A study on common grammatical errors in translating vietnamese english encountered by english majored students at thuongmai university

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY
ENGLISH FACULTY
------

GRADUATION PAPER
TOPIC:
A STUDY ON COMMON GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN
TRANSLATING VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH ENCOUNTERED BY
ENGLISH MAJORED STUDENTS AT THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY

HANOI - 2020


ABSTRACT
Nowadays, with the development of the world economy, English has become
an extremely important tool in all fields. Therefore, translation and translation also
become two important and indispensable areas, helping writers and speakers convey
the message to readers and listeners. And especially, for people who study foreign
language, translation skills are a necessary skill.
Therefore, when Vietnam integrates into the world economy, it is very
necessary for Vietnamese students to learn translation skills to meet the needs of
society. For students, translation is really difficult, especially Vietnamese-English
translation. And one of the factors that affects translation skills is grammar.
This study was carried out to find out the common grammatical errors in
Vietnamese - English translation encountered by English major students at
Thuongmai University. Moreover, through this research, I hope to help students
understand the importance of translation skills, find out what causes those
grammatical errors and solutions to improve grammar as well as translation skill for
their future work. There are 100 students of English Faculty participating in this
study. They have studied translation and they found it difficult. Therefore, I want
this research to be useful not only for students of the English Faculty at ThuongMai

University, but also for those who want to become professional translators.
Because of limited time, awareness and practical experience, the study could
not avoid shortcomings and errors. Therefore, I look forward to receiving comments
and suggestions in order to improve this study.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
During the completion of the thesis, I received the valuable support, guidance
and ideas from the teachers, family and friends.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest and most sincere thanks
to my supervisor, Ms. Vu Thi Hanh, who is always willing to help me from the topic
selection as well as the completing process of this study. She was the one who gave
me helpful advice, assistance, strict supervision and helped me to complete this
research.
Besides, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Thuongmai
university and especially the English Faculty’s teachers, who taught me useful
knowledge and lessons about life during 4 years. Thanks to the Thuongmai
University for facilitating the best conditions for us to study, play and grow.
In addition, I am very grateful for the enthusiastic participation of English
major students. Thanks to that participation, I was able to complete this study.
Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and family who always stand by,
support and give me valuable advice during the completion of this study.
Because of limited time, awareness and practical experience, the study could
not avoid shortcomings and errors. Therefore, I look forward to receiving comments
and suggestions in order to improve this study.
Hanoi,
Student
Hoang Thi Khuyen

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................iii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..................................................................................v
LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................vi
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY......................................................1
1.1 Rationale............................................................................................................1
1.2 Previous studies.................................................................................................2
1.2.1 Foreign researchers.........................................................................................2
1.2.2 Vietnamese researchers...................................................................................3
1.3 The aims of the study.........................................................................................4
1.4 Research subjects...............................................................................................4
1.5 Scope of the study..............................................................................................4
1.6 Research methodology.......................................................................................5
1.6.1 Data collection instruments.............................................................................5
1.6.2 Data collection procedures..............................................................................6
1.7 Organization of the study..................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................8
2.1 Overview of translation.....................................................................................8
2.1.1 Definitions of translation.................................................................................8
2.1.2 Importance of translation................................................................................9
2.1.3 Types of translation.......................................................................................10
2.2 The factors influence the translating process................................................12
2.2.1 The mother tongue.........................................................................................12
2.2.2 Words and choice of words............................................................................13

2.2.3 Grammatical structures.................................................................................14
2.2.4 Context..........................................................................................................15
2.3 Grammar..........................................................................................................16
2.3.1 Definitions of grammar.................................................................................16
2.3.2 Importance of grammar in translation..........................................................17
2.4 Definitions of error..........................................................................................17
2.5 Errors in English grammar............................................................................18
2.6 Factors that cause common grammatical errors...........................................19
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2.6.1 Poor knowledge of English grammar............................................................19
2.6.2 The influence of using Vietnamese grammar..............................................19
2.6.3 Laziness of students.......................................................................................19
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS.....................................................................................21
3.1 The results from questionnaire survey........................................................21
3.2 The results from Vietnamese-English translations collected.....................23
3.2.1 Error of omission...........................................................................................24
3.2.2 Error of addition............................................................................................27
3.2.3 Error of selection...........................................................................................28
3.2.4 Error of order.................................................................................................31
CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS........................32
4.1 Some solutions for teachers band students to help improve English
grammar effectively...............................................................................................32
4.1.1 Solutions for teachers....................................................................................32
4.1.2 Some solutions for students...........................................................................32
4.3 Limitation and suggestion for further research.............................................34
4.3.1 Limitation of the study...................................................................................34
4.3.2 Suggestions for further research...................................................................35
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................36

