WRITING 4 ASSIGNMENT 2 RESEARCH REPORT MARK SHEET

BANKING UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES RESEARCH REPORT Student [Name] Student ID Group [Number] Supervisor M A Lê Thị Minh Thủy July , 2021 1 WRITING 4 ASSIGNMENT 2 RESEAR[.]

BANKING UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

WRITING 4 - ASSIGNMENT 2 - RESEARCH REPORT

MARK SHEET Student's name: Class: ……… Project Group: 4

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4

ABSTRACT 4

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 4

1.1 Background of the study 4

1.2 Rationale of the study 5

1.3 Significance of the study 5

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Communication skill 5

2.1.1 Definition of communication skill 5

2.1.2 Speaking in communication 5

2.1.3 Listening in communication 6

2.2 Part-time job 6

2.2.1 Definition of part-time job 6

2.2.2 Popular part-time jobs for students to improve communication skills 6

2.3 Effects of part-time jobs on communication skills 7

2.3.1 Benefits of part-time job in improving communication 7

2.3.2 Barriers to effective communication when doing part-time jobs 7

2.3.2.1 Environmental barriers 7

2.3.2.2 Personal barriers 8

2.3.3 Solutions to overcome communication barriers 8

Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 8

3.1 Introduction 8

3.2 Research question 9

3.3 Research design 9

3.3.1 Subject of the study 9

3.3.2 Research instruments 9

3.4 Data collection procedure 9

3.5 Data analysis 9

Chapter IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 10

4.1 Introduction 10

4.2 Responses to survey questionnaire 10

4.2.1 Participants’ background 10

4.2.2 Participants’ attitudes towards effects of part-time jobs on communication skills 13

4.2.2.1 Part-time occupation benefits to communication 13

4.2.2.2 Part-time occupation barriers to communication 14

4.2.3 Participants’ opinions of solutions to overcome barriers 15

4.3 Answer to research questions 15

CHAPTER V: LIMITATION, IMPLICATION, CONCLUSION 16

5.1 Limitation 16

5.2 Implication of the research 16

5.3 Conclusion 17

REFERENCES 17

APPENDIX 18

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in the whole or in part from a thesis by which have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the thesis

This thesis has not been submitted to any other educational institution for the award of a degree or diploma

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, we would like to thank our research supervisor, Ms Thuy Without your assistance and dedicated involvement in every step throughout the process, this paper could have never been accomplished Additionally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of the students in our class who had spent their precious time to do the survey, without your help, we wouldn’t have completed this research work

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, the majority of students are choosing part-time jobs to establish and develop their abilities, such as their communication skills Therefore, this study was an attempt by the researchers to investigate the effect of doing part-time jobs on the communication skills

of English-major sophomores at HUB A quantitative questionnaire was chosen to conduct the survey and the data collected from 29 students The study analyzed university students' views on the benefits and drawbacks of part-time employment on communication skills In the end, our study will offer solutions for the limitations in the process of improving communication skills when working part-time

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study

To adapt to the present trend of international integration, English majors at HUB should concentrate on strengthening their communication abilities, as successful communication will expand personal connections and business collaborations which can significantly benefit both parties and society

According to (Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia, 2016), communication skills are components of generic skills that have been identified as a focus at the universities As a result, it is included in the curriculum of a wide range of subjects at a variety of institutions, including HUB, and it focuses on assisting students in improving their communication skills HUB students, on the other hand, believe that the academic environment is insufficient to help them reach their full potential; they want to work in a professional setting where they can improve their communication skills Therefore, part-time jobs are preferred by Vietnamese students in general, and HUB students in particular, as a means

of obtaining and strengthening communication skills

From what is mentioned above, the emphasis of this research will be on the link between part-time jobs and communication skills among English-major sophomores of HUB

1.2 Rationale of the study

The objective of this study is to determine the attitudes of English-major sophomores toward the effects of doing part-time jobs on communication skills In particular, identify

if part-time jobs have positive or negative effects on students' communication skills Therefore, find out how the students make decisions on their part-time jobs, and whether their options are influenced by their wish to improve their communication skills or not If not, what elements students’ part-time jobs are based upon

