A study on the difficulties faced by the front office staff at the hanoi old quarter hotel in communicating in english and some recommended s

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY
ENGLISH FACULTY
------

GRADUATION PAPER

A STUDY ON THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE FRONT
OFFICE STAFF AT SUPER HOTEL HANOI OLD QUARTER IN
COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH AND SOME
RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS
Supervisor: Mrs. Tran Thi Bich Lan
Student: Duong Thu Nga
Class: K50N2
Student’s number: 14D170105

Hanoi - 2018

1


HÀ NỘI - 2016
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My research has been completed with the support of a great number of
people.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and
appreciation to my supervisor at Thuongmai University, Mrs. Tran Thi Bich Lan
(Head of Department) for her acceptance to be my supervisor, and for providing me
with insightful and valuable comments throughout my research. She has always
been there whenever I needed her help and support.
My sincere thanks also go to all those who contributed, directly or indirectly,
to this research. Particularly, I am thankful to the Front Office Staff of Super Hotel

Ha Noi Old Quarter and some foreign customers who participated in the study.
Without them, the study would have been impossible.

2


ABSTRACT
The research was based on the data collected from the questionnaires for
the Front Office Staffs in the Super Hotel Ha Noi Old Quarter with the aim of
finding out their difficulties when communicating with customers in English. The
questionnaire has been designed and sent to 20 Front Office Staffs to research some
barriers prevent them from a successful English communication with foreign guests
especially Japanese guests. Research results showed that the causes of problems
occurring during English communication with customers are the differences in
intonations of each country, cultural differences, etc
From the difficulties and the situation of communicating in English with
customers and the main reasons I also would like to recommend the solutions to
improve the communication skills of English receptionist staff at Hotel Super Hotel
Ha Noi Old Quarter.
I hope that this study would be an useful document for you to refer and
study.

3


LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLE
Charts and tables
Chart 1: Percent of having difficulty when communicating

Pages

20

with guests in English
Chart 2: question 3’s answer
Chart 3: question 5’s aswer
Chart 4: Problems of Japanese speaking in English
Chart 5:the most difficult communicating tool
Table 1: question 1’s answer
Table 2:Different between Br.E and Am.E
Table 3:The biggest barrier prevents you from a successful

21
28
28
30
20
25
27

communication with them
Table 4: Problems of Japanese speaking in English

28

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Br.E
Am.E

Meaning

British English
American English

4


TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................ii
ABSTRACT............................................................................................................iii
LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLE..........................................................................iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..................................................................................v
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................vi
CHAPTER 1:OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY.......................................................1
1.1. Rationale............................................................................................................. 1
1.2. Previous studies..................................................................................................2
1.3. Aims of the study................................................................................................3
1.4. Research Subjects...............................................................................................3
1.5. Scope of the study..............................................................................................3
1.6. Research methodology.......................................................................................4
1.7. Organization of the study....................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................5
2.1. What is communication.?...................................................................................5
2.2. The importance of communication in our life.....................................................5
2.3. Types of communication.....................................................................................7
2.3.1. Types of communication based on the communication channels used:...........7
2.3.2 Types of communication based on style and purpose.....................................10
2.4. Process of communication................................................................................10
2.5. Importance of English communication skills....................................................12
2.6. Importance of English communication skills in hospitality career...................14

2.7. Barriers to effective communication.................................................................15
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS..............................................................18
3.1. Communication environment...........................................................................18
3.2. Survey............................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS........................32

5


4.1. Get acquainted with the many intonations of multipal English speakers around
the world.................................................................................................................. 32
4.2 Recognizing the special things of Japanese when they speaking English.........32
4.3 Improving the technical terms related to hospitality..........................................32
4.4 Improving your pronunciation..........................................................................32
4.5 Using body language if necessary.....................................................................33
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................34
REFERENCE