REFERENCES......................................................................................................vii
APPENDIX: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES....................................................viii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
TMU

Thuongmai University

TL
SL
VNU
No

Target language
Source language
Vietnam National University
Number

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LIST OF TABLES
Tables and charts Name
Table 1
Table 1: The students’ attitude towards Vietnamese- English
Table 2
Chart 1

translating
Table 2: Some solutions to improve English grammar

The importance of English grammar

5


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CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1 Rationale
Language is a valuable asset and a characteristic of each nation. Every country
in the world has its own languages, which creates cultural diversity. But, to
communicate with each other, they need a common language and that is English. In
fact, most countries around the world use English and English is considered a global
language and is used in all fields. Thanks to their English-translated versions,
countries can have a mutual understanding and a sense of global citizenship in this
multilingual world. It is considered an effective means to learn how to appreciate
different countries, cultures, communities and people. By comparison, people can
better understand their own culture and society as well as exchange the beauty of
cultural values. Moreover, English translation makes people understand each other
better in the process of diplomatic relations and economic cooperation and other
fields in this day and age when countries tend to integrate for the whole
development. development. Therefore, English translation has gradually become an
indispensable and urgent tool, creating a path for the global success of individuals,
organizations, and even businesses when the society grows and the competition
does not stop. Therefore, nowadays, when Vietnam becomes one of the members of
the World Trade Organization, Vietnamese English students need professional
translation skills to meet the needs of integration into the world economy and
cultural exchanges with other countries. Therefore, learning translation skills is
definitely an advantage for Vietnamese students to find the ideal jobs in the future.

Translation process requires translators to have necessary knowledge such as
grammar, vocabulary, ...and skills. It is true that translation is harder for students
who consider English as the second language or foreign language as Vietnam. The
habit in translating word by word because of the strong effect of the mother tongue
language. Because they have more than one language, it brings them more problems
in applying the structures and meanings.Therefore, they often encounter many
difficulties when translating Vietnamese-English and lead to many mistakes. One of
those errors is grammatical errors. Because grammar is extremely important when

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translating. If the grammar is wrong, the reader, the listener may misunderstand the
conveyor's meaning.
At Thuongmai University, English is considered as one of the most basic
standard for graduation of all majors. Especially, to students of English faculty,
translation is a compulsory subject and very important for them to find a ideal job.
However, they often complaint that translation is a very difficult subject and they
are afraid of learning this subject. Being a student of English faculty, I see the
difficulties in translation subject,

especially, almost students struggle with

translating Vietnamese into English. Therefore, I chose this topic "A study on
common grammatical errors in translating Vietnamese-English encountered by
English majored students at Thuongmai University ". I hope this study will help
English Faculty students at as well as students in general to overcome grammatical
errors in the translation process.
1.2 Previous studies
Research topics on issues “common errors in translation” have been studied by

many different researchers around the world in general and in Vietnam in particular.
1.2.1 Foreign researchers
“College students’ errors in translation” was investigated by Saad Salal Sarhan
at Al-Mustansiriyha University. The major aim of this study was to examine errors
of learners who study translation at college of Basic Education and review their
answers in order to determine some solutions that help them minimize these errors.
The sample consists of 40 students. They were asked about common errors
encountered during translating process. The results reveal that these errors were
multiple types, including grammar, meaning, style, spelling and organizing their
ideas in their translation.
The topic “common grammatical errors in English translation” was made by
the students of English Study Program of UKI Toraja at State University of
Makassar, Indonesia. This research is aimed at describing the grammatical errors
faced by the Indonesian students. Through this study, the researchers provided
useful information about translation and some suggestions to corrects these errors.
The sample of this study was two groups: the six-semester and the fourth-semester