1.3 Significance of the study

This study provides an overview of how part-time jobs affect communication skills, thereby helping students who wish to advance their skills make more precise decisions in their part-time jobs Whether the students prefer to improve communication skills or earn

a living, this study also aids them in solving difficulties in communicating in the workplace

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Communication skill

2.1.1 Definition of communication skill

Communication is the basis of all human contact, which is central to human life

(Bunglowala, 2015) Communication can be defined as the process of transmitting information and common understanding from one person to another (Keyton, 2011) Communication is a skill which involves a systematic and continuous process of speaking and listening (Ahmad, 2016) The output communicative skills are speaking; the input communication skills are listening (Al-Mahrooqi, 2012) In summary, communication is the process of information exchange, including speaking as the output, listening as the input, and understanding as the consequence

2.1.2 Speaking in communication

Speaking is one of the most common methods used in communication It is the means through which learners can communicate with others to achieve certain goals or to express their opinions, intentions, hopes, and viewpoints Speaking has been classified into monologue and dialogue The former focuses on giving an interrupted oral presentation and the latter on interacting with other speakers (Nunan, 1989) Nunan (1999) and Burkart

& Sheppard (2004) also argue that success in learning a language is measured in terms of the ability to carry out a conversation in the (target) language Therefore, speaking is probably a priority for most learners of English (Florez, 1999)

2.1.3 Listening in communication

Thomlison (1984) and Hamouda (2013) defined listening as the ability to recognize and understand what others are telling This process includes understanding a speaker's pronunciation, the speaker’s grammar and vocabulary, and understanding of meaning It is

a process of receiving what the speaker says, making and showing meaning, negotiating meaning with the speaker and answering, and creating meaning by participation, creativity, and empathy Whereas it is defined that listening is a complex process of interpretation in which listeners match what they hear with what they already know (Rost, 2002) According

to Rost (2009), listening is an active and important mental ability It aids us to understand the world around us and is one of the necessary elements in creating successful communication (Pourhosein Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2016)

2.2 Part-time job

2.2.1 Definition of part-time job

In the (International Labour Organization, 1994) “part-time work” is defined as hours of work that are shorter than those for comparable full-time work (in the country, sector, and occupation), and a “part-time worker” is an employed person whose hours of work are fewer than those of comparable full-time workers According to the (International Labour Organization, 2003), workers are considered to be part-time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week It is also stated that the parties make part-time work and employment based on free will and that the working hours shouldn’t be obligatorily shortened afterward (Centel, 1991) From the definitions mentioned earlier, it can be concluded that part-time workers have fewer working hours than those of full-time workers, generally shorter than 30 or 35 hours per week, and their working schedules are usually based on their free will and cannot be shortened or changed afterward

2.2.2 Popular part-time jobs for students to improve communication skills

Working part-time jobs provides them with a greater opportunity to engage and practice their communication, and behavioral skills and process them further According to research carried out by (Hoang, 2020), with 44.2 percent, part-time jobs related to business, business via the internet, and social networking received the most votes among university students Doing business can aid in the development of student’s communication skills, as they must engage in constant dialogue in order to accomplish the trading process According to another research (Tomoki, 2012), the main type of work that most university students engaged in was restaurant work (34.1%) Restaurant work is in the hospitality industry, particularly in the food and beverage service industry Working as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant requires personnel to have effective communication with colleagues

in order to work efficiently, at the same time, skilled in communicating with customers to

make them feel satisfied, and valued As evidenced by the aforementioned reports and data, part-time occupations such as commerce, internet business, social networking, and restaurant service are widely chosen by university students to strengthen their communication skills.