6


CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1. Rationale
There is an undeniable fact that today communication skill and especially
communication in English plays a very important role in the development of human
society. Over the millions of years of evolution, there are a myriad of forms of
communication: from simple images, characters, howls of human ancestors, to this
day, the human language of communication really boom under a myriad of different
forms, different languages. It is estimated that there are around 5000 languages in

the world. Of those, although only second only to China in terms of number of
users, English is still considered as a global language. It is difficult to define ever
since English has been implicitly regarded as the common language of all humanity
in all fields: economics, entertainment, tourism, information technology ... But
anyone who is using English partly understands the reason why English is so
widely used.
It is because of that widespread that communication in English is seen as an
indispensable element of modern man. Whether you live in any country, work in
any field, any profession, any age, level, you are more or less already exposed to
English in your life or work yourself. Many deny this. Some people say, "We are
workers, working with machines from morning to night so we are never involved in
English communication." I think that this is not accurate because at least the
machine and the production line they are using also have a "Start / Stop" button. Is
that not English? Or even the elderly at home all day know the button "On / Off" on
the control console they hold in hand. The "Start / Stop" or "ON / OFF" buttons on
devices have only a few characters, but it is also a form of communication in
English between the manufacturer and the user in the form of a script, which helps
the user to understand the function of those devices.
These are the examples of the English-speaking people who are somewhat
least exposed to English in their daily lives. So for those who work in the field of
business, travel, entertainment, services ... where communication in English is


considered to be paramount, English acts as a passport. It is imperative to exist in
this modern society. One of the areas that require high levels of English is the hotel
industry - this is also an important aspect that I would like to mention in this study.
The hotel, especially the hotel reception, is a profitable business for candidates with
a multitude of skills, where English communication skills are a prerequisite for
employers to screen candidates for positions.. If you compare the two candidates
with the same level of qualifications, but one is more capable of communicating in

English, who do you think will be the potential employee? I believe you have your
own answer. Being a hotel receptionist means you have to face countless difficult
situations when dealing with problems. there is a lot of experience in the profession
but English communication with guests is not always convenient, especially in
hotels where the majority of customers are not native English speakers.
In this research I want to address two issues. The first is the role of English
communication in life and general areas. The second is a research study on
difficulties in English communication of the receptionists at the Hanoi Old Quarter
Hotel in Japanese’s Super Hotel Japan chain. It analyzes the difficulties and
develops research solutions to address the difficulties encountered and to help
facilitate communication.
During my work here I found many difficulties that receptionists encounter
when communicating in English with customers who are mostly non-English
speaking people from such countries as France, Italy, India, Japan and especially the
majority of Japanese guests. That is why I decided to choose the subject of my
study as "A study on the difficulties faced by the Front Office Staff at the Hanoi Old
Quarter Hotel in communicating in English and some recommended solutions"
1.2. Previous studies
Studies on communication
Communication is considered as a natural process. In daily life, communication
brings people together. In business, well communication is a key leading to success.
In a global environment, communication is a very useful tool to develop diplomatic
relations among countries.


• In “Origins of Human Communication” of Michael Tomasello, this is also
mentioned: ” Human communication is grounded in fundamentally cooperative,
even shared, intentions. In this original and provocative account of the evolutionary
origins of human communication, Michael Tomasello connects the fundamentally
cooperative structure of human communication (initially discovered by Paul Grice)

to the especially cooperative structure of human (as opposed to other primate) social
interaction.”
1.3. Aims of the study
My research is to find solutions that help hotel receptionists overcome the
difficulties they encounter in the English communication process in work both in
spoken and written languages. My research aims at the following basic goals:
• Cover background knowledge of communication
• Analyze the situation of communication in English by the reception staff at
Super Hotel Hanoi Old and the difficulties encountered by the staff.
• Provide solutions to improve English communication skills for the hotel
receptionists
1.4. Research Subjects
The research subject is to find out the real difficulties faced by the Front
Office Staff at the Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel in communicating in English
1.5. Scope of the study
There are so many different material resources and researchers that require
a lot of time and effort while my personal experience is limited. Therefore, this
study can only focus on a specific array of English communication in the hotel,
where I have been working directly. As a result, I can get a more detailed view of
the current state of English communication in this area and the difficulties that
receptionists face when communicating with clients. And the hotel that I choose to
carry out my research project is the Super Hotel Hanoi Old Quarter. I hope this
study will be a useful document to improve the English communication of the front
staff in the hotel


1.6. Research methodology
To finish this study, I adopt / use the following methods
• Researching on reference books and websites.
• Observing the English communication at the Front Office of Super Hotel