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students to find out the difference levels of UKI Toraja. The method used was a
descriptive method. The result of this study showed that the most frequent errors are
errors in verbs and that most of the errors are due to overgeneralization and the
ignorance of the rule restriction.
1.2.2 Vietnamese researchers
In Vietnam, may studies on the translation errors when translating carried out
by students of universities and professional researchers.
“Vietnamese-English translation errors made by second year translation-major
students” was researched by Nguyen Thi Thu Hang and Trieu Thu Hang at VNU
university of Languages and International Studies. The researchers carried out this

study to identify common Vietnamese-English translation errors made by second
year students and propose some suggestions for the improvement of the current
practice. The instruments in the study included document observations,
questionnaires and interviews. The combination of these methods enabled the
researchers to triangulate the data in order to attain the most reliable findings.
Through this study, the researchers discovered the most errors, including lexical
choice, lengthy and awkward expressions. Thus, they suggested some valuable
solutions to improve this problems.
The study on “grammatical errors by English major students” was
implemented by Vu Thi Ngoc Linh at HaiPhong private university. This study
investigated only some common grammatical errors such as errors in combination
between subject and verb, tense usage, voice usage. However, English grammar is
extensive and this research did not covered all problems. Therefore, I hope my
study can bring full of these errors and comprehensive solutions to improve this
problem.
In general, the studies are done meticulously with the efforts of the
researchers. They may provide further references to the researchers’ process, the
methodologies that researchers have used to collect and analyze data. Therefore, it
is possible to draw experience to make this study better. Although each study has its
own strengths and weaknesses, they have played a part into improve English
-Vietnamese translation skills for Vietnamese students.

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1.3 The aims of the study
When choosing and carrying out this study, I expect to clarify 3 main issues:
+to find out some common grammatical errors in translating from Vietnamese
to English faced by English major students at Thuongmai University.
+ to learn more about factors that influence the students’ translating process.

+to understand about factors that cause common grammatical errors of
students.
+ to suggest some solutions that can help student improve grammar as well as
translation skill.
In order to achieve the aims, this study is seeking answers to the following
questions:
1.

What is the common grammatical errors in translating

Vietnamese-English of English major students at TMU?
2.
What are factors that cause these common grammatical errors?
3.
What are some solutions to improve these problems?
1.4 Research subjects
This study researches common grammatical errors faced by English major
students at Thuongmai University, I determined that the research subject of study is
the common grammatical errors of English faculty’s students when they translate
from Vietnamese into English.
1.5 Scope of the study
With this topic, I focus on studying grammatical errors when translating. Other
errors such as vocabulary, description, context .. are not covered by the study.
Because of the large number of English major students at TMU as well as the
limitation of time, resources and my knowledge, this study focuses on the English
major students but cannot cover all students of English Faculty as well as others
faculties at Thuongmai University.
The reason of choosing English major students is that they have knowledge
about English and have studied grammar for many years. They understand the
importance and difficulty level of learning English in general and practice

translating Vietnamese-English in particular. Therefore, they have more experience
to help the research be completed. However, this study relates to translation skill, so
the study was carried out with the participation of 100 final- years students , Faculty

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of English from February to March because only the third-year and final-year learn
translation subject and subjects related translation.
1.6 Research methodology
1.6.1 Data collection instruments
The researcher conduct the research with some following steps:
 Document observations
Firstly, I search some necessary documents in web sites on Internet and library
at Thuongmai University. Besides, I read some previous studies related to
translation and grammar.In addition, I borrowed books from book stores to have
directions for my study. Therefore, I can have basic knowledge about my study and
useful information to complete my study better.
 Questionnaire survey
Secondly, the study includes survey questionnaires for students who are
students of English faculty at Thuongmai University. The survey investigates 100
students at TMU.
Survey questionnaire is a method of data collection that has been implemented
for the surveyed students. The questionnaires were designed for student in the way
that the researcher finds information easily to summarize and analyze the collected
data.This method is more convenient, take less time, are cheaper and easily
answered by students. They also help find necessary information for research as
well as provide useful solutions. It aims to understand students’ attitudes towards
the topic of translation in general, common grammatical errors, the causes as well as
some solutions to improve these errors.

