The influence of part time employment on the learning ability of faculty of foreign languages students

NGUYEN TAT THANH UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Student’s full name:

Student’s code:

LÊ NGỌC BẢO TRÂM

1911548514

NGUYỄN THỊ BÍCH THÙY

1911548302

ĐẶNG THỊ NGỌC LINH

1911548518

THE INFLUENCE OF PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT
ON THE LEARNING ABILITY OF
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES STUDENTS

Supervisor
PHẠM BÁ VĂN QUÂN

HO CHI MINH CITY, April, 2022

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
List of Table....................................................................................................................... 3
List of Figures.................................................................................................................... 4
Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. 5
Abstract.............................................................................................................................. 5

Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................... 6
1.1. Background of the study ...................................................................................... 6
1.2. Statement of the problem .......................................................................... 6
1.3. Significance of the study ............................................................................ 7
1.4. Scope of the study ..................................................................................... 7
1.5. Organization of the study ..................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................... 8
2.1. Definition of terms ....................................................................................... 8
2.2. Review of related literature ............................................................................ 9

Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................... 13
3.1. Research method ........................................................................................... 13

3.2. Sample selection ........................................................................................... 14

3.3. Instruments................................................................................................... 14
3.4. Data collection .............................................................................................. 14
Chapter 4: Data Analysis And Results .................................................................... 16

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Chapter 5: Discussion And Recommendations ............................................................ 23
Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 24
References ............................................................................................................... 25
Appendix ................................................................................................................. 26

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List of Table
Table 1. Balance study and working part-time ...................................................... 21

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List of Figures
Figure 1. Year of study........................................................................................... 17
Figure 2. Time to practice English ......................................................................... 18
Figure 3. The most difficult skill in English .......................................................... 19
Figure 4. Frequency of student’s working part-time.............................................. 19
Figure 5. Reasons for choosing to work and study at the same time ..................... 20
Figure 6. The influence of working part-time ........................................................ 22

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THE INFLUENCE OF PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT
ON THE LEARNING ABILITY OF
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES STUDENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
During the research on studying and working at the same time of foreign language
students. We have received a lot of contributions and help from teachers, friends and
colleagues in the Department of Faculty of Foreign Languages. First of all, we would
like to express our deepest gratitude to Mr. Pham Ba Van Quan. You are the one who
guided us in our shortcomings to do well in this study. Next, we would like to thank
the 53 students in the linguistics department who helped us complete the survey to
collect data. And finally, I am very grateful to my teacher and my friends. They gave

me a lot of comments to help me improve this research. This study is our most sincere
thanks to everyone.

ABSTRACT

We're currently conducting research to see how part-time employment affects foreign
language faculty students' academic performance. Its goal is to highlight both the
positive and negative aspects of studying and working part-time so that the reader of
this study can make an informed decision about whether to study or work part-time.
If you fall into one of the categories listed above, this study will serve as a useful
guide to help you strike a balance between school and work.

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CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
According to the usual situation among foreign language students I know, students
spend the majority of their time outside of school hours doing part-time jobs for a
variety of reasons. Students are viewed as a workforce with good health, knowledge
and they have manual labor skills, allowing them to work in any profession that suits
them. This is a way for students to earn extra money to meet their basic needs, relieve
the financial strain on their families, and provide opportunities for students to gain
more work and practical experience.
On the other hand, foreign languages necessitate a significant amount of time to

practice the four basic abilities of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as
higher specialist disciplines. As a result, part-time work will have a significant impact
on your foreign language acquisition. Studying and working at the same time, can
have a significant effect on a student's academic achievement and graduation
outcomes. This is a major issue that many students and parents are concerned about,
and they are debating whether or not it should be addressed.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
For foreign language students, studying and working part-time at the same time is a
fairly common problem. Besides the advantages of part-time work, there are also
numerous negative problems that occur. Therefore, in order to learn more about this
topic and conduct research, our group decided to participate and conduct research to
demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of working part-time. Study how this
problem affects students' foreign language learning at the same time, and then come
up with the most appropriate and correct solution.

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1.3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
My group's goal in conducting this study is to assist you in making the most use of
your time while learning a foreign language and balancing your part-time work
schedule. This will be an extremely beneficial research project for you.
As a result, this research is critical. It depicts both the positive and negative aspects
of the problem so that you can carefully consider your options before making a
decision; and finally, solutions to the problem are offered up.