Hanoi Old Quarter.
• Interviewing and conducting the survey questionaires to the Front Office
Staff at Super Hotel Hanoi Old Quarter with a view to finding out their attitudes
toward the matter and the difficulities they met when communicating in English
with customers.
• Conducting the survey questionaires for customers who are not native
speakers with a view to finding out their opinions about some barriers when
communicating in English with the Front Office Staff.
1.7. Organization of the study
A table of contents with page numbers in which they are presented will help
readers have a clear overview of the research proposal. It also helps the readers find
the part they need more easily and quickly.The study is divided into four chapters:
• Chapter 1: The overview of the study including rationale, previous studies, aims of
the study, research subjects, scope, research methodology, and the organization of
the study.
• Chapter 2: All the theories related to the study are presented. This chapter provides
the readers with the overview of communicating knowldedge and English
communication.
• Chapter 3: This presents the results of the survey questionaires for the Front Office
Staff and customers when they communicate in English with each other. More
specifically, this chapter is consisted of analysis of the findings obtained from the
survey questionaires and evaluation from Front Office Staff and customers.
• Chapter 4: The last chapter focuses on the recommnended solutions for the Front
Office Staff to improve their English communication.


CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. What is communication.?
According to Oxford Dictionaries, communication is the imparting or

exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other media. In
other words, ccommunication is simply the act of transferring information from one
place to another. In the hotel environment, communication is extremely
important,especially is English communication between employees and customers.
Communication is not just about speaking directly but is also about communicating
by phone, mail, and many other media.
2.2. The importance of communication in our life
The word “communication” is derived from the Latin word “communis”
which means “to share”. It is an activity of exchanging information through ideas,
thoughts, messages and information. Communication can be compared to water.
Both are found everywhere in the world, both are integral in our life, and both are
taken for granted. In the Stone Age, humans communicated with each other by
using signs and non-verbal signals. Since then, communication has developed
incessantly until now. Communication is considered as a natural process. In daily
life, communication brings people together. In business, well communication is a
key leading to success. In a global environment, communication is a very useful
tool to develop diplomatic relations among countries.
Communication is one of the important tools that help us to connect with
people.

Whether you are a student or a working professional, smooth

communication is something that will take you far ahead. The right communication
can help you to solve a number of issues and resolve problems as well, and this is
the reason why one should know how to communicate well. The skills of
communication need to be developed so that you are able to interact with people
who share your thoughts and reach out to them. All this requires the correct
guidance and self-analysis as well.

Our communication starts at a very young age. As a baby we use signs to
communicate. As we grow, we start talking and learning things. This is how we
learn to communicate and work on our skills to make a strong impression on other
people. There is no denial to the fact that communication is a very necessary skill
and you need it in every walk of life.
If your communication is not good, you may have to face a lot of problems
and come across several hurdles in your career as well. Effective communication is
the essence of life and its need increases day by day. Both written and verbal
communication has to be powerful so that you can move ahead in life. You need to
understand the importance of communication and its impact on life.
Why is communication necessary?
Communication is not only essential but also enables you to get the trust of
the people and at the same time bring better opportunities to you. The benefits of
communication are as follows:
Helps to build relationships – No matter whether you are studying or
working, communication can help you to build a relationship with other people. If
you are studying you communicate with your classmates and teachers to make a
relationship with them. Similarly in offices and organizations, you build
relationships with the staff, your boss and other people around. The main motive of
communication is to create a friendly environment and share your thoughts and
feeling with one another. This is possible only through communication and that is
why it is essential.
Improve the working environment – There is a number of issues which can
be solved through the right and effective communication. Managers and high
authorities in the office communicate with one another to put an end to the
problems and ensure the smooth running of the company. Even planning requires
communication both written as well as verbal. It is necessary to be good in them so
as to fill in the communication gap.
Foster strong team– Communication helps to create a strong team
environment in the office and other places. Any work which needs to be done in a