 Collected translations from students and tests
The researcher collects the translations of students that they translated while
studying translation subject and then the researcher finds out the grammatical
errors, analysis and correct them.
Besides, some sentences and phrases will be given to them and ask for help
from them by translating from Vietnamese into English and then analysis these
errors.
1.6.2 Data collection procedures
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1.6.2.1. Procedure of questionnaire
The data collection process is designed with 3 main steps:
Step 1: Designing the questionnaire
In this step, the research begin researching and designing questions for
participants. The questions must be short, concise and easy to understand for
participants. It includes questions related to common mistakes made when
translating, the factors that cause them and their solutions to improve. After
designing, the questionnaire was sent to the supervisor for comments. After that, the
researcher will draft a complete questionnaire
Step 2: Delivering questionnaires
Seeking help from friend who is English major students, especially the thirdyear and senior students. For the most objective results, the researcher ask them to
pay attention and seriously answer the questions in their own views.
The questionnaire was conducted through the internet, there will be an
application system that will statistically answer specific questions or hand-out
papers.
1.6.2.2. Procedure of collecting translations
Although this method is time-consuming, it provides a high response rate and
is reliable. The researcher can find out common grammatical errors from
translations of students and from that the researcher can give some solutions to

improve these problems.
Step 1: After collecting questions, researchers started collecting VietnameseEnglish translations through Internet such as facebook, zalo,..
Step 2: The researcher continues give some Vietnamese sentences, phrases or
pharagraphs and then through the Internet, ask for help from English major students
by translating them from Vietnamese into English.
After getting results from survey and translations, the researcher will collect and
start analyzing them by using tables and charts to clarify this topic.
1.7 Organization of the study
My graduation thesis is divided into three parts:
Part I is the Introduction which gives general information of outlines.

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Part II is the Study that includes four chapters:
Chapter 1:Overview of the study
In this chapter, I introduce about general information of my study to help
readers understand more, including Rationale, Previous studies, Aims of the study,
Research subjects, Scope of the study, Research methodology.
Chapter 2: Literature review
In this chapter, the researcher reviews and discusses some previous relevant
theories and studies. They are all typical and related to contents of the study. It
focus on theories relating translation and English grammar.
Chapter 3: Research findings
In this chapter, the researcher expresses how to collect and process the data.
The researcher shows results of the survey and analyzes them.
Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions.
From the results of chapter 3, the researcher gives some recommendations and
suggestions to improve the problems.
Part III is the Conclusion which summarizes main contents, give a final

conclusions, express limitations, and recommend some future researching directions
of the study.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Overview of translation
2.1.1 Definitions of translation
Translation has been variously defined. The following definitions are selected
because they are typical in some senses.
Translation is a transfer process, which aims at the transformation of written
source language text into an optimally equivalent target language text, which
requires the syntactic, the semantic and the pragmatic understanding and analytical
processing of the source language. (Wilss, 1982).
According to Roger T.Bell, translation is expression in another language
(target language) of what has been expressed in one language (source language),
preserving semantic and stylistic equivalences. Translation is the replacement of a

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representation of a text in one language by a representation of an equivalent text in
second language.
Newmark (1981) indicates that translation is “rendering the meaning of a text
into another language in the way that the author intended the text”. He also
describes “ translation is a craft consisting in the attempt to replace a written
message and/or statement in one language by the same message and/or statement in
another language” (1982).
Besides, Brislin (1976) defines translation is “ a general term referring to the
transfer of thoughts and ideas from one language to another, whether the language is
in written or oral form, whether the language have established or thographies or not;
or whether one or both languages is based o signs, as with signs of the deaf”.
Although there are many different standpoints, all most of them emphasize the