1.4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
We conducted a study on a group of people studying languages. More specifically
focused on surveying the ability to learn foreign languages of university students
Nguyen Tat Thanh. At the same time, we had to learn about their part-time job and
figure out its positive or negative effects on foreign language learning. Following that,
the members of our team will collect information and analyze the data obtained after
the survey.

1.5. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
The study will be divided into five sections. Chapter 1 will begin with an introduction,
followed by a literature review in Chapter 2. The methodology we used in the
research is fully explained in Chapter 3. The full data analyst and research results are
presented in Chapter 4. The contents of Chapter 4 are discussed and recommendations
are made in Chapter 5. Finally, the conclusion is used to bring the rearch to a close
and reaffirm the findings.

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CHAPTER 2:
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS
Overview of part-time work
2.1.1. Definition of part-time work
Part-time jobs that have a good or bad effect on students' is not a new topic, but it has

never been "hot" or stopped being interesting to young people and parents. However,
because the educational systems and learning methods of each country in the world
are different, so in this study, our team would like to reduce the scope of research
materials within the framework of our country - Vietnam. Male in the category of
students from the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Nguyen Tat Thanh University. Parttime jobs in our country usually lasting from 3 to 6 hours per day or less, depending
on the nature of each job. A part-time job is a job that describes or expresses an
informal, irregular, unstable, or unstable job besides a formal job. And these jobs are
usually for students who have to study and work at the same time.
2.1.2. Law on part-time labor in Vietnam
According to the labor law(2005) in Vietnam. Working time is defined as the period
of time prescribed by law or agreed upon by the parties, during which the employee
must be present at a fixed location to perform the assigned tasks. The employer
assigns in accordance with the agreement in the labor contract and the provisions of
the law. According to the provisions of the current Labor Code, working hours are
divided into normal working hours and overtime hours. In which, overtime is the
period of work outside the normal working hours specified in the law, the collective
labor agreement or according to the labor regulations.
Overview of how students learn English

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2.1.3. Definition of foreign language learning in the era of globalization
Nowadays, learning foreign languages has become an essential need for everyone
(including those working in unskilled occupations).
Language is the material shell of thinking, language contains in it the objective

content of things and phenomena, of the material life of man. Therefore, learning a
foreign language means that we receive a second material system (besides our mother
tongue), which is as complete and complete as that first signal system in many
respects.

2.2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
For foreign language students who both go to school and work
According to the research of author Tran Thu Huong (2000) on "Female students with
part-time jobs", we see the good and the bad sides of part-time work for female
students of the University of Social Sciences & Humanities. particular and all
students in general. The study gave the exact numbers, female students with specific
academic status and the effects of part-time jobs on each of those students. Therefore,
the researcher helped students have an overview and reality of part-time jobs and its
impact on each student so that they could look at and compare with reality themselves
and finally make the most informed decision about whether or not to work part-time
while a student.
Or another study by author Do Kien Trung (2016) on "Students and part-time jobs"
not only shows the reasons why students go to work part-time and the lesson, the
philosophical meaning that in this study the author also gives We see the variety of
part-time jobs for students today. Currently, part-time jobs for students are no longer
just simple jobs such as tutoring or handing out leaflets, but today students' jobs have
diversified a lot. Many employers have offered The positions are suitable for students
of different professions, helping them not only earn extra income but also supplement
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the required social soft skills and necessary specialized knowledge. However, the
study has not shown the abuse of the labor force of students in the current part-time
job with an inappropriate salary when working part-time at coffee shops like The
Coffee House. It is a dark side that needs to be taken care of by the government and
resolved quickly to avoid losing important high-quality workers in the future. In
addition, there is a report by author Bui Bao Ngoc - "Students & part-time jobs" and
research by author Nguyen Thi Nhu Y (2012) - "Survey on need for part-time work
of students at Can Tho University". "Analyzed and statistic for us 10 factors affecting
the need for part-time work of students to help us understand most clearly the reasons
for students to work part-time and the psychology of many students. with overtime.
As you all know, it is inevitable that different circumstances, conditions, levels, etc.
It is inevitable that students go to school and work at the same time. That is one of
the main reasons why students work while studying. Most up to 80% of students will
agree to choose part-time jobs related to their major, etc.
According to a labor newspaper (Friday, August 3, 2018-08:49), students around the
world spend an average of 3.4 hours a day working part-time, compared to 2.7 hours
going to lectures or studying in groups. This information has just been released by
HSBC in the latest report on the topic of education titled "The Value of Education The Price of Success". The rate of students in the world working is very high, 4 out
of 5 students (83%) study and work, most of which is because they need to earn more
money (53%). The rate of students in the world working is very high, 4 out of 5
students (83%) study and work, most of which is because they need to earn more
money (53%). Students face a financial shortfall,According to the research results,
students around the world are estimated to spend an average of US $34,658 on tuition
fees, accommodation, bills and personal expenses throughout. undergraduate or
graduate studies. So, despite being supported by their parents with US $16,338 each,
they still face a significant financial shortfall of around US $18,320 and have to find
ways to make up for it from other sources. Only 7% of the parents who participated

