APPLY SOME SOFT SKILLS IN COMMUNICATION TO MEET MEET THE
EMPLOYER’S REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGLISH MAJORED SENIORS AT
QUANG BINH UNIVERSITY
Nguyen Dinh Hung, Ph.D

Dinh Thi Thao Nhung
University of English Language K54

I. INTRODUCTION
1. Background
Communication has been considered as one of the essential need for economic
development in almost countries. Languages play the key role in this process.
English is recognized the international language which is used for the majority of
texts, books and for global communications. In Vietnam, English has been paid much
attention from educationists and authority and the language is presented at almost
national educational system.
Especially, good communication skills are the key to all relationships and success.
Many students have shown their awareness of the necessity of English and they make
their best effortless in acquiring the language. The primary aim in learning English is
to use the language in daily communication which could help people in different
mother tongue understand each other. In addition, good communication skills can help
students find a good job easier, and help them to succeed in many areas of business
and life.
However, communication skills have been a big problem toward English majored
students today. Bashiruddin (2003) states, “The students have no exposure to English
in their everyday communication”. Although a large number of students learn to
communicate by English language at school, they rarely use it in real situations.
Davies and Berril (1990) pointed out that “the spoken language in English has been
shamefully neglected”. It is true in the context of using English of Vietnamese students
and more specifically, to Quang Binh English major students who express their
shyness, outdatedness and limited words to English use. It is doubtful that, whether

last year students could succeed in job interview to be offered a position with those


poor skills. Poor communication is one of the basic causes of the failure to find a
suitable job.
Based on the urgency of the limited communication skills of English students at QBU,
my thesis is done with the aim of helping students realize the importance of soft skills
in communication as well as help them to “apply some soft skills in communication to
meet the employer’s requirements for English majored seniors at Quang Binh
University”.
2. Rationale of the thesis
Based on the reality of the poor communication level and scanty job opportunities for
English majors at QBU, I notice the “Apply some soft skills in communication to meet
the employer’s requirements for English majored seniors at Quang Binh University” is
really necessary.
As one of the English majored students in the language department at QBU, I
particularly care and want to find some useful solutions to help students improve their
soft skills in communication to meet the requirements of job interview and help them
have a more beautiful future.
3. Purposes of the research
1. This thesis aims to point out the importance of communication in learning
English as well as in job interviews for students.
2. Finding out the most difficulties in the students’ communicating learning as
well as in job interviews in the future.
3. Giving some useful solutions to help English majored seniors at Quang Binh
University improve English communication and do job interviews successfully.
4. Research questions
1. What are perceptions of English majored seniors at Quang Binh University
towards learning communication skill?
2. How difficult that students faced by using English to communicate?

3. What are the most effective solutions for improving communication skills?
5. Scope of the study


28 English majored seniors at Quang Binh University.
This research focuses on investigation of the advantages and difficulties English
majored senior at Quang Binh University encounter in the learning process, and it
offers some solutions to help them improve their communication skills effectively to
meet the employer’s requirements.
II. DIFFICULTIES THAT ENGLISH MAJORED SENIORS AT QUANG BINH
UNIVERSITY MEET IN LEARNING COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. Theoretical background
1.1. Definition of skill
In the Knowledge Economy today, most of the people have almost the same
knowledge base. What differentiates one person from another is how well they can
effectively use their skills to apply their knowledge.
Skill is the ability to perform a certain job, in a situation, under certain conditions, to
achieve a certain target like: sport skills, sing skills, teamwork skills, language skills,
etc. There are two main types of skills: hard skills and soft skills.
1.2. Hard skills and soft skills
Soft skills are like "people skills." Unlike hard skills – emotional intelligence, which
are the academic abilities, experience and professional expertise students are learned
from University, soft skills – logic intelligence, are important skills in human life that
not learned in school, not related to professional knowledge. Besides, soft skills are
also not a special character skills. It depends primarily on personality of each person.
However, soft skills decide who you are, how to work, it is a measure assesses the
work.
The fact is that hard skills create premise but soft skills make up the development. The
successful person has only 25% due to the expertise. 75% remaining is determined by
the soft skills are equipped.