significance of “equivalence” in both languages.
Catford (1965) also supports “translations is the replacement of the textual
material in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material language (TL)”.
Some Vietnamese researchers have some viewpoints about translation. Tu Anh
(2005) shows that “translation is the transmission of a thought expressed in one
language by means of another language. The language used to express the thought
directly is called the source language, the language used to translate that thought is
called the target language”. “Translators are concerned with the written word, They
render written texts from one language to another language. Translators are required
to undertake assignments, which range from simple items, such as birth certificates
and driving licenses, to more complex written materials, such as articles in
specialized professional journals, business contracts and legal documents” ( Bui
Tien Bao and Dang Xuan Thu, 1997).
Briefly, it can be said simply that “translation is something that is translated or
the process of translating something, from one language to another language”
(Cambridge Dictionary). Although there are many definitions of translation, they
support that translation is the replacement a written text or utterance from from one
language into another language, which remains equivalence in content, the purpose

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of communication, or pragmatic. In translation, it emphasize the “equivalence” of
two languages, the source language and the target language.
2.1.2 Importance of translation
With the explosion of science and technology, Revolution 4.0 was born as a
necessity along with the development of the world. Along with the development of
this revolution is the integration of the whole world, and translation is the key to
connecting the world together.
Nowadays, translation plays an important role in our lives. The twentieth

century was the era of translation. All areas of human life such as economics,
education, politics, tourism, etc., using specialized materials that need to be
translated from the original language into another language. With the trend of
integration and strengthening of the international economy, Translation helps people
overcome the barriers of multicultural and global communication. Especially when
the language came out, translation became even more important. Translation helps
people exchange information and culture because every country in the world has its
own language and culture. Without translation, people in the world cannot
communicate with each other, unable to understand the culture of another country.
Therefore, translation plays an important role in our lives. The twentieth century
was the era of translation. All areas of human life such as economics, education,
politics, tourism, etc., using specialized materials that need to be translated from the
original language into another language. With the trend of integration and
strengthening of the international economy, Translation helps people overcome the
barriers of multicultural and global communication. To meet the multilingual world,
the emergence of a common language is necessary and significant. And the fact that
English is a global language and is used in almost every country in the world. Thus,
the language is considered a common language and is used as a common means of
communication among countries.
Along with economic development and international integration, English has
become a second language and used in all fields in Vietnam. It is really true in
business when our country cooperates with foreign investors, contracts, emails,
agreements or conventions, etc in English, so it requires them to be translated

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effectively. Therefore, the role of translation is associated with all areas of society
and Vietnamese-English translation has become a potential career and an
opportunity to not only make money but also integrate the economy. gender,

contributing to the development of a French economy.
2.1.3 Types of translation
2.1.3.1 Word for word translation
In word for word translation, the SL word order is preserved and the words
translated by their most common meanings, so translators seek to translate an
original word by the same target word as much as possible. In addition, the order of
words of the original language will be followed as closely as possible. The main use
of this type of translation is either to understand the mechanics of the source
language or to construe a difficult text as pre-translation process.
Example: All worldly things may change with time, but the impression of the
first love will remain a vivid as ever.
(Victor Hugo)
Tất cả mọi vật trên thế gian có thể thay đổi với thời gian, nhưng ấn tượng
về mối tình đầu sẽ tồn tại mãi mãi.
(Vương Trung Hiếu, 1993: p.147)
2.1.3.2 Literal translation
Literal translation is a mode of translation that remains close to the form of the
original. In other words, “translation which gives priority to lexical correspondences
and results in ungrammatical sentences or it could also mean a translation that is as
close as possible to the original while ensuring TL grammaticality (but not
naturalness)”. ( Palumbo, Giuseppe)
Example: We would deliver goods after seeing settlement note.
 Chúng tôi sẽ giao hàng sau khi nhận được hóa đơn thanh tốn.
2.1.3.3 Faithful translation
It attempts to reproduce the precise contextual meaning of original within the
constraints of the TL grammatical structures. It transfers cultural words and
preserves the degree of grammatical and lexical deviation from SL norms.
Example: Beauty is the first present Nature gives to women and the

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first take away.
 Sắc đẹp là tặng phẩm mà Tạo hóa ban cho người đàn bà, cũng là thứ đầu
tiên
2.1.3.4 Semantic translation
It differs from faithful translation only in as far as it must take more account of
aesthetic value of the SL text, compromising on meaning where appropriate so that
no assonance, word play or repetition jars in the finished version. It does not rely on
cultural equivalence and makes very small concessions to the readership. While
faithful translation is dogmatic, semantic translation is more flexible.
Example:

She

has

a

sunny

smile

on

her

face.

