. The study is conducted in the second semester of
the academic year 2020-2021. Due to time constraints, this study carries out about
60 randomly selected students.
1.7. Research methodology
In this study, the author decided to use the quantitative and qualitative
methods. The data and information has been collected from two sources: the
questionnaire and the interview.
A questionnaire is set up including both open-ended and closed-ended
questions, allowing the respondents to give their opinions and views in the most
convenient way. Part one reveals of the student’s background and basic information
and part two of consists some questions relating to common errors and the solution
to improve the oral communication in English.

9


The interview includes three questions to dip deeper into the issue.
1.8.

Organization of the study

This study consists of four main parts:
• Chapter 1: Overview of the study
General research topics include the reason for selecting this study, provide
previous research topics, aims of the study, identify research subjects, scope of the
study, research methodology and structure of this study.
• Chapter 2: Theoretical background

This chapter gives an overview of what communication is, types of
communication, the importance of English communication skills and English
communication errors. Thereby, the author finds the common errors that English
learners encounter and find out the solutions to improve.
• Chapter 3: Data analysis and research findings
This chapter focuses on analyzing research results and it is also the major part
of the study. Through the survey, the author learns the views of students about the
common errors in communicating in English with foreigners and the solutions to
improve the oral communication in English. The figures which were collected from
the study would be shown and analyzed in this chapter. This is the crucial part of all
the studies.
• Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions
This chapter proposes and suggests some solutions to overcome common
errors in oral communicating in English in general and the first-year students of the
English Faculty at Thuongmai University in particular.

10


CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1. Definition of communication
There are many definitions of communication posed by different writers.
According to Dwyer (2000), “Communication is the transfer of meaning.
Communication is any behavior, verbal or nonverbal, that is perceived by another.
Knowledge, feelings or thoughts are encoded and sent from at least one person and
received and decoded by at least one other. Meaning is given to this message as the
receiver interprets the message. A connection is made between the people
communicating. Communication lets us learn more about ourselves and the world
around us, share experience with others, persuade and influence others, and relax

and enjoy ourselves.”
Verderber, R.F., Verderber, K.S & Berryman- Fink, C. (2008) define
“communication is the process of creating and sharing meaning in informal
conversation, group interaction, or public speaking”. Another definition is set by
Hybels, S & Weaver II, R.L. (1992). According to them, “communication is any
process in which people share information, ideas and feelings. That process
involves not only the spoken and written word, but also body, personal mannerisms
and style, the surroundings- anything that adds meaning to a message.”
From the definition, it can be summarized that Communication is the process
of sending and receiving information among people. It is a way of reaching others
by transmitting ideas and thoughts, feelings and values.
2.2. Types of communication
2.2.1. Oral communication
According to Bovee et al. (2012): “Verbal communication is the expression of
information through languag which is composed of words and grammar.” And
another definition about verbal communication according to Penrose et al. (2010):
“Verbal communication consists of sharing thoughts thought the meaning of
words.”

11


Verbal communication can be defined as communicating your thoughts
through words. Such thoughts may be ideas, opinions, directions, dissatisfaction,
objections, your emotions and pleasures.
For example, when you conduct a meeting, have a conversation over the
phone, talk to a friend, write letters, emails or any other forms of conversation that
you perform with others using words.
2.2.2. Nonverbal communication
According to Levine and Adelman (1993) non-verbal communication is the

silent language, including the use of gestures, facial expressions, eye-contact and
conversational đistance, etc.
The phrase nonverbal communication refers to communication affected by
means other than words to most people. We need to understand that separating
verbal and nonverbal behavior into two separate and distinct categories is virtually
impossible. For example, how do we categorize sign language into verbal or
nonverbal communication? Under some circumstances, sign language can be
translated to verbal meaning word by word; On the other hand, it communicates
without sounds and words and carries meaning through gestures. Generally, when
people refer to nonverbal behavior, they are talking about the signals, to which
meaning will be attributed, not the process of attributing meaning. Nguyen Quang
(2008) gives his own view on the definition which seems to cover most important
dimensions of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication, according to
this author, refers to "all the components of the message that, when taken together,
constitute the communication which is not verbally coded but both vocally and nonvocally channeled”.
2.2.3. Written communication
According to the study about "Effective oral and written communication"
( 2018) of R. Prabavathi and P. C. Nagasubramani, written communication is the
oldest known form of communication. Any form of communication which is written
and documented from the sender to the receiver is known as written
communication. Examples of written communication include letters, memos,
research papers, reports, etc.

