A study on how to improve english communication skills of receptionists in muong thanh grand hanoi hotel

Research topic: “ A study on how to improve English communication skills ofReceptionists in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel” is meaningful and necessaryboth in theory and practice when com

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FACULTY

M.A HOANG THI THUY

Student’s name: TRAN THUY DUNG Class: K50N1

Student Code: 14D170008

Hanoi - 2018

Research topic: “ A study on how to improve English communication skills ofReceptionists in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel” is meaningful and necessaryboth in theory and practice when communicate with foreign guest by English

This study has systematized the theoretical issues related to English listeningand speaking skills, the cause of these problems in communicate by English ofreceptionists in the hotel The study also analyzed, finds the difficulties of Englishcommunication skills that staffs in Reception Department face with based onreasoning andpractical expression of it through the use of data collection method-the survey questionnaire to all receptionist

From above the difficulties, the study has given some useful solutions tomprove English communication skills of Receptionists in Muong Thanh GrandHanoi hotel to help them feel more confident and professional when communicatewith foreign guest from many countries around the world

Due to limited time, awareness and practical experience, the study could notavoid shotcomings and errors There fore, I look forward to receiving commentsand suggestions in order to perfect the study

i

During the process of completing the thesis, I have received warmly helpfrom my supervisor, teachers of English Faculty – Thuongmai University, myfamily and especially are the staffs of Reception Department in Muong ThanhGrand Hanoi Hotel

First of all, I would like to show my deep gratitude to my beloved supervisor– M.A Hoang Thi Thuy, who directly guides me Thanks for her useful advices anddetailed comments in the preparation as well as the correction Besides, she alwayssupported and created favorable conditions for me to complete perfectly thisgraduation paper

Secondly, I would like to send my sincerely thank for the FO Manager ofMuong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel – Ms Nguyen Thi Hien Luong, who helped andguided me very enthusiastically during the process of interning and working I alsosend my special thanks to all staffs at the Reception Department at MTGH inparticular of contributing their ideas and experience to help me enrich mygraduation paper

Lastly, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my family andfriends, especially my parents who always take care of me and encouraage me tocomplete the thesis

Hanoi, April 9th, 2018

StudentTran Thuy Dung

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS vi

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Previous study 2

1.3 Aims of the study 3

1.4 Research subjects 3

1.5 Scope of the study 4

1.6 Research methodology 4

1.7 Organization of the study 5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Definition of communication 7

2.1.1.Definition of communication 7

2.1.2 Components of Communication Process 7

2.2 Definition of communication skills 8

2.2.1 The definition of communication skill 8

2.2.2 Types of communication skills 9

2.3 Types of Communication & Communication Skills and the role of communication in Hotel & Hospitality industry 11

2.3.1 Types of communication in Hotel & Hospitality industry 11

2.3.2 Types of communication skills in Hotel & Hospitality industry 12

2.3.3 The role of communication in Hotel industry 13

2.4 Reception and its responsibilities at Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel 14

2.4.1 The role of Reception Department in the hotel 14

2.4.2 The task of Front Office Department in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel 15

2.5 The reality of using English in Reception Department at Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel 16

iii

2.6 Some problems in English communication skill that receptionist always

encountered 17

2.6.1 Speaking skill 17

2.6.2 Listening skill 18

CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS 20

3.2 Data Analysis 20

3.1.1 Receptionist’s education level (See Appendix) 20

3.1.2 The amount of time a receptionist had worked for the hotel 21

3.1.3: How often do you use English in workplace? (See appendix) 21

3.1.4: The role of English communication skills in hotel (See appendix) 22

3.1.5 Number of receptionist confident when communicate by English in their job (See appendix) 23

3.1.6 The English skill that receptionist encounter problem most (See appendix)) 24

3.1.7 Level of English communication skills of receptionists(Self-assesment) (See appendix) 25

3.1.8 Question 8: Some common problems that receptionists faced with when communicate by English in workplace? (See appendix) 25

3.1.9: Causes of problems in speaking skill (See appendix) 26

3.1.10 Causes of problems in listening skill (See appendix) 27

3.1.11 The intent of participants (See appendix) 28

3.1.12 In their opinion, how can the hotel help them improve their English communication skills? (See appendix) 28

3.2 Findings and discussion of the findings 28

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 31

4.1 Some solutions to improve English communiction skills of Receptionists at Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel 31