team is only possible if the head communicates everything well and in the right


direction. If people understand everything and have a clear idea, accomplishing the
mission becomes easy. Thus with the help of communication, you can reach any
target or meeting the goal in a successful manner.
Find the right solution – Through communication, one can find solutions to
even the critical problems. When we talk, we get ideas from people that help us to
solve the issues. This is only possible if you are able to put your thought in the right
place. This is where communication comes into play and you need to be right on
target to fulfill the purpose. Powerful communication is an asset of any organization
and can help it in many ways.
Earns more respect – If your communication skills are excellent, people will
love and respect you. Whenever there is any problem, you will be the first person to
be contacted thus increasing your importance. Also, you can climb the stairs of
success with good communication. Hence you can say that communications skills
can make a big difference to your reputation in the company and can help in
exploring more work opportunities as well.
If you feel that you are lagging behind, then you need to work on your
communication skills that will have a great impact on your life. Whether you wish
to communicate on a personal level or a professional one, good communication is
the key. So it is better if you understand its importance soon. Only then you will be
able to make a difference to your life, get respect from people around and freak out
your thoughts in a more refined and better manner.
2.3. Types of communication
People communicate with each other in a number of ways that depend on the
message and its context in wich it is being sent. Choice of communication channel
and your style of communicating also affect communication. So, there are variety of
types of communication.
2.3.1. Types of communication based on the communication channels

used:
Under this category, there are:
• Verbal Communication
• Nonverbal Communication


2.3.1.1. Verbal Communication
Verbal communication refers to the

form of communication in which

message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a
piece of writing.
Verbal communication is further divided into:
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
2.3.1.1.1. Oral Communication
In oral communication, spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face,
speech, telephone, video, radio, television, voice over the internet conversations.
In oral communication, communication is influenced by pitch, volume, speed and
clarity of speaking.
Advantages of oral communication are:
It brings quick feedback.
In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body
language one can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not.
Disadvantage of oral communication
In a face-to-face discussion, user is unable to deeply think about what he is
delivering, so this can be counted as a
2.3.1.1.2. Written Communication
In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to

communicate. A written message may be printed or hand written. In written
communication, a message can be transmitted via email, letter, report, memo. etc.
Messages, in written communication, are influenced by the vocabulary and
grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used.
Written communication is the most common form of communication
being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills.
Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and
electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal
communication. For communicating with external environment in writing,


electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards,
contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used.
Advantages of written communication include:
A Message can be edited and revised many times before it is actually sent.
Written communication provides record for every message sent and can be
saved for later study.
A written message enables the receiver to fully understand it and send
appropriate feedback.
Disadvantages of written communication includes:
Unlike oral communication, written communication doesn’t bring instant
feedback.
It takes more time in composing a written message as compared to word-ofmouth. and number of people struggles for writing ability.
2.3.1.2. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages.
We can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body
language, posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal
communication. Nonverbal communication is all about the body language of
speaker.
Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message

received. Often, nonverbal signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal
messages. Sometimes nonverbal response contradicts verbal
communication and hence affects the effectiveness of messages.
Nonverbal communication has the following three elements:
Appearance
Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics
Surroundings: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings
Body Language
facial expressions, gestures, postures
Sounds
Voice Tone, Volume, Speech rate


Types of Communication Based on Purpose and Style
2.3.2 Types of communication based on style and purpose
Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication
and they both bear their own characteristics. Communication types based on
style and purpose are:
• Formal Communication
• Informal Communication
2.3.2.1. Formal Communication
In formal communication, certain rules, conventions and principles are
followed while communicating a message. Formal communication occurs in
formal and official style. Usually professional settings, corporate meetings,
conferences undergo in formal patterns.
In formal communication, use of slang and foul language is avoided and
correct pronunciation is required. Authority lines are needed to be followed in
formal communication.
2.3.2.2. Informal Communication
Informal communication is done using channels that are in contrast with

formal communication channels. It’s just a casual talk. It is established for societal
affiliations of members in an organization and face-to-face discussions. It happens
among friends and family. In informal communication use of slang words, foul
language is not restricted. Usually informal communication is done orally using
gestures.
Informal communication, unlike formal communication, doesn’t follow
authority lines. In an organization, it helps in finding out staff grievances as people
express more when talking informally. Informal communication helps in building
relationships.
2.4. Process of communication
Communication is a complex process, and it is difficult to determine where
or with whom a communication encounter starts and ends. Models of
communication simplify the process by providing a visual representation of the
various

aspects

of

a

communication

encounter.