12


It is a very concrete form of documentary evidence and can also be used for
future reference purposes. As the information is

written, it

can

be

easily

distributed to many people thus making it a bulk communication method. As
the information does not change from person to person, the accuracy of the
information conveyed is same across the entire audience.
To ensure an effective written communication form, it is a must to follow
completeness, clarity and correctness in your writing. As there is no immediate
feedback that can be received, it is important that written communication is
detailed and accurate to ensure that the write message is communicated.
Also remember to keep the communication simple and without any errors.
Written communication also has its limitations like lack of feedback, absence of
modulations to convey message effectively, etc. These can

be

overcome

effectively by mixing oral communication with written so as to combine the
advantages of both along with eliminating the disadvantages
2.2.4. Visual communication
According to Brian Nuckols (1998): "Visual communication is a way to
communicate ideas graphically in ways that are efficient and help to convey more
meaning. It’s a critical element of any content marketing strategy. "
Visual communication is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms
that can be seen. Visual communication in part or whole relies on eyesight. Visual

communication is a broad spectrum that includes signs, typography, drawing,
graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, color, and
electronic resources.
Visual communication refers to messages that can be seen. In business, visual
communication can be characterized as a helper. Whenever a heavy amount of
information is presented, a visual aid can help the message receiver comprehend the
message.
Indeed, clear communication is very essential. Hence it is very necessary to
develop strong communication skills. And in this study, the author focuses on verbal
communication.

13


2.3. Importance of English communication skills
According to Communication expert Harold Janis (2008) "The world of
business is a world of action. Products are designed, made, and sold. People are
hired. Serviced are rendered. Policies are devised and implemented. Jobs are
learned and performed. Yet there is no practical way in which any of these events
can take play without communication".
 Importance of English communication skills in daily life

Today, English has become an international language. The development trend
of the countries in general and Vietnam in particular is the development according
to the international model. English communication in life is common and necessary.
Good English communication will give you more enjoyable experiences in
life. Many different situations that you encounter in life may be related to English.
In addition, poor English communication skills can affect your personal intentions a
lot.
Good English communication will help you in your foreign travel. You can

also help foreigners when they get stuck, and having foreign friends will be a great
experience for us. In addition, you will have a lot of experience and good
opportunities when participating in activities organized by foreign countries.
 Importance of English communication skills in workplace

At work, English communication brings a lot of great benefits, opening you up
to many new opportunities for better. Today, the business of companies is no longer
limited to the country, but they also expand their scope to foreign countries. For this
reason, if you have good English communication skills, you can work with any
partner from any country in the world. Therefore, English communication skills at
work are always required by businesses when recruiting. Many foreign business
companies that have good salaries and professional working environment are the
dream goal of today's young people. Therefore, if you do not have good English
communication skills, you will definitely be eliminated from the interview round
and leave that job opportunity for others.
In addition, employees with high professional ability and good English skills
will be more appreciated and trusted by the boss. You will have the opportunity to

14


attend major seminars, events or meet foreign partners. It is a great opportunity if
you want to advance in your job and develop yourself.
 Importance of English communication skills in study

Keeping up with the era of international integration, children today are often
exposed to English very early. Especially, English communication skills need to be
focused on from the very beginning of learning English. For the students,
accumulating and practicing communication skills while studying will open up a
brighter future.