4.2 Some suggestion for the further research 33

4.2.1 Limitations of the study 33

4.2.2 Some suggestions for further studies 33

CONCLUSION 35

REFERENCES vii

APPENDIX viii

iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

No Abbreviations English meaning Vietnamese meaning

2 F O Manager Front office

manager

Giám đốc- Trưởng Bộ phận Lễ tân

Grand Hanoi hotel

Khách sạn Mường Thanh Grand

Hà Nội

v

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Image 2.1 Communication process

Chart 1: Receptionist’s education level

Chart 2 The amount of time a receptionists had worked for the hotel

Chart 3: Frequency of using English in workplace of receptionists

Chart 4: The role of communication skills in the hotel

Chart 5: Number of receptionists feel confident when communicate by English intheir job

Chart 6: The English skills that receptionists have encountered problems mostChart 7: Level of English communication skill of receptionists

Chart 8: The intent of participants

Table 1: Common problems in English communication skills

Table 2: Cause of the problems in speaking skill

Table 3: Causes of problems in listening skill

vi

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

1.1 Rationale

Nowadays, with the development of the international relationships amongcountries, English is playing an important role in the world and has become animportant part of every enterprise People use English for communication anddiscussion in different aspects of life It is the key to opening the door, todiscovering, exploiting new markets and seeking foreign investors and productionscale In Vietnam, English communication skills are very essential for work place.Therefore, English communication skills have become more necessary than ever However, there are still some problems about using English incommunication activities, particularly in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel,especially in Reception Department As a company operates in the tourism –hospitality sector, as well as other hotels, everyday, Muong Thanh Grand Hanoihotel has to work with visitors who come from many countries using differentlanguages, including English English is the most language that is used in the hotel.According to the recruitment process of Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel, itfocuses on the work of the interview through English, checks the qualificationsrelated to English Most hotel staffs, especially receptionists, have quite goodEnglish, use English fluently, however, only in non-professional English Englishmajority of almost the receptionists is still weak Some of the receptionists in thehotel have poor English skills, which is a barrier to dealing with foreign guests.This study will explore the reality of using English in Recepion Department atMuong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel and suggest some solutions or suggestions to helpthe staffs enhance their English communication skills Only in this way, thereceptionist can communicate in English fluently and professional

In order to help the staffs, especially the receptionists in Muong Thanh GrandHanoi hotel improve their English communication skills, after one-month internship

at Reception Department at the hotel, I carry on this study with the tittle: “ A study

on how to improve English communication skills of Receptionists in Muong ThanhGrand Hanoi hotel” The study is expected to help the staffs, especially the

receptionists in the hotel improve their English communication skills to work withforeigns guests more effectively

1.2 Previous study

There have been lots of researches at abroad and at home which have beendonein recently on the topic of “How to improve English communication skills “,for example: “A study on techniques to improve the first year english majors’

speaking skill at HPU (2013)” By Phung Thi Son, student at Department of

Foreign Languages, Haiphong private university The study explored the reality ofteaching and learning English speaking of the first year’s English majors in HPUand suggested some main technique with include the methods of stengthening theteaching of English speaking to help students enhance their English speakingskills.The author put forward a number of measures to change the student’s attitude

on speaking English and let them find English speaking more interesting

Pham Thi Huyen Huong’s research on technique to improve speaking skill forsecondary student in Quang Ninh (2012) The researcher takes a survey of collecteddata and gives comments on real situation of teaching speaking in SecondarySchool in Quang Ninh After surveying, she realized that the teacher rarely give thestudent a chance to free talk They still get many difficulties when speaking English.The least frequently used activities such as story telling, information gap are notapplied

At abroad, there are also a lot of researches relate to the topic ofcommunication skills, for example, according to Piamsak Uraipan, M.A in BusinessEnglish for International Communicationn at Srinakharinwirot University, theauthor studied and pointed our the problems with English speaking and listening ofTHAI flight attendances in economy class in 2011 This study was to examinelistening-speaking problems of THAI flight attendants who work in economy class.This study attempted to examine various problems with English in listening andspeaking which occurred in economy class The data for this study were collectedfrom 50 THAI flight attendants who were working in economy class According tothis study, it was found that most THAI flight attendants in economy class thoughtpronunciation of specific consonants correctly and perceiving various accents were

moderate problems Regarding the language functions, using proper language inmiscellaneous situations excluding in-flight service were also moderate Themajority of the flight attendants in the sample believed that they were good atEnglish listening and speaking.