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in the survey said that the grandparents of the students helped make up some of this
shortfall, while the majority relied on friends, scholarship programs, and study loans.
and student income. Worryingly, during their schooling, students spend an average
of US $1,101 on debt repayments (credit cards, consumer loans, student loans). This
amount is more than the cost of books (780 US dollars). In addition to family support,
many students have found part-time jobs. 30% of students who participated in the
survey said that they work part-time to cover part of their study costs. Students spend
most of their time earning extra income – an average of 3.4 hours per day, more than
they spend in lectures and study groups (2.7 hours), studying at home (2.5 hours) or
at the library (1.6 hours). A separate study on the topic found that working more than
20 hours per week negatively affects students' grades.
In 2018, at Hanoi Law University, who directly interacts with and teaches students,
MSc. Le Dinh Quyet, Lecturer of the Faculty of International Commercial Law, he
said, "In the process of studying at the University, students need to accumulate all
three factors: knowledge (30%) , skills (30%); foreign languages (30%). If these three
factors are met, the students have a 90% chance of success when they graduate. Parttime work is also an effective way, because part-time work not only helps students
gain more life skills, but also helps them have more income to support their families
during their studies''.
However, students should also note that starting a part-time job too soon after entering
the University is something that should be considered carefully. Students need time
to get used to the new environment and learning methods. Studying at the University,
this will help you accumulate knowledge elements in the best way. If you want to
work part-time, start in next year and you need to have a specific plan to balance the
three factors as mentioned above. And in next with the amount of foreign language
knowledge you learn, you can have a wealth of knowledge and continue to study

foreign language related parks and develop yourself.

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CHAPTER 3:
METHODOLOGY

3.1. RESEARCH METHOD
Quantitative research method:
The results of this study were tabulated using simple statistical techniques. Make use
of the compare and contrast technique. A percent response was used to analyze key
data. The number of responses for each choice is divided by the total number of
respondents who answered the question to calculate the percentage of answers. The
results will be presented in a graph, which will include all of the information gathered
from the participants. The results will be compared to reality, and the percentage that
is most accurate to the situation will be given. From there, this research will be the
most useful resource for those learning foreign languages while also attending school
and working.
Qualitative research method:
Our Questionnaire will have a number of questions that do not have the options
suggested below for research participants to choose from. Instead, there is a blank
field and respondents can manually enter data based on their intuitive thinking. They
can respond in their own way to complete this question. We then started extracting
those responses and putting them into the table. This allows them to express their
opinions more clearly, specifically and in greater detail that cannot be fully expressed

in other quantitative questions.

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3.2. SAMPLE SELECTION
The respondents involved in this survey were students in Nguyen Tat Thanh
University. Sample specifically selected for the survey will be both male and female
language majors such as freshmen, sophomores, third-years and final-year students,
but these subjects must be selected. The selection requirement is that these students
have worked part-time or are currently working part-time. To serve the research of
the problem, we will search and select students who have the above criteria.

3.3. INSTRUMENTS
Data for this study were collected using a questionnaire developed by a group of
students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. The questionnaire will include 12
questions. We created the questionnaire based on such contents as expression level
current effects, causes, and solutions of overtime, based on reality and research
purposes. In addition, survey participants are asked about their foreign language
learning experiences. Then came questions about their part-time jobs. We have
additional questions such as: do you work overtime, do you do manual or mental
work, how many shifts a day, how many hours a shift, and what is your salary... The
survey participants are then given the opportunity to speak about the problems they
face while studying and working, as well as the positive or negative effects and
consequences of the problem.