Good English communication skills bring many good opportunities for
students, for example, they can apply to exchange students, or study abroad.
Meanwhile, students will be exposed to an international education, and helping
them expand their knowledge. Good English communication helps them stay
confident when talking, sharing with others. With good English communication,
students can absorb more easily international learning materials.
Good English communication will be the fundamental foundation for students'
career opportunities in the future.
2.4. English communication errors
Oral communication is quite different from other skills like reading, listening,
and writing. As it is unlike other skills, it requires a degree of real-time
communication with others directly. Learners often have a fear of communication,
lack of confidence in communication. They worry when speaking a foreign
language, they might pronounce it incorrectly and use the wrong grammatical
structure, so native speakers cannot understand what they are trying to say and they
are also worried about losing face or being criticized.
For the purpose of this study, the researcher has examined the fundamental
mistakes of freshman English faculty to find the fundamental error and propose
effective solutions to improve their communication skills. Here are some basic
mistakes encountered when communicating in English:
2.4.1. Linguistics errors
* Mispronounce:

15


One characteristic that many of us English learners encounter is their lack of
emphasis on pronunciation. In fact, learning English pronunciation is an important
part of learning how to communicate in English. Listeners will not be able to
understand if you pronounce incorrectly.

According to Burns and Joyce (2005)identified a group of factors that they are
likely to make learners reluctant to speak and one of these factors is “linguistic
problem”. Vietnamese learners often run into troubles when it comes to some
important characteristics in terms of pronunciation such as some difficult sounds,
stress, intonation and linking words which are totally strange compared to
Vietnamese. Even though it is clearly noticed that sound, stress, intonation and
linking words of spoken language convey crucial messages, many learners find it
difficult to pronounce words, stress the right syllables or apply the reasonable
intonation and linking sound to spoken language.
* Lack of vocabulary
Wilkins (in Thornbury, 2002) states that “without grammar very little can be
conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”. This statement means
that when somebody only knows about grammar, but he does not know words to
say, his idea cannot be expressed. In other words, one of the language elements that
has to be mastered by learners in learning a language is vocabulary.
A rich vocabulary will increase learners' understanding, thereby developing
communication skills, helping learners convey ideas and messages to listeners. On
the contrary, the limited vocabulary will cause learners to make mistakes such as
using too difficult vocabulary or using the wrong context of the words, resulting in
incorrect content transmission and affecting the quality of conversation.
* Use difficult grammar
In the real communication, nobody paid much attention to the correct grammar
expression, but emphasized the content and how to reply. Besides, there are a lot of
grammatical rules in the English language, so it is difficult for the students to
correctly understand and use grammar. The nervous of new grammar is the serious
error for students when communicating . Grammatical competence can help
speakers apply and perceive the structure of English language correctly that leads to

16

their fluency (Latha, 2012). If learners do not know the rules of grammar, they will
never be able to communicate using English effectively.
It is common among English language learners to overdo complex sentence
structures when it is not needed. Explaining this may be because the speaker is
afraid that the listener will not understand if it is not grammatically correct.
However, that makes it even easier for you to make mistakes. The grammar in
English communication does not need to be too complicated. You can see that when
communicating in English, native speakers use very simple structures. This way,
you can hear them and easily understand them.
2.4.2. Errors about communication culture
Each country has its own communication culture, foreigners also have their
own communication culture characteristics, so when communicating with someone
who makes those mistakes, it will bring them a feeling of discomfort, not really
satisfied.Anderson and Lynch (1988) said that “when we learn a foreign language,
we acquire some degree of familiarity with the foreign culture”. It is so important,
but learners often encounter basic mistakes such as: Lack of calm when not
understanding what foreigner says, do not look directly into foreigner's eyes while
speaking,...
2.4.3. Errors about psychology
Psychology is very important in commnuncation, it directly affects the quality
of the conversation. Speakers often feel insecure, unwilling to communicate with
foreigners because they are afraid of making mistakes when speaking, do not have a
natural reflex when speaking, so they feel confused because they do not know how
to answer. They are not confident in their foreign language skills and are afraid of
others to criticize them.
It is assumed that “when people speak in a second or foreign language, they
become more apprehensive and tense and thus more unwilling to participate in the
conversation” (Horwitz el al., 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989). Before the
conversation occurs, learners may have many ideas in their mind, but when they

come to a real communication with foreigners, their mind just goes blank and
cannot produce words or sentences due to the tense and shyness.

