Luận văn factors affecting the students’ english oral presentation skills at hanoi tourism college

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES So S2 ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ HOÀNG THỊ MAI HOA FACTORS AFFECTING ENG

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

So S2

ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

HOÀNG THỊ MAI HOA

FACTORS AFFECTING ENGLISH ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS

OF THE STUDENTS AT HANOI TOURISM COLLEGE (Những yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến kỹ năng thuyết trình tiếng Anh của sinh viên

Trường Cao đẳng Du lịch Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 60.14.10

HANOI - 2011

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOL UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

DAI HOC NGOAINGU

HOANG THI MAIHOA

FACTORS AFFECTING ENGLISH ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS

OF THE STUDENTS AT HANOI TOURISM COLLEGE (Những yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến kỹ năng thuyết trình tiếng Anh của sinh viên

Trường Cao đẳng Du lịch Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Supervisor: Dr Lé Van Canh

Code: 60.14.10

HANOI - 2011

DECLARATION

I, Hoang Thi Mai Hoa, hercby state that this work is original and completed by myself It has not been submitted for other purposes except for the fulfillment of the requirements of the University for the degr

of Master int inglish Teaching Methodology

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the

paper

Hoang Thi Mai Toa

My special thanks go to all my lecturers who have been engaged in teaching K18

MA course for their precious lectures

I also wish to acknowledge the cooperauon of my colleagues, my friends and the third-year tour guide students at Llanoi ‘Tourism College in contributing to the data collection presented in this study

Last but not least, 1 would like to express my deepest thanks to my family, especially my husband for their whole-hearted encouragement and great support during my

time of ful Gilling this thesis.

ABSTRACT

‘The research is concerned with factors affecting students’ oral presentation skills in English at Hanoi Tourism College Specifically, a survey is conducted on 106 third year tour guide students Main purposes of the rescarch are to find out: (1) the difficulties the students might have when giving oral presentations, (2) factors causing the difficulties and their suggested solutions

It is expected that the study will make a contribution to the improvement of the teaching and learning of presentation skills at Hanoi Tourism College

‘The study consists of three parts Part A introduces the information on the background, the rationale, the aims, scope, method and design of the study Part B providing the development includes three chaplers Chupler 1 provides the relevant theories related te oral presentation skills and factors may affect the students’ presentation skill Chapter 2 introduces the context of the study and describes the methods employed in the study Chapter 3 presents and discusscs the findings that arisc fiom the data collected Part C provides summary of study, recommendations, limitations and suggestions for Ñuther

research.

1 Rationale of the study

2 Aims and objectives of the study

3 Scope and significance of the study

4, The method of the study

5, Design of the study

1.1.2 Tour guiding oral presentation

1.2 Oral prcscntation as a component of oral cormunieation

1.3 The role of oral proscutation skill lo lour guidos

1.4 The stmeture of an oral presentation

1.4.1 The structurs of an oral presentation

1.4.2 The structure of a tour guiding oral presentation

1.5 Factors affecting students’ oral presentation

1.5.1 Students’ language proficiency

2.1.2 Tourism Foreign Language Departmenr seseerrrorreere, 1Ï

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND THSCUSSION

3.1 The students’ perceptions of the importance of oral presentation skill and their self -

3.1.1 The students’ perceptions of the importance of otal presentation skil 1ổ 3.1.2 The students’ sclf-assessment of their presentation skill s se L7 3.2 Students’ difficulties in making oral preserttations .ssseeesemeneensnnenl?