Some

models

explain

communication in more detail than others, but even the most complex model still
doesn’t recreate what we experience in even a moment of a communication
encounter. Models still serve a valuable purpose for students of communication
because they allow us to see specific concepts and steps within the process of
communication, define communication, and apply communication concepts. When
you become aware of how communication functions, you can think more
deliberately through your communication encounters, which can help you better
prepare for future communication and learn from your previous communication.
The three models of communication we will discuss are the transmission,
interaction, and transaction models.
Although these models of communication differ, they contain some common
elements. The first two models we will discuss, the transmission model and the
interaction model, include the following parts: participants, messages, encoding,
decoding, and channels. In communication models, the participants are the senders
and/or receivers of messages in a communication encounter. The message is the
verbal or nonverbal content being conveyed from sender to receiver. For example,
when you say “Hello!” to your friend, you are sending a message of greeting that
will be received by your friend.
Although models of communication provide a useful blueprint to see how the
communication process works, they are not complex enough to capture what
communication is like as it is experienced.
The internal cognitive process that allows participants to send, receive, and
understand messages is the encoding and decoding process. Encoding is the process
of turning thoughts into communication. As we will learn later, the level of
conscious thought that goes into encoding messages varies. Decoding is the process
of turning communication into thoughts. For example, you may realize you’re
hungry and encode the following message to send to your roommate: “I’m hungry.
Do you want to get pizza tonight?” As your roommate receives the message, he

decodes your communication and turns it back into thoughts in order to make
meaning out of it. Of course, we don’t just communicate verbally—we have various
options, or channels for communication. Encoded messages are sent through


a channel, or a sensory route on which a message travels, to the receiver for
decoding. While communication can be sent and received using any sensory route
(sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound), most communication occurs through visual
(sight) and/or auditory (sound) channels. If your roommate has headphones on and
is engrossed in a video game, you may need to get his attention by waving your
hands before you can ask him about dinner.
Communication models are not complex enough to truly capture all that
takes place in a communication encounter, but they can help us examine the various
steps in the process in order to better understand our communication and the
communication of others.
• The transmission model of communication describes communication as a oneway, linear process in which a sender encodes a message and transmits it through a
channel to a receiver who decodes it. The transmission of the message many be
disrupted by environmental or semantic noise. This model is usually too simple to
capture FtF interactions but can be usefully applied to computer-mediated
communication.
• The interaction model of communication describes communication as a twoway process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver and
generate meaning by sending and receiving feedback within physical and
psychological contexts. This model captures the interactive aspects of
communication but still doesn’t account for how communication constructs our
realities and is influenced by social and cultural contexts.
• The transaction model of communication describes communication as a process
in which communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and
cultural contexts. This model includes participants who are simultaneously senders
and receivers and accounts for how communication constructs our realities,
relationships, and communities.

2.5. Importance of English communication skills
English has become a world-wide language, with numerous countries
adopting it as an official language. As of 2010, 359 million people spoke English as
their first language. English is probably the third largest language by number of


native speakers. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is
probably the most commonly spoken language in the world.
English is spoken by communities on every continent and on oceanic islands
in all the major oceans. English is the dominant international language in science,
business, aviation, entertainment, and diplomacy, and also on the Internet. In most
fields of work your ability to speak English can help you advance your career;
helping you get the job you want and earn more money. No matter what your area
of expertise, skill in English will contribute substantially to your success. Speaking
and understanding English will allow a person to communicate with each other,
besides this it offers you more chances of doing professional jobs not in your own
country but around the world.
Increase your chances to get hired by Learning Spoken English.
Generally, people who learn good English can simply obtain best and reputed
jobs in Tour and travel, international business and other transactions. This makes
our future bright. Yet outside of professional environment people also like to talk
with each other in English individually as it reflects our traits. There are a variety of
ways to learn English. Schools and books dedicated to the language are common
throughout the world. English classes and textbooks will help you learn vocabulary
and basic grammar principles, but their use is limited. If you want to become truly
proficient at speaking and understanding English, you have to practice with native
English-speakers. Unfortunately, such opportunities can be hard to find. Not
everyone has the chance to study abroad in the US, UK, or other English-speaking
nations.
Many people see the ability to communicate and talk with others as one of

the major benefits of learning English. Even outside of a professional environment,
people often like to be able to talk to individuals from around the world. Many
people find great social and cultural benefits in having pen pals from other
countries, and the Internet makes such communication fast and easy.
Knowing Spoken English can broaden the types of people you can speak to,
whether it’s via email or on an online discussion forum.