Studying the factors that cause problems and difficulties of speaking thatencountered by English Language Students at Al Quds Open University in 2014,

Dr Ahmed Maher Mahmoud Al Nakhalah has noticed during his career andteaching the course of Graduation Project and other courses at AlQuds OpenUniversity that the students face some difficulties and problems in speaking whilethey introduce and talk about their projects and during discussions in the lectures ofdifferent courses Then he suggested carrying out more studies and researches aboutspeaking difficulties encountered by English language students

However, in these topics, there is no study on how to improve Englishcommunication skills in hotel and hospitality In reality, the hotel staffs still havesom difficulties in English communication skills and have significant impacts oncommunicating with foreign guests That is the reason why I choose the thesis “Astudy on how to improve English communication skills of Receptionists in MuongThanh Grand Hanoi Hotel”

1.3 Aims of the study

The aim of this study is to identify problems in English communication andfind out some appropriate solutions to improve English communication skills ofreceptionist in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel in which, the study focuses onfinding the reality of the staffs in Reception Department ‘s using English incommunicate with foreigns guests and giving them the suggestions for bettercommunication The expectation is that the receptionists at MTGH hotel cancommunicate in English confidently and fluently to achieve high efficiency at work

1.4 Research subjects

Hotel business is a highly competitive one Every hotel requires professionalpersonnel to provide proficient service Thus, communication between receptionistand guests must be clear and understandable To enhance English language skillsand the effectiveness of their interaction with guests, MTGH hotel’ s receptionist

must improve their English communicative competence, in terms of listening andspeaking The finding of this study is beneficial for MTGH hotel because they help

to provide an understanding of the English listening and speaking problems whichoccur between receptionists and guests These findings can be used to help MuongThanh Grand Hanoi hotel design appropriate courses for receptionist Furthermore,this study can act as a guideline for developing more effective English courses forMTGH hotel staffs who work in other deprtment

Here are some questions to deal with the study:

- What is the reallity of the use of English of all staffs in Mương Thanh GrandHanoi Hotel, especialy in receptionists?

- What are the problems that receptionists in Muong Thanh Grrand Hanoihotel encountered in English communication?

- How frequently do English communication skills problems occur in theFront Office Department’s communication activities?

- What are some solutions or suggestions used to help students overcomeEnglish communication problems?

1.5 Scope of the study

This present study focuses on improving English communication skills of allreceptionists in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel It requires much time and effort.However, due to the limitation of time, resources and knowledge as well as otherscondition, the study was carried out to find out the problems in Englishcommunicaton skilla of the hotel receptionists as well as offering some suggestions

to help them enhance their English communicaton skills Thus, the study is valuablefor the receptionist at MTGH hotel Thus, the study is valuable for the Receptionists

in Reception Department at MTGH hotel

1.6 Research methodology

In order to attain the primary aims, the researcher has consulted several ideasfrom the supervisor and people who fully understand this topic All the theorieshave been carefully selected and gathered through reference books and documents

on the Internet websites

A survey questionnaire was conducted for the receptionist in MTGH abouttheir attitudes, evaluations about their matters and the difficulties that they have to

cope with when communicating in workplace A survey questionnaire has beendesigned as the key data collection of the study Thus, this study is conducted withqualitative method

In order to collect data for this study, I carried out this survey questionnaires

to the Receptionists in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel and received consentparticipation of 20 employees of the Reception Department

There are 4 steps to conduct the survey:

Step 1: The researcher identified the situation/reality of Englishcommunication of Receptionists in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel

Step 2: The researcher selected the data collection instrument for the study, inthis case, survey questionnaires were chosen to collect data Then, the researcherfirstly tried to draft survey questionnaires and asked supervisor to check or improvethe survey, as a result, the actual questionnaires were developed

Step 3: In the following step, the researcher identified the subjects of thesurvey and delivered the questionnaires to them

Step 4: Finally, questionnaires were collected by the researcher and collecteddata were analyzed after that

There are total 20 questionnaires were delivered and all of them werecollected, which means the rate of collection was 100% as participants are theresearcher’s colleagues

All the comments, remarks, recommendations and conclusion provided in thestudy were based on the data analysis of the study

1.7 Organization of the study

Thist study is divided into 4 chapters as follow:

Chapter 1 are the Overview of the study which include rationale, previousstudies, aims of the study, research subjects, scope of the study, researchmethodology and organization of the study

Chapter 2: Literature review looking at some theoretical background reating tothe study It focuses on the concepts of communication, communication in hotel –hospitality industry and the problems in English communication.skills ofreceptionists

Chapter 3: Data analysis and research findings: provides the details of thefindings including survey results through the questionnaire given to participants.Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions: includes a summary of thestudy, discussions and conclusions before ending with recommendations for furtherstudy.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definition of communication

2.1.1.Definition of communication

“Communication” is simply the act of transferring information from one place

to another It may be vocally (using voice), written (using printed or digital media such as books, magazines, websites or emails), visually (using logos, maps, charts

or graphs) or non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice)

Although this is a simple definition, when we think about how we maycommunicate the subject becomes a lot more complex There are various categories

of communications which can be listed as Spoken or Verbal communication, verbal communication, Written communication, Visualization and so on

Non-Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in business,education, hotel- hospitality and any other situation where people encountered eachother

2.1.2 Components of Communication Process

Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages It

is a continuous process

Image 2.1 Communication Process

The main components of communication process are as follows

- Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place.

This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural Every

communication proceeds with context The sender chooses the message tocommunicate within a context.

- Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message A

sender makes use of symbols to convey the message and produce the requiredresponse Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization The views,background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have agreat impact on the message The verbal and non-verbal symbols chosen areessential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the sameterms as intended by the sender

- Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate It is

a sign that elicits the response of recipient Communication process begins withdeciding about the message to be conveyed It must be ensured that the mainobjective of the message is clear

- Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message The

sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else themessage might not be conveyed to the desired recipients The choice of appropriatemedium of communication is essential for making the message effective andcorrectly interpreted by the recipient This choice of communication medium variesdepending upon the features of communication

- Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message

is intended / aimed / targeted The degree to which the decoder understands themessage is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, theirresponsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder

- Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it

permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message It helps the sender inconfirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder Feedback may beverbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.) It may takewritten form also in form of memos, reports, etc

2.2 Definition of communication skills

2.2.1 The definition of communication skill

Different books and experts define communications skills differently but themost basic definition is that:

“ Communication skills” is the ability to use language(receptive) and

express(expressive) informaton It is the art and technique of communicating byusing oral and body language to persuade him or bring into him the change that youwant him to be

2.2.2 Types of communication skills

2.2.2.1 Verbal Communication

Verbal communication skills are very important and must be honed,particularly in a job in which employees deal with the public Clear communicationrequires straightforward language that is neither too flowery nor too simple It isessential to be able to use the spoken word to get your point across simply Higherlevels of communication competencies deal with persuasive speaking and theseskills are necessary for management level employees and those in marketingpositions within a company All employees can benefit from public speakingcourses, which help develop these key communication skills

Verbal or oral communication uses spoken words to communicate a message.When most people think of verbal communication, they think of speaking, butlistening is an equally important skill for this type of communication to be successful.Verbal communication is applicable to a wide range of situations, ranging frominformal office discussions to public speeches made to thousands of people

2.2.2.2 Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is much more difficult for many people It consists

of body language, gestures, facial expressions, and even posture Non-verbalcommunication sets the tone of a conversation, and can seriously undermine themessage contained in your words if you are not careful to control it

For example, slouching and shrinking back in your chair during a businessmeeting can make you seem under-confident, which may lead people to doubt thestrength of your verbal contributions In contrast, leaning over an employee’s deskand invading his or her personal space can turn a friendly chat into an aggressiveconfrontation that leaves the employee feeling victimized and undervalued

For example, face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media arethe types of verbal communication.

2.2.2.3 Written Communication

One often overlooked area of communication is the written word Even themost basic position in a company requires employees to have good writtencommunication skills Proper spelling, grammar usage and a professional way ofimparting information are important competencies that must be mastered Writtencommunication that is poorly worded, misspelled or full of errors detracts from theoverall message that is being imparted This is even more vital when dealing withthe public through written communication People judge others by the way theywrite and it is important to make sure that written communication is professional.Memos, reports, job descriptions, letters, e-mails, books, magazines, theInternet or via other media are the types of written communication Forcommunicating with customers or partners in writing, electronic mail, Internet Websites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, andnews releases are used

Written communication is essential for communicating complicatedinformation, such as statistics or other data, that could not be easily communicatedthrough speech alone Written communication also allows information to berecorded so that it can be referred to at a later date When producing a piece ofwritten communication, especially one that is likely to be referred to over and overagain, you need to plan what you want to say carefully to ensure that all the relevantinformation is accurately and clearly communicated

2.2.2.4 Visual communication

Visual communication is a way of the communication that people get throughthe reading or seeing As mentioned earlier, it can be anything that shows amessage It expresses an idea and gives a piece of information with the use of thedifferent signs, gestures, postures, and anything that can be expressible It comeswith an impressive power to inform and educate a person or groups Visualcommunication can be anything that expresses the things in a beautiful andunderstandable manner People rely more on the different forms of visual

communication than the verbal communication as they get all the details with thesigns and symbols Visual communication is a good combination of words, pictures,photography, symbols, and signs These are more expressive and can be used both

in the personal and professional levels

2.3 Types of Communication & Communication Skills and the role of communication in Hotel & Hospitality industry

2.3.1 Types of communication in Hotel & Hospitality industry

2.3.1.1 Internal communication:

It is basically communication within the hotel, i.e., transmitting informationwithin the organization, its departments, sections, etc and between the units of thesame chain This is possible only through an effective network of communication It

is important for maintaining coordination & avoiding embarrassing situationsbetween the various departments & between the departments of the hotel & themanagement It includes 3 types:

a Formal communication

This line of communication is meant for transmission of official messages orinformation within or outside the organization It may move vertically or horizontally

Vertical communication is from supervisor to subordinate & vice versa Horizontal

communication flows between employees of equal or comparable status

Vertical communication includes 2 types:

+ Downward communication: It means flow of information from top to lower

levels In this instructions are passed to subordinates to do work It can be in theform of policies, rules, instructions, procedures, letters, posters,etc

+ Upward communication: In such a case, the communication flows from

lower levels to the higher levels It is generally in the form of performance reports,suggestions, reviews, input, feedback, etc

b Informal communication

In such a system official lines are not followed & there is free interactionamong the members of the organization This communication is based on informalrelations & it is free from all organisatinal formalities It is also called grapevinecommunication because there is no definite channel of communication Under it,

some information passes through many individuals & covers a long distance makingits origin obscure

c Consensus

When a number of people irrespective of the status sit & confer with one another

to arrive at a decision acceptable to all, it is called consensus It is the process ofarriving at an agreement through consultation The advantage of this is that theconsensus decision is easy to accept & preserves harmony, avoids conflicts & splits

2.3.1.2 External communication

It is the communication of hotel with external sources & officers, which may

be government agencies & department licensing authorities, foreign trade offices,customs authorities, banks & financial institutions, income tax, sales tax, postoffices, transporters, etc Other external agencies are travel agents, suppliers etc.Organizations that can communicate better can also sell better

2.3.2 Types of communication skills in Hotel & Hospitality industry

2.3.2.1 Speaking

Speaking or verbal communication is perhaps the most popularly used way toget a message across at the workplace, especially at hotel, and it is used in meetings,presentations, workshops, in-person interviews, answering any questions the guestsmay have, and receiving foreign guests

It is effective because it allows the receiver to pick up on non-verbal cues such

as facial expressions, tone, pitch and body language

This communication skill is best used in cases such as conflict- resolutionscenarios, teamwork, or while communicate with foreigners

On the other hand, written communication also needs to be very accurate tomake sure that message is understood correctly The factors that should beconsidered in written communication are completeness, briefness, proper selection

of words and clarity of thoughts to make the message easy to understand

2.3.2.3 Reading

We can in no way deny the importance of reading, however, more andmore people, especially young people, are spending less and less time reading.Even many limit their ‘reading’ to social networking sites and instantmessaging, while reading only when absolutely necessary

Having reading skill is essential to be a successful employee, executive,manager or CEO, because at least half your business communication is in writtenformat

2.3.2.4 Listening

Perhaps the most difficult communication skill to practice, listeningunderstands that you not only hear what someone is saying but also understand thecontent, decode all the non-verbal signals

Effective listening is an important tool in every manager’s toolkit

2.3.3 The role of communication in Hotel industry

Communication plays a very important role in the hotel - hospitality industry

A customer not only pays for the food, room, or product, he also pays for theservice Communication is an integral part of service A customer can be in a badmood but a broad smile on the faces of the employees in a restaurant can change themood of the customer and make him feel good and contended You need to be verypatient, cool and composed and need to keep yourself calm while handling difficultcustomers

Effective communication is key to customer satisfaction in virtually everyindustry Because communication is a common part of daily life, however, thisimportant responsibility is oftentimes taken for granted But the truth is thatcommunication — especially in professional environments — isn’t always as easy

or as automatic as many people are inclined to think And this is especially true inthe hotel industry

Communication is the most important and the most used of all skills in thehospitality and hotel A few hotels spend a considerable amount of money ontraining their staff to interact with the guests Good communication skills are alearned art and not a natural skill so one should consider as it conveys that you arelistening to your guests, valuing their feedback and conveying clear messages.

In Hotel and Hospitality industry, communication needs to be keyand paramount for many reasons

For example, a member of the public may call ahead and book a room for thefollowing evening They ask though, if it would be entirely inconvenient if theycould have a room on the ground floor only as they have a phobia of heights.The receptionist confirms she will do her best but then forgets to inform and askthe hotel manager The customer is automatically allocated a random room andunfortunately gets a room on the 14th floor This lack of communication results in

an angry customer and confused staff who have to deal with a complaint theyweren't informed of

No hotel can develop in the absence of effective communication – bothinternal as well as external communications

Effective communication creates an atmosphere of mutual trust &confidence,& also a spirit of understanding & cooperation The employees knowwhat exactly is expected out of them & the management is aware of thepotentialities & limitations of the employees

Communication is critical for a hotel front desk employee They speak withguests in person and over the phone all day, so it is important that they speak clearlyand maintain a positive tone

2.4 Reception and its responsibilities at Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel 2.4.1 The role of Reception Department in the hotel

- Reception Department is a place for opening the contacts between guests andthe hotel Receptionists play role in welcoming, arranging rooms and introducingrelated services to customers In addition, they take charge of setting propertyregistration procedures, related services to meet customer needs

- It also is the first to contact to guests, giving guests the first impression of thehotel, the quality of service of the hotel Thus, reception department plays an importantrole in the hotel business and is compared to the "central nervous" of the hotel.

- Receptionist is a bridge between guests and service departments in the hotel

to provide products and services of the hotel, satisfying the needs of guests In theprocess of receiving and serving guests, the reception desk provides information onthe services for guests: catering services, accommodation and entertainmentservices and other services When the guests using these services, the receptiondepartment will receive and transfer to the service department in the hotel

- Reception has an important role in the sales and marketing of hotel products.Reception is the face of the hotel, represented on the hotel reception and serve.Therefore, FO department has many opportunities to promote, advertise and sellhotel products to guests

- Reception Department plays a central role, coordinating the activities of thehotel's departments, helping the department operate in a planned manner

- Reception desk is the place to receive requests and solve all customercomplaints

- Receptionist plays a critical role in helping the board to work out product andmarket strategies and policies to improve the efficiency of the hotel business

Reception department play an important role as the representative of the hotel

in the work of expanding the relationship, joint venture, link to of attracting guests

to the hotel

2.4.2 The task of Front Office Department in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel

- Directly welcome guests and make registration procedures for guests

- Understand room conditions and room requirements (direct or indirect)

- Solve procedures for hotel registration for guests and room for guests

- On behalf of the hotel to make a temporary check-in for the evening of theday for guest

- Combine with other departments to offer products in the hotel

- Provide the necessary information when guest requested

- Keep track of renovation costs incurred of payment and give room key forguests.

- Booking air tickets, train tickets, and a number of other requirements

2.5 The reality of using English in Reception Department at Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi Hotel

As a company operates in the tourism – hospitality sector, as well as otherhotels,all staffs n Reception Department in Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel have

to work with tourists from many countries using different languages, includingEnglish English is major foreign language used mainly at Muong Thanh GrandHanoi hotel

In daily transactions, English is also widely used in Reception Department atMuong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel and mainly deals with foreign guests Thesetransactions are primarily related to reservation, payment and phone calls abouthotel services In addition, English is also used frequently in businesscorrespondence, emails between Muong Thanh Grand Hanoi hotel and foreignpartners

Beside, official website of the Hotel www.muongthanh.com is designed anddisplayed in English and Vietnamese language not only help Vietnamese but alsoforeigners easily in access and find out information about Muong hotel activities

To do this, the company has a team of qualified English-speaking staff who can beused for overseas business as well as for exchanges with foreigners Articles will becensored in several steps, and only successful postings are posted onwww.muongthanh.com In addition, the website design, system managementsoftware at the request of the client is also done entirely in English

Besides the good aspects, the use of English in Reception Department stillencounter many limitations:

 They have no maximum exploitation of the potential of staffs in using English

in some departments such as finance – accounting, HR, Marketing – sales, etc

 Most of the staff is fluent in English but only in non-professional English.English majors of hotel of almost the staff is still weak