3.2.3.1 Sudents’ difficulties in attracting and maintaining the attentions af audiences 20

3.2.3.2 Sudents’ difficulties concerning body language 23 3.2.3.3 Smdents’ difficulties concerning language use 24

3.2.3.5 Sniddents’ difficulties in anxiety management 26 3.2.3.6 Students’ difficulties in handling the audiences’ questions 2

vi

3.2.4 Students’ difficutties in evaluation

3.3 Factors affecting the students’ oral presentation skill

3.4, The students’ suapested solưdons

3.4.1 For students

3.4.1.1 kuproving their knowledge of Unglish

3.4.1.2 Practising carefully for the presentation

3.4.2 For teachers

3.4.2.1 Equipping students with linguistic knowledge

3.4.2.2 Creating a pleasant and supportive classroom atmosphere

3.4.3 For Institutions

3.4.3.1 Providing modern technology equipmenis and a good library

3.4.3.2 Orgenucing study (rips to tourist destinations 00.0

vil

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS:

TTTC: Tmơi Tourisin College

LIST OF TABLES:

‘Table 3.1: The importance of the oral presentations

Table 3.2: Students’ self assessment of their oral presettations

‘Table 3.3: Students’ difficulties in preparation

Table 3.4: Students’ difficulties in organization

Table 3.5: Students’ difficulties in attracting and maintaining the attentions of

audiences Table 3.6: Students’ difficulties concerning body language

‘Table 3.7: Students’ difficulties concerning language use

Table 3.8: Students’ difficultics in time management

Table 3.9: Students’ difficulties in anxiety management

Table 3.10: Students’ difficullics in handling the audiences’ questions

Table 3.11: The students’ difticulties in evaluation

Table 3.12: Factors affecting the students’ oral presentation

My special thanks go to all my lecturers who have been engaged in teaching K18 MA

course for their precious lectures

L also wish to acknowledge the cooperation of my colleaguss, my friends and the third- year tour guide students at Hanoi Tourism College in contributing to the data collection presented in this study

Last bul nol least, T would like to oxpress my deepest thanks to my family, especially

my hmsband for their whole-hcarted encouragement and great support during my time of fulfilling this thesis

ABSTRACT

‘The research is concerned with factors affecting students’ oral presentation skills in English at Hanoi Towism College Specifically, a survey is conducted on 106 third year tour guide students Main purposes of the research are to find out: (1) the difficulties the students might have wher giving oral presentations, (2) faclors causing the difficulties and their suggested

of the study and describes the methods cmmployed in the study Chapter 3 presenls and discusses the findings that arise ttom the data collected, Part C provides summary of study, recommendations, littilalions and suggestions for firther research

lation determines the success of a our, Besides, lour guides may have

to guide a group of foreign tounsts, which reques them to use a foreign language Clearly, growing tourism increases the need for staff of intemational standards, One of those standards is the tour guide’s oral prescntation skill in a forcign language

‘This motivates me to explore the factors affecting the tour guide students’ oral presentation in English al, Hanoi Tourism Collsge with a vicw to finding practical solutions to deal with those

factors, thercby helping the prospective tour guides to improve their oral presentation skills

2, Aims and objectives of the study

The research aims specifically at exploring the factors affecting tour guide students’ oral presentation skill at HT ” Possible solutions are recommended to help the teachers and students to

improvs the teaching and lsarnirys of oral prasomtation skill

‘The specific objectives of the study include:

} identifying the students’ perceptions about the importance of oral presentation skills in their future job

> understanding students’ self assessments of their oral presentation skill

> identifying the difficult

HTC

mì making orái prosenlatiơns encountersd by the students at

> examining the factors affecting their oral presentations at HTC

providing some recommendations on how to improve students’ oral presentation

3 Scope and significance of the study

‘The study focuses on oral presentation skills in English in the classroom context of 106 third —

year non-English major tour guide students at HTC

4 The method of the study

The methodelagy choscn for the study is quantitative This methodology fits wall the purpose af the study, which is a survey in nature Johnson (1991:104) states, “|The purpose of a survey is to learn about characteristics of an entire group of interest by examining a subset of their group (a sample)”, which is also the purpose of the study, i.c to find out students’ perceptions of aspects related to oral presentation,

5 Design of the study

The thesis consists of three parts

Parl Az Jutroduction: introduces (he vationale, aims, significance,

ope and methodology of the study

Part B: Development: is th main part of the stndy, which consists of three chapters

