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

The research was based on the data collected from the questionnaires forthe Front Office Staffs in the Super Hotel Ha Noi Old Quarter with the aim offinding out their difficulties when c

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FACULTY

Supervisor: Mrs Tran Thi Bich Lan

Student: Duong Thu Nga

My sincere thanks also go to all those who contributed, directly or indirectly,

to this research Particularly, I am thankful to the Front Office Staff of Super Hotel

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

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FACULTY

Supervisor: Mrs Tran Thi Bich Lan

Student: Duong Thu Nga

The research was based on the data collected from the questionnaires forthe Front Office Staffs in the Super Hotel Ha Noi Old Quarter with the aim offinding out their difficulties when communicating with customers in English Thequestionnaire has been designed and sent to 20 Front Office Staffs to research somebarriers prevent them from a successful English communication with foreign guestsespecially Japanese guests Research results showed that the causes of problemsoccurring during English communication with customers are the differences inintonations of each country, cultural differences, etc

From the difficulties and the situation of communicating in English withcustomers and the main reasons I also would like to recommend the solutions toimprove the communication skills of English receptionist staff at Hotel Super Hotel

Ha Noi Old Quarter

I hope that this study would be an useful document for you to refer andstudy

iii

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLE

Chart 1: Percent of having difficulty when communicating

with guests in English

20

Chart 3: question 5’s aswer 28Chart 4: Problems of Japanese speaking in English 28Chart 5:the most difficult communicating tool 30Table 1: question 1’s answer 20

Table 3:The biggest barrier prevents you from a successful

communication with them

27

Table 4: Problems of Japanese speaking in English 28

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Meaning

Br.E British English

Am.E American English

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLE iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

CHAPTER 1:OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Previous studies 2

1.3 Aims of the study 3

1.4 Research Subjects 3

1.5 Scope of the study 3

1.6 Research methodology 4

1.7 Organization of the study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 What is communication.? 5

2.2 The importance of communication in our life 5

2.3 Types of communication 7

2.3.1 Types of communication based on the communication channels used: 7

2.3.2 Types of communication based on style and purpose 10

2.4 Process of communication 10

2.5 Importance of English communication skills 12

2.6 Importance of English communication skills in hospitality career 14

2.7 Barriers to effective communication 15

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS 18

3.1 Communication environment 18

3.2 Survey 18

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 32

v

4.1 Get acquainted with the many intonations of multipal English speakers around

the world 32

4.2 Recognizing the special things of Japanese when they speaking English 32

4.3 Improving the technical terms related to hospitality 32

4.4 Improving your pronunciation 32

4.5 Using body language if necessary 33

CONCLUSION 34 REFERENCE

vi

CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

1.1 Rationale

There is an undeniable fact that today communication skill and especiallycommunication in English plays a very important role in the development of humansociety Over the millions of years of evolution, there are a myriad of forms ofcommunication: from simple images, characters, howls of human ancestors, to thisday, the human language of communication really boom under a myriad of differentforms, different languages It is estimated that there are around 5000 languages inthe world Of those, although only second only to China in terms of number ofusers, English is still considered as a global language It is difficult to define eversince English has been implicitly regarded as the common language of all humanity

in all fields: economics, entertainment, tourism, information technology Butanyone who is using English partly understands the reason why English is sowidely used

It is because of that widespread that communication in English is seen as anindispensable element of modern man Whether you live in any country, work inany field, any profession, any age, level, you are more or less already exposed toEnglish in your life or work yourself Many deny this Some people say, "We areworkers, working with machines from morning to night so we are never involved inEnglish communication." I think that this is not accurate because at least themachine and the production line they are using also have a "Start / Stop" button Isthat not English? Or even the elderly at home all day know the button "On / Off" onthe control console they hold in hand The "Start / Stop" or "ON / OFF" buttons ondevices have only a few characters, but it is also a form of communication inEnglish between the manufacturer and the user in the form of a script, which helpsthe user to understand the function of those devices