17


This is a common problem that language learners encounter, they are too shy
to speak out their opinions or look directly and communicate with native speakers.
Due to incorrect pronunciation, being afraid of making mistakes leads to shyness
and avoidance of speaking English.
2.5. Factors affecting English communication errors of students
2.5.1. Limitation of vocabulary knowledge
A rich vocabulary will increase learners' understanding, thereby developing
communication skills, helping learners convey ideas and messages to listeners. "If a
language could be considered as a house then its grammar could be considered as
cement and its vocabulary could be figuratively compared to bricks To build a
complete house, no only cement but also bricks are needed Without bricks, no
house can be built, even when plenty of high quality cement is available (Nguyen
Huyen, 2004). The limitation of vocabulary knowledge affects learners'
communication ability, creating basic mistakes, especially mistakes using wrong
vocabulary context.
2.5.2. Be afraid of making pronunciation and grammar mistakes
Oral communication is quite different when comparing to other skills as
reading, listening and writing. Since it is unlike other skills, it requires some degree
of real time to communicate directly with other people. Learners have often got the
fearful feeling of making mistakes when trying to say or express things in a foreign
language. They are worried when they speak in a foreign language they may
pronounce incorrectly and use wrong grammar structures, hence, native speakers
can not understand what they try to say and they also have anxiety over losing face
or getting criticism.

According to Burns and Joyce (1997) identified a groups of factors that they
are likely to make learners reluctant to speak and one of these factors is “linguistic
problem”. Vietnamese learners often run into troubles when speaking, they are
often afraid of making grammar mistakes. Even though it is clearly noticed that
sound, stress, intonation and linking words of spoken language convey crucial
messages, many learners find it difficult to pronounce words, stress the right

18


syllables or apply the reasonable intonation and linking sound to spoken language
leading to the grammatical and pronunciation errors
2.5.3. Lack of professional environment to speak
It is essential to have a professional environment to practice English. Hyland
in the survey “Asian Journal of English Language Teaching” (January, 2007)
investigated learners from eight disciplines at five Hong Kong institutions. The
findings of his research indicated that proficiency in English was a significant factor
in the academic success of an English environment.Lack of English communication
environment makes learners become passive, unconfident when communicating
with foreigners. Especially with their pronunciation, swallowing, and speaking
speed different from Vietnamese teachers, which will make learners lose their
temper and misunderstand the content of the conversation.
2.5.4. Worried about making mistakes and fearful of criticism
It is assumed that “When people speak in a second or foreign language, they
become more apprehensive and tense and thus more unwilling to participate in the
conversation” (Horwitz el al., 1986; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1989). Before the
conversation occurs, learners may have many ideas in their mind, but when they
come to a real communication with foreigners, their mind just go blank and cannot
produce words or sentences due to the tense and shyness.
This is a common problem that language learners encounter, they are too shy

to speak out their opinions or look directly and communicate with native speakers.
Due to incorrect pronunciation, being afraid of making mistakes leads to shyness
and avoidance of speaking English.