2.3 Effects of part-time jobs on communication skills

2.3.1 Benefits of part-time job in improving communication

As a student, you are likely to find a part-time job as a waiter at a bar or restaurant, or at a retail store, and this means that whether you feel like it or not you are going to be required

to improve your communication skills (Marliza, 2016) One of the skills you then learn in the process is the ability to express yourself to others, allowing you to state your thoughts When doing part-time jobs, there are various circumstances you may get yourself into, in which in order to preserve your rights and benefits, expressing your viewpoints, and opinions is particularly essential Through part-time work, students will learn how to talk

to a variety of people from different walks of life, forcing them to be flexible to cultural differences in the workplace (Zambas, 2021) Students will also learn the best ways to communicate with their colleagues, forcing them to think about how their words can affect other people’s actions and vice versa (Joanna, 2021) A job always introduces them to various sects of people Interacting with different people teaches you how to carry out conversations more naturally As a result, having a part-time job can provide students with opportunities to learn and practice communication skills

2.3.2 Barriers to effective communication when doing part-time jobs

Environmental barriers are characteristic of the organization and its environmental setting Time can be one of them Lack of time can make it difficult to properly examine and structure the message, and the recipient's ability to interpret and identify the message's significance is restricted (Adu-Oppong, 2014) When the job intensity is too great, for example, there will be little time to evaluate and decode the received information, resulting

in feedback structure and meaning misunderstanding

Another environmental barrier can be said to be the organization’s managerial philosophy (Sanchez & Guo, 2005) Managerial philosophy can promote or inhibit effective communication Managers who are not interested in promoting intra-organizational communication upward or disseminating information downward will establish procedural and organizational blockages Lack of attention and concern toward employees is a sign of

a managerial philosophy that restricts communication flows Furthermore, when subordinates encounter administrators who fail to act, they are unwilling to communicate

upward in the future, because communications are not taken seriously (Adu-Oppong, 2014)

Personal barriers emerge as a result of a person's frame of reference, beliefs, and values They shape how communications are encoded and decoded and are depending on one's socioeconomic background and past experiences (Adu-Oppong, 2014) According to research, one of the most significant barriers to effective communication is a lack of empathy (Eisenberg, 2010) It will be possible for misunderstandings and personal conflicts

to arise in communication between employees and employees, or between employees and managers, and superiors, if empathy is lacking Additionally, lacking confidence can be a major barrier to effective communication Shyness, difficulty being assertive, or low self-worth can hinder your ability to make your needs and options known (University of Waterloo, 2022) These will have a severe impact on not just one's personal image, but also

on the organization's ability to work efficiently

2.3.3 Solutions to overcome communication barriers

Only when environmental and personal barriers are recognized, then you can carry out a successful, effective communication Positive acts, on the other hand, are required to overcome these obstacles (Longest, Rakich, & Darr, 2000) provide tips for breaking down communication barriers: Receivers and senders can overcome environmental barriers by paying attention to their messages and investing adequate time listening to them Next, it

is beneficial to have a management philosophy that encourages open communication Ultimately, by actively modifying language and symbols to make communications more understandable, the power/status boundary can be broken down; putting words to actions improves communication between persons of varying power/status

Chapter III : METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction

The purpose of this study is to accumulate perspectives of English-majored sophomores at Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City on the effects of part-time jobs on communication skills in order to identify how part-time jobs benefit students in improving their communication skills and assist the students in solving barriers to effective communication when doing part-time jobs

This chapter presents methods that were utilized in the study including research questions, research design and data collection procedure

3.3.1 Subject of the study

This study aims at the English-majored sophomores at Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City The questionnaire was conducted in Writing 4-D07 class with the participation of 29 students in total The questionnaire was conducted to collect data by online survey method

3.3.2 Research instruments

A quantitative questionnaire was chosen to conduct the survey The first 3 questions about which part-time jobs can improve communication skills as well as how often to use communication when working part-time Followed by 8 questions about the effects of working part-time on communication skills The final section is filled with 3 questions regarding how to overcome communication barriers

3.4 Data collection procedure

The researchers employed a questionnaire in order to accumulate perspectives on the effects of part-time jobs on communication skills All of the instruments were reviewed by the supervisor to ensure their validity The researchers uploaded the link accessing the

questionnaire on the LMS website to the supervisor The supervisor then uploaded the link

on the LMS website in the GROUP WORK sector to the participants with one day to

complete the form The questionnaire was completed by 29 participants in total After that, the completed questionnaire was collected by the researchers and the supervisor

3.5 Data analysis

The data collected from the questionnaire was calculated by using frequency distribution and percentage The figures would be illustrated with charts and tables through the data processed from SPSS since the software is specialized in analyzing figures Data is processed into percentages and frequencies are useful to answer research questions