3.4. DATA COLLECTION
Each member of the research team was responsible for distributing surveys by Google
Form to the participants. We send questionnaires to participants by email, or
messenger. Participants will fill out the questions on the Google Form, after
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completing, send the answers to us, we will close access when there are enough
numbers and withdraw the results to conduct analysis. After students complete their
answers, the questionnaires are collected, making statistics and using Excel software
to calculate the percentages and output them. The result will be illustrated by charts.
It is expected that participation in the series of drawing activities will be voluntary.
To ensure confidentiality, all participants will be assured that their names and emails
will not be disclosed. In the text, the interviewee's name will be changed and the last
name will not be used.

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CHAPTER 4:
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
Introduction

This study was designed to investigate the issue of < Effects of part-time jobs on
students learning ability.= In the survey consisting of 12 related questions, the
questionnaire was sent to groups of students studying at Nguyen Tat Thanh
University. This section includes: Data analysis and Results.
Data analysis
The survey results will be presented in two parts according to the following
characteristics: Demographic profile and Analysis of survey results.
Demographic Profile
All responses were received from the survey, there were many groups of students
taking the survey. All student groups are shown in the results in Figure 1. Looking at
the analysis rate, Junior (3nd-year students) who participated in the survey were the
most, accounting for 32.1%. The group participating in the survey is at least Senior
(4nd-year students) with 9.4%. The other groups were Freshmen (1st-year students)
with 22.6%, Sophomore (2nd-year students) with 15.1%, and 20.8% among longtime students. In comparison to the survey results, first-year students working parttime accounted for a significant percentage. This is true in comparison to reality
because according to an analytical article ''Should Students Get a Part-time Job Right
from the First Year?'' written by Hoang Khoi Pham, September 5, 2021 that: The
freshman that has just finished university is usually very exciting, they set a lot of
goals, makes many plans for 4 years of university, in which there will often be a parttime job. Besides, the number of Juniors taking part-time jobs accounts for the highest
percentage because they have had a lot of experience after two years of university
studies, they are quite familiar with the student schedule such as school time, living

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time. Therefore, they can easily choose the job that best suits them and arrange their
time in the most reasonable way possible.

Figure 1. Year of study

Analysis of survey results
Survey takers were provided with a list of questions about the ability to study and
part-time job and its impact on student's academic ability.
1. The ability to study
Firstly, we have asked the question: day?=. According to the survey rate, most students who spend less than 1 hour per
day practicing English account for 52.8%, and only 18.9% of students spend more
than an hour every day practicing English. However, if the student can complete the
task ahead of time or plan to make good adjustments to the study time, then students
don't have to spend 2-4 hours a day practicing English. We believe that the reason for
this result is that many people aim to be good at English when they go to university
because they will have a lot of free time in college. However, the motivation is
unclear and the method is ineffective, many students abandon this goal. Additionally,
the surrounding environment has a significant impact on foreign language learning,
and many students do not effectively manage their time. Unlike high school, where

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students had a set schedule and were prompted by the teacher's family, university
students must create their own schedule. Students participate in a variety of
extracurricular and exchange programs in addition to classroom hours. Due to the
abrupt change in environment and methods, students find it difficult to create a

scientific timetable for learning English, resulting in insufficient time for foreign
language learning.

Figure 2. Time to practice English

From this survey, we learned that in English language skills, the majority of students
who found it difficult to learn the most were listening at 47.2%. Meanwhile, speaking
accounted for only 24.5% of the vote, reading the least votes accounted for only 13.2%
and writing accounted for 34% of the vote. However, all skills have their own
difficulty. For listening skills, this is the foundation for you to be able to communicate
and understand the content that you hear. Speaking skills, the majority of students
today face obstacles unable to speak. This is also understandable because students
have less passive, communication and are unable to communicate in English for a
long time. In terms of reading skills, many students consider this to be the easiest of
the four skills. But really to complete the reading section, students need to master the
full knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. Finally, writing skills,
it is an important part of assessing students' English proficiency and proficiency.

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Writing skills require more accuracy, rules, and more grammar and structure with
speaking skills.

Figure 3. The most difficult skill in English

2. Part-time job

Figure 4. Frequency of student’s working part-time

From the survey, up to 96.2% voted most students have part-time jobs. It is known
that students who regularly spend time working part-time only accounted for 39.6%.
Students in the very frequent and occasionally group were equally voted with 24.5%,
and 11.3% for the very rarely worked part-time or not.

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