=> Cơ bé có gương mặt với nụ cười tỏa nắng.

2.1.3.5 Communicative translation
It attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a
way that both language and content are readily acceptable and comprehensive to the
readership. Communicative translation is freer and gives priority to the
effectiveness of the message to be communicated. It focuses on factors such as
readability and naturalness and is appropriate to translations of “pramatic” texts
where the actual form of the original is not closely bound to its intended meaning.
Example: How do you do!
Vietnamese translation: Xin chào!
2.1.3.6 Free translation
Free translation is one which preserves the meaning of the original but uses
natural forms of the target language, including normal word order and syntax, so
that the translation can be naturally understood.
Example: The film was beyond any words.
Vietnamese translation: Bộ phim không chê vào đâu được.
In free translation, there is a type of translation called adaptation. It is the
freest form of translation mainly used for plays and poetry: themes/characters/plots
preserved, SL culture converted to TL culture & text is rewritten. (From a textbook
of translation by P.Newmark).

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Example:

Continuous

as

the

stars

that

shine

And twinkle on the milky way
Vietnamese

version:

Vẫn

triền

miên

như

sao

trời

lấp

lánh

Và lung linh trên dải sáng Ngân Hà.
2.1.3.7 Idomatic translation

Idomatic translation is where the meaning of original is translated into forms
which most accurately and naturally preserve the meaning of the original forms.
Idomatic refers to being in the common language of average speakers, using the
natural phrases and idoms of the language.
Example: - He leads a peasant’s hard life
Anh ấy sống cuộc sống chân lấm tay bùn
2.2 The factors influence the translating process
According to Thanh Thuy (Common errors on verb tenses and word choices
in Vietnamese-English translations), there are four factors that influence the
translating process. They are the mother tongue, word order, words and choices of
word meanings and grammatical structures.
2.2.1 The mother tongue
The mother tongue is the language we use often in our lives, so it is ingrained
in our thoughts, subconscious and words. Therefore, when learning the second
language, we are easily influenced by the mother tongue. According Thanh Thuy,
“in the process of learning a foreign language, the mother tongue shapes our way of
thinking, and to some extent, our use of the target language (word order, choice of
words)”.
And the translation is no exception. Our mother tongue is Vietnamese, and we
all know Vietnamese is a complex language with a variety of structures, vocabulary
and Vietnamese have many differences compared to English. Therefore, when we
learn English, the influence of Vietnamese is natural.
Firstly, since English and Vietnamese have some similarities, this will make it
easier to translate from Vietnamese into English.
Example: Vietnamese: Tôi yêu bạn
English: I love you

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In addition to the similarities, there are many differences between English and
Vietnamese. However, in the process of learning English, students often impose
their mother tongue.
Example: Vietnamese: Tôi muốn mua một ngôi nhà to.
English: I want to buy a house big.
Because of the influence of Vietnamese, this sentence is wrong when word
order is not true. It should be “ I want to buy a big house”.
Therefore, we must know how to use the similarity between Vietnamese and
English, and we must also know the difference to be able to translate better.
2.2.2 Words and choice of words
Words are essential for any language learner to build their vocabulary to get an
advantage in their language learning. Vocabulary is a very important factor of
communication; It brings with it the ability to communicate effectively. Developing
vocabulary will open up opportunities for students to learn translation. With a
translation text, when learners have no difficulty in new words, they can easily
translate into the target language and have a good translation. On the contrary, they
do not seem to translate. Most English words have many meanings; The exact
meaning of a word can only be expressed in context, so choosing the right language
is crucial for a successful translation, as Thanh Thuy said “with a translation text,
when learners have no difficulty in new words, it is easy for them to translate into
the TL. In contrast, they seem to fail translating.
For example:
Word “lỗi” in Vietnamese, there are many words in English to express, but
each word is used a different context.
“Mistakes” are accidental.
Example 1: I think you’ve made a mistake over the bill.
“Errors” are made due to lack of knowledge.
Example 2: The automatic system is error.
“Faults” is a mistake for which you are blame and you have responsibilities.
Example 3: It will be your own fault if you fail the final exam.