1.3. Definition of communication, communication skills


Communication is an important and complex issue that has been mentioned and
researched by many researchers in different angles.
Communication is the relationship, treating between people - Soviet Union
psychologists.
Communication skills can understand in the thesis context as the ability to apply these
experiences in information exchange, express opinions, ideas to others so that they
understand what you want to say, and then achieve the purpose.
1.4. The roles of communication skills in job interview
Communication skills are always top of the “essential skills” list in any job
advertisement.
Good communication skills are of paramount importance as the interviewer judges the
quality of the interviewee based on his communication skills.
Good looking makes first impression – good communication make good relationships
and good business.
Generally, communication skills are important to everyone, especially to employees in
general and students who nearly have an interview for a job in particular.
2. Methodology
2.1. Participants
There are 28 English majored Seniors at Quang Binh University were involved in my
thesis.
2.2. Data collection method.
Questionnaire
In order to obtain the data we require we need to use appropriate methods.
Questionnaire was chosen as the main method since it is not only precise but also
unambiguous.



The questionnaire survey consists of 8 questions both multiple choice and open-ended
ones related to the teaching and learning communication skills and the soft skills
necessary for communication.
2.3. Data analysis methods
Data collected and analyzed were converted into a percentage and shown in the charts,
the calculated statistics will also be shown alongside the relevant questions that were
asked.
3. Students’ perceptions towards communication skills
3.1. Students’ response on the importance of communication skills

Students' awareness of the importance of learning listening skill is expressed on the
chart below.
Figure 1. Students’ response on the importance of communication skills

3.2. Students’ time on learning communication

Figure 2. Student’ time on learning communication


4. Difficulties in learning communication skill that the students encounter
4.1. The most soft skills students find difficult trammel their communication
learning process
Figure 3: The most soft skills students find difficult trammel their communication
learning process

4.2. The duration of teaching and learning communication skills at class
Figure 4: The duration of teaching and learning communication skills at class


4.3. How interviewers assess student’s communication skills

Figure 5. How interviewers assess student’s communication skills

4. Suggestions for the improvement of students’ communication skill
4.1. Solutions to limit the difficulties in communication
Solutions

Percent

Develop speaking skills

98%

Improve listening skills

95%


Practice body language and eye contact using skills

78%

Develop observation skills

44%

Enhance presentation skills

22%

Focus more on influencing skills


80%

Be confident in public

70%

Table 1: Solutions to limit the difficulties in communication
4.2. Useful activities in practicing communication skills
Figure 6:Useful activities in practicing communication skills

4.3. Some solutions help students to improve the soft skills in communication to
meet the employer’s requirements
Solutions

Percent

Develop speaking skills

93%

Improve observation, listening, negotiation and presenting skills

90%

Be created in Q & A skills

89%

Practice body language, eye contact using skills


71%

Be confident in public

72%


Use media (internet, TV, newspapers, etc)

75%

Refer interview information from successful people

74%

Table 2. Some solutions help students to improve the soft skills in
communication to meet the employer’s requirements
III. CONCLUSION
1. Conclusion
Overall, through this study we can conclude that for English majored seniors at Quang
Binh University, their soft skills in communication should be improved and developed
to meet the social developments and to get a good job after graduate. The difficulties
hinder the communication learning of students mainly because they have no
appropriate solutions during their learning communication process.
There is also a number of other causes affecting communication skills of students such
as students are too lazy, rarely take their time to learn communication; students are
still passive, they do not care about their future carefully; or students do not have
adequate means for learning, and so on.
Based on the real communication skills of English majored seniors and the employer's

requirement today, some useful solutions were given to help students get better in
learning and applying some soft skills in communication to have a great interview and
get a good job in the future.
Through this paper, there are some useful advices to help English majored seniors at
Quang Binh University to improve communication skills are follows:
 Students should develop speaking skills
 They also should improve observation, listening, negotiation and
presenting skills.
 Students must be created in Q & A skills is extremely necessary for
students to win the interview in the future.
 Moreover, they should practice body language, eye contact using skills.


 Besides, students are also should be confident in public.
 Furthermore, they greatly need to reference interview information from
successful people and media (internet, TV, newspapers) to get better in
communication learning process as long as do the job interview well,
surely have a good opportunity to go to the great future.
2. Recommendations
Several recommendations have been made based on the results of this research as
follows:
Effective communication is an important element of success for anyone. Good
communication skills can give students edge in getting the jobs they want and help
them move up the ladder to better paid position. Good communication in English is a
great dream of many people today, thus, as an English student, you should heighten
your awareness about the importance of English communication in social needs and
try to improve as much soft skills to communicate well as you can.
It proves that communication skills seem indispensable in life today. According to this
study, I have some useful advices for English majored seniors at Quang Binh
University that students must pay more attention on learning communication, search

and find out what soft skills are necessary for learning communication process such as
speaking skills, listening skills, presenting skills, observation and negotiation skills, etc;
and spend much more time on this subject. Moreover, students must practice
communication as much as possible, active speak to people in public by confident way,
usually talk to native speakers, enhance influencing skills, learn how to communicate
well from the successful people, etc.

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/>
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