These are the examples of the English-speaking people who are somewhatleast exposed to English in their daily lives So for those who work in the field ofbusiness, travel, entertainment, services where communication in English is

considered to be paramount, English acts as a passport It is imperative to exist inthis modern society One of the areas that require high levels of English is the hotelindustry - this is also an important aspect that I would like to mention in this study.The hotel, especially the hotel reception, is a profitable business for candidates with

a multitude of skills, where English communication skills are a prerequisite foremployers to screen candidates for positions If you compare the two candidateswith the same level of qualifications, but one is more capable of communicating inEnglish, who do you think will be the potential employee? I believe you have yourown answer Being a hotel receptionist means you have to face countless difficultsituations when dealing with problems there is a lot of experience in the professionbut English communication with guests is not always convenient, especially inhotels where the majority of customers are not native English speakers

In this research I want to address two issues The first is the role of Englishcommunication in life and general areas The second is a research study ondifficulties in English communication of the receptionists at the Hanoi Old QuarterHotel in Japanese’s Super Hotel Japan chain It analyzes the difficulties anddevelops research solutions to address the difficulties encountered and to helpfacilitate communication

During my work here I found many difficulties that receptionists encounterwhen communicating in English with customers who are mostly non-Englishspeaking people from such countries as France, Italy, India, Japan and especially themajority of Japanese guests That is why I decided to choose the subject of mystudy as "A study on the difficulties faced by the Front Office Staff at the Hanoi OldQuarter Hotel in communicating in English and some recommended solutions"

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

to the especially cooperative structure of human (as opposed to other primate) socialinteraction.”

1.3 Aims of the study

My research is to find solutions that help hotel receptionists overcome thedifficulties they encounter in the English communication process in work both inspoken and written languages My research aims at the following basic goals:

• Cover background knowledge of communication

• Analyze the situation of communication in English by the reception staff atSuper Hotel Hanoi Old and the difficulties encountered by the staff

• Provide solutions to improve English communication skills for the hotelreceptionists

1.4 Research Subjects

The research subject is to find out the real difficulties faced by the FrontOffice Staff at the Hanoi Old Quarter Hotel in communicating in English

1.5 Scope of the study

There are so many different material resources and researchers that require

a lot of time and effort while my personal experience is limited Therefore, thisstudy can only focus on a specific array of English communication in the hotel,where I have been working directly As a result, I can get a more detailed view ofthe current state of English communication in this area and the difficulties thatreceptionists face when communicating with clients And the hotel that I choose tocarry out my research project is the Super Hotel Hanoi Old Quarter I hope thisstudy will be a useful document to improve the English communication of the frontstaff in the hotel

1.6 Research methodology

To finish this study, I adopt / use the following methods

• Researching on reference books and websites

• Observing the English communication at the Front Office of Super HotelHanoi Old Quarter

• Interviewing and conducting the survey questionaires to the Front OfficeStaff at Super Hotel Hanoi Old Quarter with a view to finding out their attitudestoward the matter and the difficulities they met when communicating in Englishwith customers

• Conducting the survey questionaires for customers who are not nativespeakers with a view to finding out their opinions about some barriers whencommunicating in English with the Front Office Staff

1.7 Organization of the study

A table of contents with page numbers in which they are presented will helpreaders have a clear overview of the research proposal It also helps the readers findthe part they need more easily and quickly.The study is divided into four chapters:

• Chapter 1: The overview of the study including rationale, previous studies, aims ofthe study, research subjects, scope, research methodology, and the organization ofthe study

• Chapter 2: All the theories related to the study are presented This chapterprovides the readers with the overview of communicating knowldedge and Englishcommunication

• Chapter 3: This presents the results of the survey questionaires for the Front OfficeStaff and customers when they communicate in English with each other Morespecifically, this chapter is consisted of analysis of the findings obtained from thesurvey questionaires and evaluation from Front Office Staff and customers

• Chapter 4: The last chapter focuses on the recommnended solutions for the FrontOffice Staff to improve their English communication

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 What is communication.?