Chaplor 1: Literature Review: is a, brief deseriplion of the study including definition of eral

presentation, tour guides” oral presentation, oral presentations as part of oral communication, the

role of presentation in tour guiding job, the structure of an oral presentation, and the factors affecting the students’ oxal presentation skill

Chapter 2: Methodology: provides the current situation of the teaching and learning of oral presentation skill at IITC, research questions, informants, instrument and process of the study,

Chapter 3: Findings and Discussion presents the findings and discussion of the study based on the result of questionnaire

Part C: Conclusion consists of the summary of the study, recommendations, and limitations of the

study and gives suggestion for fiuther study

1.1.2, Tour guides’ oral presentation

A tour guides’ presentation is to introduce the place or the contry in terms of its importance, history, politics, cultures, fauna and flora to the participants of the tours

1.2 Oral presentation as a componcnt of oral communication

Oral presentation belongs lo oral communication Tn oral presentation, speakers usc spoken

speech to deliver the information to audience Moreover, speakers also use nonverbal communication (body language, gestures, eye contact .) to express themselves and make the

specch more effective

1.3 The role of oral presentation skill to tour guides

Oral presentation skill is the main fool of lour guides and the mosl decisive successful factor in

their job

1.4 The structure of an oral presentation

1.4.1 The structure of an oral presentation

Doan (2007) states that there are three main parts in tour guides’ presentations like any other kinds of oral presentation: introduction, body, and conclusion

1.8 Factors affecting students’ oral presentation

1.5.1 Students’ language proficiency

Đoảm (2007:36) confirms thal the suc

skills, behavior of tour guides It is clear that, in order to communicate with foreign tourists, tour

of a lour bases mainly on the ability and commurieative

organiving classroom activities, assessing studenls” performance, giving supporl, co-participating

on the classroom activities, providmg needed lingustic resources, providing tutorials, and observing ths students ([ammer, 1991)

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 2.1 The setting of the study

2.1.1 The descrip

on af Tanoi Tourism College

Ianoi ‘Tourism College, which was formerly known as the school for training employers in tourism and hospitality, was established in 1972 ‘The college has been known as one of the best tourism-training center The College continues to provide its students with solid industrial knowledge, strong professional skills, foreign language competence and industrial manners in

Vielnam’s growitys Lounistm industry

2.1.2, Tourism Foreign Language Department

2.1.3 Tour guide students

2.2 The study

2.2.1, Research questions

With the aim to find out the factors affscting the oral presentation skill of non - English major

tour guide students at HIG, itis necessary to answer the following questions

i What are the thivd year tour guide students’ perceptions of the importance of oral presentation skills in their future job?

2 How do they self assess their presentations?

3 What are their difficulties when giving oral presentations?

4 What do they perceive as factors affecting their oral presentations?

5 What are their suggestions to improve their oral presentations?

‘The survey was conducted on 106 prospective tour guide students of class C6G;,; who were in the fifth semester al IITC Rach class had 53 students aged from 20 10 23 Female ontrumbered the male, There were 96 girls and 10 boys in the classes

3.1.1 The students’ perceptions of the importance of oral presentation skill

‘As can be seen ftom Table 3.1, the majority of students (99.1 %) stated that oral presentation skill was very important in their future job None of them found oral presentation unimportant

3.1.2 The students’ self-assessment of their presentation skill

‘Table 3.2 shows that most students were likely to consider their oral presentation to be on average level of success, Mere than half of the students (68 studerts) thought they achieved 50-60% of

success

3.2 Students' difficulties in making oral presentations

3.2.1 Students’ difficulties in preparation

The students had to cops with many difficulties in preparing for the oral presenlation, especially memorizing the speech word for word and rehearsing the speech

3.2.2 Students’ difficulties in organization

Organizing the oral presentation was also difficult for the students,

3.2.3 Students’ difficulties in delivery

3.2.3.1, Students’ difficulties in attracting and maintaining the attentions of audiences

Students also had many difficulties in delivering oral presentations

3.2.3.2, Students’ difficulties concerning hady language

Body language was not a challenge for the students because they had been trained how to give presentation in Vietnamese