19


CHAPTER III: RESEARCH FINDINGS

3.1. Research methodology
3.1.1. Participants
This research will be conducted with the participation of 60 first-year students
of English faculty at Thuongmai University. By conducting questionnaires surveys
over the internet, the received data analysis will be clear and the most truthful
result. All the participation is random and voluntary without any constraint.
3.1.2. Research instruments
Regarding the aims of the research, the study has been conducted in both
quantitative and qualitative methods in order to reduce the potential limitations of
using only a single approach. The data have been collected by means of
questionnaire and face-to-face interview.
3.1.2.1. Questionnaire
a. Aims of the questionnaire
According to Brow (2001, citited in Markey & Gass, 2005), “Questionnaires
are any written instruments that present respondents with a series of questions or
statements to which they are to react, either by writing out their answers or
selecting from among existing answers”.
Markey & Gass (2005) using questionnaires as an instrument which allows
researchers to gather information in such a short time with comparable information.
For that reason, the researcher decided to apply the questionnaire to access
nformation. Because the subjects of the survey are the first-year students of English

Faculty, the survey questionnaire will be designed as multiple-choice questions with
answers to gather more objective answers that measure the level and senses of the
person being surveyed.
b. Questionnaire design
The survey has been conducted with the aim of investigating some common
mistakes in oral English communication of first-year students of English Faculty at
Thuongmai University as well as suggest some solutions to improve their
communication skills.
20


As the main purpose of completing the study well, the researcher applied both
semi-structured interviews known as an informal conversation in which someone is
asked their opinions about a product or issue and structured questionnaires
considered as closed and direct questions in order to ensure the gathered results are
as reliable as possible.
Hence, the questionnaire is carefully designed with nine questions. It has been
separated into two parts: part one consists of some background information of
students to identify what they think about the importance of listening and speaking
skills.
Part two consists of common errors of oral communication skills that the firstyear students have faced and solutions they have applied. The first two questions
intended to see the common mistakes they encountered in English communication.
The next question was about the solutions that students have applied and identified
whether they were effective or not. Thereby, if that solution is effective or is not will
be used in suggesting solutions to improving their communication skills.
3.1.2.2. Interview
a. Aims of the interview
An interview is formal meetings between two people (the interviewer and the
interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information,
qualities, attitudes, wishes etc,... It is also known as a flexible and adaptable way so

that this method is usually used for many researches to dig deep into the study and
explore more about the personal ideas which can not show clearly in the
questionnaire.
b. Interview design
To accomplish the survey, face-to-face interviews have been conducted in the
form of conversation between the researcher and three first-year students. It took
place during recess in class , hence the participants felt free and comfortable to
answer the questions as well as express themselves.
The interview consists of three questions to dive more into the study and get
deeper point of view. The first question was about to identify their ideas in terms of
the importance of English communication skills. The second question aimed to get

21


the information about the common mistakes that students have encountered when
communicating with foreigners. From the present situation, the last question was
asked to see what solutions they often use to improve their communication skills.
Each interview lasted for five to seven minutes.
3.1.3. Data collection process
To increase the reliability and value of the study, a random sampling procedure
was applied in the survey questionnaire, and data collection was done through faceto-face interviews. All questions used are reasonable and appropriate to the aims of
the study. The data collection process is described as below:
Questionnaire:
Designing the questionnaire: The questionnaire will be set up and survey for
60 students over the internet. It was divided into two parts and consists of ten
questions to collect the data including general information of the participants,
attitude with communication english, common mistakes and the last is about
solution.
Collecting data: the researcher uses google form to conduct the survey. The

questionnaire will be set up by google form. The researcher gets a link from this app
then sends a link of the survey to groups of first-year students of English Faculty
and messages to the ones who are the researcher’s friends. For the most objective
results, the researcher asks them to pay attention and seriously answer the questions
in their own views. The collected data will be checked and analyzed by the
researcher according to the system of tables and data.
Interview: Three freshmen were randomly selected to gather clearer data on
the subject of study. This is a one-to-one chat, performed in 5 to 7 minutes. During
questioning, the researcher recorded the participants' responses and made a note to
make the collected information more reliable.
3.2. Findings
Of the 60 students surveyed, there are 50 valid survey samples, below are the
results of the 50 students surveyed:

22


3.2.1. Students’ background information
The questions in part 1 are designed to learn about information related to
English communication skill including: the number of years of English learning,
chances as well as locations to communicate in English with foreigners,feeling
when communication in English, perception of the importance of communication
skills
When asked about the number of years studying English, as a result, 100% of
the surveyed students studied English for more than seven years. Thenceforth, we
can see that students have learned and become familiar with English for a long time,
probably from secondary or even primary school.

Chart 3.1. Frequency of using English to communicate
The frequency of using English to communicate significantly affects students'

progress in English communication skills. The use of English in communication is
not uncommon for a student of Business English. Not to mention the use of English
to communicate in society, but only in learning, they certainly have to use English
to communicate a lot from their early years of learning. However, it can be seen
from the chart 3.1 that only 30% of the respondents often use English to
communicate. Meanwhile, 62% are people who only use English occasionally to
communicate. The number of students who rarely use English to communicate is
8%.
The results obtained from direct interviews with freshmen about how often
they use English to communicate are: Nga replied: "I only use English to
communicate occasionally because I am afraid of speaking English, not only that, I
am not confident in my pronunciation so I only use it occasionally when studying in
class. "
Linh said: "I rarely use English to communicate, because my speaking and
listening skills are very weak, I am afraid of making mistakes in pronunciation
when speaking and I cannot catch up with the content that the speaker conveyed. I
think I will find a suitable communication environment so that I can practice
more.”

23


3.2.2. Students’ attitudes toward oral English communication skills

Chart 3.2. Students’ perception of the important of communication skills
From the figures it is apparent that having perfect oral English communication
skills is the goal of the learners when learning English. Most of the students
surveyed have evaluated oral English communication skills as very important and it
is also a key to catch the eyes of recruiters in the future. Of the 50 students
surveyed, 62% of students recognized that communication skill plays an extremely

important role in learning and using English. Other students also quite highly
appreciate the role of oral English Communication skills with 14% of students
choosing “neutral” and 24% of students choosing “important” opinion and no one
of respondents denied the role of this skills. Taking into account the statistical data,
we can surmise that most students are aware of the importance of improving their
English skills.
In addition, in face-to-face interviews with freshman English Faculty, they
also highlighted the importance of English communication skills and gave reasons
for their attitudes. Linh replied: "For me, communication skills are very important,
because I am a student of English Faculty, having good communication skills gives
me a lot of benefits in studying, especially my subjects with foreigners."

Nga

shared: "With good English communication skills, I can find a good part-time job,
and confidently make friends with friends from different countries"
Hence, after accumulating their points of views, the researcher found out the
most common idea as English is currently an international language in the world. It
is the bridge to help students develop themselves in studying, working and
relationships

Chart 3.3. Feeling when communicating in English
Aware of the importance of such English communication skills, but when
asked about feelings when communicating English with foreigners, we received
surprising data:
The pie chart shows that the number of students who are excited in
communicating with foreigners is 24%, 18% of students feel fun when
24

communicating with foreigners. However, 58% of students feel shy when
communicating with foreigners. Most students have a very long time to learn
English, but the number of students who feel shy when communicating with
foreigners is huge.
As first-year students in the English Faculty, you are starting to become
familiar with subjects taught in English, including foreign and native teachers. Most
of students choose for themselves an environment to improve your English
communication skills. The following table surveys the locations to help students
connect with foreigners to practice communication English.
Questions

Options

What locations help
you

connect

with

foreigners to practice
communication skills?

Do

you

think

that

Social

Number

media:

Facebook,

Percentage

of student (%)
23
46

Youtube, Twitter, etc.
20

40

English course

29

58

Ho Guom

24

48

Your own method

0

0

Yes

5

16

25

84

School

methods work well in No
improving
your
communication skills?

Table 3.1. Locations help students connecting with foreigners to
practice communicating in English.
The places to connect with native speakers such as social networks, schools,
English courses, and Ho Guom are mostly popular among students, earning the
results respectively: 46%, 40%, 58%, 48%. In addition, through table 3.1, most of

the children have applied to many different places to connect with native speakers

25