According to Oxford Dictionaries, communication is the imparting orexchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other media Inother words, ccommunication is simply the act of transferring information from oneplace to another In the hotel environment, communication is extremelyimportant,especially is English communication between employees and customers.Communication is not just about speaking directly but is also about communicating

by phone, mail, and many other media

2.2 The importance of communication in our life

The word “communication” is derived from the Latin word “communis”which means “to share” It is an activity of exchanging information through ideas,thoughts, messages and information Communication can be compared to water.Both are found everywhere in the world, both are integral in our life, and both aretaken for granted In the Stone Age, humans communicated with each other byusing signs and non-verbal signals Since then, communication has developedincessantly until now Communication is considered as a natural process In dailylife, communication brings people together In business, well communication is akey leading to success In a global environment, communication is a very usefultool to develop diplomatic relations among countries

Communication is one of the important tools that help us to connect withpeople Whether you are a student or a working professional, smoothcommunication is something that will take you far ahead The right communicationcan help you to solve a number of issues and resolve problems as well, and this isthe reason why one should know how to communicate well The skills ofcommunication need to be developed so that you are able to interact with peoplewho share your thoughts and reach out to them All this requires the correctguidance and self-analysis as well

Our communication starts at a very young age As a baby we use signs tocommunicate As we grow, we start talking and learning things This is how welearn to communicate and work on our skills to make a strong impression on otherpeople There is no denial to the fact that communication is a very necessary skilland you need it in every walk of life

If your communication is not good, you may have to face a lot of problemsand come across several hurdles in your career as well Effective communication isthe essence of life and its need increases day by day Both written and verbalcommunication has to be powerful so that you can move ahead in life You need tounderstand the importance of communication and its impact on life

Why is communication necessary?

Communication is not only essential but also enables you to get the trust ofthe people and at the same time bring better opportunities to you The benefits ofcommunication are as follows:

Helps to build relationships – No matter whether you are studying orworking, communication can help you to build a relationship with other people Ifyou are studying you communicate with your classmates and teachers to make arelationship with them Similarly in offices and organizations, you buildrelationships with the staff, your boss and other people around The main motive ofcommunication is to create a friendly environment and share your thoughts andfeeling with one another This is possible only through communication and that iswhy it is essential

Improve the working environment – There is a number of issues which can

be solved through the right and effective communication Managers and highauthorities in the office communicate with one another to put an end to theproblems and ensure the smooth running of the company Even planning requirescommunication both written as well as verbal It is necessary to be good in them so

as to fill in the communication gap

Foster strong team– Communication helps to create a strong teamenvironment in the office and other places Any work which needs to be done in ateam is only possible if the head communicates everything well and in the right

direction If people understand everything and have a clear idea, accomplishing themission becomes easy Thus with the help of communication, you can reach anytarget or meeting the goal in a successful manner.

Find the right solution – Through communication, one can find solutions toeven the critical problems When we talk, we get ideas from people that help us tosolve the issues This is only possible if you are able to put your thought in the rightplace This is where communication comes into play and you need to be right ontarget to fulfill the purpose Powerful communication is an asset of any organizationand can help it in many ways

Earns more respect – If your communication skills are excellent, people willlove and respect you Whenever there is any problem, you will be the first person to

be contacted thus increasing your importance Also, you can climb the stairs ofsuccess with good communication Hence you can say that communications skillscan make a big difference to your reputation in the company and can help inexploring more work opportunities as well

If you feel that you are lagging behind, then you need to work on yourcommunication skills that will have a great impact on your life Whether you wish

to communicate on a personal level or a professional one, good communication isthe key So it is better if you understand its importance soon Only then you will beable to make a difference to your life, get respect from people around and freak outyour thoughts in a more refined and better manner

2.3 Types of communication

People communicate with each other in a number of ways that depend on themessage and its context in wich it is being sent Choice of communication channeland your style of communicating also affect communication So, there are variety oftypes of communication

2.3.1 Types of communication based on the communication channels used:

Under this category, there are:

• Verbal Communication

• Nonverbal Communication

2.3.1.1 Verbal Communication

Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in whichmessage is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and apiece of writing