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Therefore, we must understand the meaning of each word to use
appropriately, to avoid misleading the reader.
We can see that vocabulary plays an important role in translation texts. How
much we know about the meaning of words will give us many advantages in the
translation process so learning more new words, cultivating our vocabulary will
have many opportunities for us to really care. interested in translating to become an
expert translator.
2.2.3 Grammatical structures
The vocabulary is not enough to translate. It needs a special means to make it
meaningful in sentences. It is grammatical or grammatical structure. Thanh Thuy
proved that “In the process of translation, grammatical structures are an
indispensable means. Insufficient knowledge on either of the two areas may lead to
poor quality translation”. English is complex with many different structures when
compared to other languages. It follows a very strict structure while the Vietnamese
language is much more flexible. There are many tenses in English, they are used
with a specific structure. In the case, if using the wrong structure, readers can not
understand or misunderstand. Therefore, using the correct and appropriate structure
is also an important factor to help you have a successful translation.For instance,
“Tôi đã học tiếng Anh 7 năm nay.”
English version: “I have learned English for 7 years.”
The tense of the verb is the present perfect tense, it shows an action which
happened in the past, and up to now or in the future.
In conclusion, grammatical structures in English are so complicated and not
easy to master. It requires the learners have to find an effective way of learning to
study and practice more if they want to limit grammar errors in using English in
general and specifically in translation subject as skilled translators.

2.2.4 Context
A language is a vehicle for our ideas, thoughts and views about our world.
“Translating is understood as a meaningful act of a text from one language to
another. This process involves explaining the meaning of the source text and
creating the same meaning in another language. The text however, cannot exist out

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of context. In context, the whole environment in it means that words or sentences
are expressed or stated”(Thanh Thuy, 2009). Any word in the text does not exist in
an isolated way but interacts with other words in the text and with the whole text in
general. The interaction between these words defines their definition rather than its
specific meaning.
For example, the uses of the word “work” in the following
sentences:
(i) I work at Ministry of education and training.
(ii) Kieu story is a famous work.
(iii) After graduating, I will look for work.
The word “work” in example (i) is a normal verb, it means the activity by
which one makes a living; in (ii), it means the output of a creative writer, whereas in
example (iii), the word “work” has another meaning – that is a job or an
employment.
Context helps us capture which word we should choose to mean appropriately
in our translated text. If we misunderstand the context, it leads to the selection of
inappropriate meanings, causing readers to misunderstand the meaning of the word
of the sentence and even the translation. The context that contributes to the creation
of a truly translated text is considered to be the most important requirement of
translation.
2.3 Grammar

2.3.1 Definitions of grammar
Grammar is a word that confuses considerably. It has been approached and
defined differently by different scholars and schools of linguistics.
According to Thornbury (1999), grammar is partly the study of what forms (or
structure) are possible in a language. Traditionally, grammar has been
concerned almost exclusively with analysis of the level of the sentences. Thus,
grammar is the description of the rules that govern how a language‘s
sentences are formed. Grammar is a term used to mean many different things.
When teachers and administrators grow frustrated over error in students’ writing,