For anyone interested in traveling to countries in which English is the
primary or common language, it is often essential to understand and speak it.
Throughout the UK, US, and Canada, traveling and shopping are often made easier
by speaking the language since many individuals may not speak any other language.
One of the most important benefits of learning Spoken English is the ability
to explore these regions and more easily communicate with locals to learn about
places and events that might otherwise remain unknown. Many people in European
countries learn English in school, so knowing it can also be of benefit when
traveling

in

locations

even

where

it’s

not

the

native

tongue.

Learning English language takes time and dedication. Speaking effective English is
possible if you are determined.
2.6. Importance of English communication skills in hospitality career
Although the hospitality industry includes many different careers and there
are various opportunities for progression and promotion, these are often out of reach
unless a person is a proficient and confident user of the English language. Being
able to effectively communicate using English is important no matter where in the
world you live, work or travel. Certainly, being able to successfully communicate in
English is imperative when working in every country.
With the trend of the world today, English has become a global language and
is widely used in all spheres of life. So in the field of hospitality, what role does
English play?
Knowing English not only helps receptionists in hotels handle the work
better but also opens the door to career advancement. If you still have concerns
about the importance of English to receptionists, let me help you. (văn fong
informal ko fu hợp)
Receptionists are often in direct contact with customers so they are
considered important factors affecting the brand image of the hotel. Leading to the
trend of development of the service - tourism industry, the hotel of our country
increasingly welcomes more international customers. Therefore, it is not only
professional skills, but the reception is also good at foreign languages, especially
English to serve customers. These are some main reasons:

1. Knowing English, reception staff can easily handle work not only in the 4star or 5-star hotels but also in the food and beverage businesses. English is also
used in the menu, invoice or voucher. The receptionist will handle the vouchers and
invoices associated with the operation of the Restaurant - Hotel. So knowing
English is a must for any receptionist. If your English is better, then your job will
be done more easily and smoothly.
2. Knowledge of English helps reception staff to support and serve the best
when pursuing a career in the service industry; you must understand that you not
only receive domestic customers but also many customers from other countries
around the world. And English - the global language is the bridge to help
receptionists and foreign customers exchange with each other. With knowledge of
English, you will be convenient to communicate with guests, from which quickly
understand their needs to serve the best customers. In addition, when foreign clients
need advice, English speaking receptionists can understand and support them more
conveniently.
3. A Good command of English offers an opportunity to promotion for
receptionists
Not only at the staff level, the receptionist has many opportunities to advance to
higher positions such as the Chief of the Lobby, Supervisor of the Lobby, Assistant
Director of the Lobby Section, and then to the Lobby Director. Of course, in
addition to professional skills, English is one of the necessary requirements. The
higher the position, the wider your relationship with customers and partners are. If
you restrict English, it is difficult to complete the work involved. As such, English
is one of the most important factors for your career advancement.
2.7. Barriers to effective communication
There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In
many communications, the message (what is said) may not be received exactly the
way the sender intended. It is, therefore, important that the communicator seeks
feedback to check that their message is clearly understood.

The skills of Active Listening, Clarification and Reflection may help but the
skilled communicator also needs to be aware of the barriers to effective
communication and how to avoid or overcome them.
There are many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage
in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming
distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing
confusion and misunderstanding.
Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying
a clear and concise message.
Common Barriers to Effective Communication:
• The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
• Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their
emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo. Taboo or difficult
topics may include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, disabilities (mental and
physical), sexuality and sex, racism and any opinion that may be seen as unpopular.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the nonverbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication
less effective. Phone calls, text messages and other communication methods that
rely on technology are often less effective than face-to-face communication.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping.
People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and
jump to incorrect conclusions.
• Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different
cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept
of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.
Besides, there are some other barries when communicating

1. Physical Barriers: this has to do with poor or outdated equipment used during
communications, background noise, poor lighting, temperatures that are too hot or
too cold.
2. Attitudes: emotions like anger or sadness can taint objectivity. Also being
extremely nervous, having a personal agenda or “needing to be right no matter
what” can make communications less than effective. This is also known as
“Emotional Noise”.
3. Language: this can seem like an easy one, but even people speaking the same
language can have difficulty understanding each other if they are from different
generations or from different regions of the same country. Slang, professional
jargon and regional colloquialisms can even hurt communicators with the best
intentions.
4. Physiological Barriers: ill health, poor eyesight or hearing difficulties, pain.
5. Problems with Structure Design: companies or institutions can have
organization structures that are not clear, which can make communications difficult.
Also to blame for faulty communications are bad information systems, and lack of
supervision or training of the people involved.
6. Cultural Noise: people sometimes make stereotypical assumptions about others
based on their cultural background.
7. Lack of Common Experience: it’s a great idea to use examples or stories to
explain a point that is being discussed. However, if the speaker and the audience
cannot relate to these examples because they do not have the same knowledge or
have not shared the same experiences then this tool will be ineffective.
8. Ambiguity and Abstractions Overuse: leaving things half-said, using too many
generalizations, proverbs or sayings, can all lead to communications that are not
clear and that can lend themselves to misinterpretations.
9. Information Overload: it takes time to process a lot of information and too
many details can overwhelm and distract the audience from the important topics.
Keep it Simple.

10. Assumptions and Jumping to Conclusions: This can make someone reach a
decision about something before listening to all the facts.


CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH FINDINGS
After introducing common theories of normal communication and English
communication, I would like to apply those theories to study in a particular aspect:
the receptionist's English communication at the hotel Super Hotel Hanoi (Japan's
Super Hotel Japan chain).
3.1. Communication environment
Same with other international branded hotels, English communication in this
hotel takes place anytime, anywhere. Every day Super Hotel welcomes hundreds of
customers from all over the world and of course English is a powerful tool to
connect customers with hotel staff and services of the hotel. This requires the
receptionist to have good communication skills in order to best serve the customer.
However, communication with customers is not always successful and
effective. Just as barriers to communication are commonplace, the receptionist's
English communication also has similar difficulties and barriers.
To find the difficulties faced by the receptionist, I conducted a survey of the
difficulties encountered by receptionists in communicating with customers from
countries including Japanese (Japanese customers occupy the majority of the hotel)
3.2. Survey
This is the survey for the Front Office Staff and customers when they
communicating in English with clients. This chapter refers to analysis and the
findings obtained from the survey questionaires and evaluation from Front Office
Staff and customers to find out the necessary information and the discussion of the
findings from the survey.
The questionnaire was designed in English for 20 receptionists. The
researcher explained clearly the purposes of administering the questionnaire which

were to find the receptionists’s communicating problem in English with clients, the
factors affecting their performance and to find ways to improve the receptionists’
communicating skills. Then the researcher instructed the staffs to complete it before
answering the questionnaire to avoid any misunderstandings. Then,completed
questionnaires were collected.


This is the questionnaires sent to the 20 hotel’s receptionists
QUESTIONNAIRES
DIFFICULTIES WHEN COMMUNICATING IN ENGISH WITH CLIENTS OF
SUPER HOTEL’S RECEPTIONISTS
1. Rate your English communication skills on a scale below
A. Very good
B. Good
C. Average
D. Poor
2. How often do you have difficulty when communicating with guests in English?
A. Always
B. Often
C. Sometimes
D. Never
3. Chose one of these guests make you the most difficult to communicate with in
English
A. British
B. American C. Japanese D. French E. Another
4. Which is the biggest barrier prevents you from a sucessful communication with
them?
A. Pronunciation
B. Listening
C. Both A and B D. Others

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5. Do you think Super Hotel’s Japanese guests communicate well in English?
A. Yes
B. No
6. What are the problems of their English skills?
A. Pronunciation
C. Restriction in Japanese consonants and vowels

B. Speed of speaking
D. Others reasons

7. Which is the most difficult communicating channels are you using?
A. Email
B. Telephone C. Talking face to face
D. Another
8. Please suggest somes methods to solve the problems when communicating with
guests in English
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