Verbal communication is further divided into:

Advantages of oral communication are:

It brings quick feedback

In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body

language one can guess whether he/she should trust what’s being said or not

Disadvantage of oral communication

In a face-to-face discussion, user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering, so this can be counted as a

2.3.1.1.2 Written Communication

In written communication, written signs or symbols are used tocommunicate A written message may be printed or hand written In writtencommunication, a message can be transmitted via email, letter, report, memo etc.Messages, in written communication, are influenced by the vocabulary andgrammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used

Written communication is the most common form of communication being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills

Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and

electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal

communication For communicating with external environment in writing,

electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used.

Advantages of written communication include:

A Message can be edited and revised many times before it is actually sent.Written communication provides record for every message sent and can be saved for later study

A written message enables the receiver to fully understand it and send

appropriate feedback

Disadvantages of written communication includes:

Unlike oral communication, written communication doesn’t bring instant feedback

It takes more time in composing a written message as compared to mouth and number of people struggles for writing ability

word-of-2.3.1.2 Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages

We can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language, posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal

communication Nonverbal communication is all about the body language of speaker.

Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message

received Often, nonverbal signals reflect the situation more accurately than verbal messages Sometimes nonverbal response contradicts verbal

communication and hence affects the effectiveness of messages

Nonverbal communication has the following three elements:

Appearance

Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics

Surroundings: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings

Types of Communication Based on Purpose and Style

2.3.2 Types of communication based on style and purpose

Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication and they both bear their own characteristics Communication types based on style and purpose are:

In formal communication, use of slang and foul language is avoided and correct pronunciation is required Authority lines are needed to be followed informal communication

2.3.2.2 Informal Communication

Informal communication is done using channels that are in contrast withformal communication channels It’s just a casual talk It is established for societalaffiliations of members in an organization and face-to-face discussions It happensamong friends and family In informal communication use of slang words, foul language is not restricted Usually informal communication is done orally usinggestures

Informal communication, unlike formal communication, doesn’t follow authority lines In an organization, it helps in finding out staff grievances as peopleexpress more when talking informally Informal communication helps in building relationships.

2.4 Process of communication

Communication is a complex process, and it is difficult to determine where

or with whom a communication encounter starts and ends Models ofcommunication simplify the process by providing a visual representation of thevarious aspects of a communication encounter Some models explain

communication in more detail than others, but even the most complex model stilldoesn’t recreate what we experience in even a moment of a communicationencounter Models still serve a valuable purpose for students of communicationbecause they allow us to see specific concepts and steps within the process ofcommunication, define communication, and apply communication concepts Whenyou become aware of how communication functions, you can think moredeliberately through your communication encounters, which can help you betterprepare for future communication and learn from your previous communication.The three models of communication we will discuss are the transmission,interaction, and transaction models.

Although these models of communication differ, they contain some commonelements The first two models we will discuss, the transmission model and theinteraction model, include the following parts: participants, messages, encoding,decoding, and channels In communication models, the participants are the sendersand/or receivers of messages in a communication encounter The message is theverbal or nonverbal content being conveyed from sender to receiver For example,when you say “Hello!” to your friend, you are sending a message of greeting thatwill be received by your friend

Although models of communication provide a useful blueprint to see how thecommunication process works, they are not complex enough to capture whatcommunication is like as it is experienced

The internal cognitive process that allows participants to send, receive, andunderstand messages is the encoding and decoding process Encoding is the process

of turning thoughts into communication As we will learn later, the level ofconscious thought that goes into encoding messages varies Decoding is the process

of turning communication into thoughts For example, you may realize you’rehungry and encode the following message to send to your roommate: “I’m hungry

Do you want to get pizza tonight?” As your roommate receives the message, hedecodes your communication and turns it back into thoughts in order to makemeaning out of it Of course, we don’t just communicate verbally—we have variousoptions, or channels for communication Encoded messages are sent through

a channel, or a sensory route on which a message travels, to the receiver fordecoding While communication can be sent and received using any sensory route(sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound), most communication occurs through visual(sight) and/or auditory (sound) channels If your roommate has headphones on and

is engrossed in a video game, you may need to get his attention by waving yourhands before you can ask him about dinner