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they often call for a return to “the basic” which they define as grammar ( Williams
in Ady, 2012).
Another viewpoint said that “Grammar is the structural foundation of our
ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we
can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language.
T can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression
available n English. And it can help everyone not only teachers of English but
teachers of anything, for all teaching is ultimately a matter of getting to grips with
meaning”. (David Crystal, “in Words and Deed”, TES Teacher, April 30, 2004).
Wikipedia also defines that “Grammar is the set of the structural rules that
governs the composition of clauses, phrases and words in any given natural
language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes
morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics
and pragmatics”.
Or we can see another definition about grammar is that “The whole system
and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of
syntax and morphology, etc. A particular analysis of the system and structure of

language or of a specific language”.
In the Cambridge dictionary, grammar is defines as the following “the rules
about how words changetheirform and combine with other words to make
sentences”.
Harmer also states there are several definitions of grammar. First, “grammar is
partly the study of what forms (or structures) are possible in a language. Second,
“grammar is a description of the rules that govern how a language’s sentence are
formed. Last, “grammar is conventionally seen as the study of the syntax and
morphology of the sentences”.
In general, grammar is the structure and system of a language, which help us
understand a language. And English grammar is the way in which meanings are
encoded into wordings in the English language. This includes the structure of
words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, tenses and right up to the structure of whole
texts.

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2.3.2 Importance of grammar in translation
In translation, especially Vietnamese-English translation, if there is not enough
exam vocabulary, English grammar plays an extremely important role because
grammar is the foundation to help us create sentences, paragraphs and the whole
translation. Without grammar, we would not have been able to get a perfect
translation. Therefore, understanding English grammar is the basis to help us
translate better. If a person does not have grammar knowledge, then he / she will
definitely not be able to study English well and translate. It is even more difficult to
translate vocabulary. It requires students to always improve their vocabulary and
grammar in order to get the best translation.
2.4 Definitions of error
According Oxford Dictionary, error is the state or condition of being wrong in

conduct or judgement.
Merram Webster also defines that “error is the amount of deviation from a
standard or specification”.
Error means an act involving an unintentional deviation from truth or
accuracy.
2.5 Errors in English grammar
According to Corder (1981), the grammatical errors are divided into four
classifications: error of omission, error of addition, error of selection, and error of
ordering.
 Error of omission is omitting some elements that should be presented as in
the example: “the boy play a ball”
In this sentence, “play” is wrong. The “s”is omitted right behind “y” in “play”.
 Error of addition is adding some elements that should not be presented as in
the example: “Some furnitures will be shipped by this Friday”.
The addition “s” in “furnitures” should not be presented since “furniture” is an
unaccountable noun.
 Error of selection is choosing the wrong item in place of the right one. For
example:
“That dirty car must be wash”.
In this sentence, the verb “wash” is correct when it is used in an active
sentence while in this sentence is passive that should use past participle “washed”.
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 Error of ordering is wrongly sequencing of presenting correct elements. For
example:
“He breaks my chair red”
The word “red” is an adjective that modifies a noun “chair”. In a noun phrase,
the position of adjective “red” should be in front of the noun “chair”.
Another model of grammatical errors classification is created by Keshavarz

(1994) that classified the grammatical errors into 14 types the collected into two
main categories. The first main category is Lexico-Semantic category and the
second main category is Syntactico-Morphologycal category. The first main
category covers cross-association and false cognate, therefore the second main
category covers errors in the use of tenses, the use of subject-verb agreement in
indirect questions, the use of quantifiers and intensifiers, the use of prepositions, the
articles, active and passive voice, the relative clauses and pronoun, errors in the use
of “it is” instead of “there is”, lack of subject-verb inversion in wh-question, wrong
use of parts of speech, errors due to lack of concord, and use of typical Persian
structures subcategories.
2.6 Factors that cause common grammatical errors
2.6.1 Poor knowledge of English grammar
Knowledge of English grammar is a very important factor, making the
translation more perfect and also a basic requirement for the translators. Having
sufficient knowledge of grammar is an advantage. However, English grammar is
extremely complex and not easy to learn because English has too many grammatical
structures. Therefore, learners often make many grammatical errors because they do
not have sufficient knowledge of English grammar or too little knowledge, which
makes learners often have confusion between the structures and forms of verbs and
tenses in English.
2.6.2 The influence of using Vietnamese grammar
As I said, my mother tongue is a huge influence on our second language
learning because it is so ingrained in our subconscious mind and our daily lifestyle.
Therefore, when learning the second language we will be greatly affected, this has
both positive and negative sides. Because Vietnamese and English have a lot of

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