Communication models are not complex enough to truly capture all thattakes place in a communication encounter, but they can help us examine the varioussteps in the process in order to better understand our communication and thecommunication of others

• The transmission model of communication describes communication as a

one-way, linear process in which a sender encodes a message and transmits it through achannel to a receiver who decodes it The transmission of the message many bedisrupted by environmental or semantic noise This model is usually too simple tocapture FtF interactions but can be usefully applied to computer-mediatedcommunication

• The interaction model of communication describes communication as a

two-way process in which participants alternate positions as sender and receiver andgenerate meaning by sending and receiving feedback within physical andpsychological contexts This model captures the interactive aspects ofcommunication but still doesn’t account for how communication constructs ourrealities and is influenced by social and cultural contexts

• The transaction model of communication describes communication as a process

in which communicators generate social realities within social, relational, andcultural contexts This model includes participants who are simultaneously sendersand receivers and accounts for how communication constructs our realities,relationships, and communities

2.5 Importance of English communication skills

English has become a world-wide language, with numerous countriesadopting it as an official language As of 2010, 359 million people spoke English astheir first language English is probably the third largest language by number of

native speakers However, when combining native and non-native speakers it isprobably the most commonly spoken language in the world.

English is spoken by communities on every continent and on oceanic islands

in all the major oceans English is the dominant international language in science,business, aviation, entertainment, and diplomacy, and also on the Internet In mostfields of work your ability to speak English can help you advance your career;helping you get the job you want and earn more money No matter what your area

of expertise, skill in English will contribute substantially to your success Speakingand understanding English will allow a person to communicate with each other,besides this it offers you more chances of doing professional jobs not in your owncountry but around the world

Increase your chances to get hired by Learning Spoken English.

Generally, people who learn good English can simply obtain best andreputed jobs in Tour and travel, international business and other transactions Thismakes our future bright Yet outside of professional environment people also like totalk with each other in English individually as it reflects our traits There are avariety of ways to learn English Schools and books dedicated to the language arecommon throughout the world English classes and textbooks will help you learnvocabulary and basic grammar principles, but their use is limited If you want tobecome truly proficient at speaking and understanding English, you have to practicewith native English-speakers Unfortunately, such opportunities can be hard to find.Not everyone has the chance to study abroad in the US, UK, or other English-speaking nations

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

For anyone interested in traveling to countries in which English is theprimary or common language, it is often essential to understand and speak it.Throughout the UK, US, and Canada, traveling and shopping are often made easier

by speaking the language since many individuals may not speak any other language

One of the most important benefits of learning Spoken English is the ability

to explore these regions and more easily communicate with locals to learn aboutplaces and events that might otherwise remain unknown Many people in Europeancountries learn English in school, so knowing it can also be of benefit whentraveling in locations even where it’s not the native tongue.Learning English language takes time and dedication Speaking effective English ispossible if you are determined

2.6 Importance of English communication skills in hospitality career

Although the hospitality industry includes many different careers and thereare various opportunities for progression and promotion, these are often out of reachunless a person is a proficient and confident user of the English language Beingable to effectively communicate using English is important no matter where in theworld you live, work or travel Certainly, being able to successfully communicate inEnglish is imperative when working in every country

With the trend of the world today, English has become a global language and

is widely used in all spheres of life So in the field of hospitality, what role doesEnglish play?

Knowing English not only helps receptionists in hotels handle the workbetter but also opens the door to career advancement If you still have concernsabout the importance of English to receptionists, let me help you (văn fonginformal ko fu hợp)

Receptionists are often in direct contact with customers so they areconsidered important factors affecting the brand image of the hotel Leading to thetrend of development of the service - tourism industry, the hotel of our countryincreasingly welcomes more international customers Therefore, it is not onlyprofessional skills, but the reception is also good at foreign languages, especiallyEnglish to serve customers These are some main reasons: