VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES
o0o

ĐẶNG THỊ NGỌC ANH A STUDY ON THE PROBLEMS FACED BY STUDENTS IN READING
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS AT UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
ADMINSTRATION – THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY AND SOME
IMPLICATIONS

Tìm hiểu những khó khăn trong việc đọc hiểu tiếng Anh Thương mại
của sinh viên trường Đại học Kinh tế và Quản trị Kinh doanh –
Đại học Thái Nguyên và một số giải pháp M.A. Minor Thesis Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10
HANOI – 2010
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale 11
2. The significance of the study 12
3. Aims of the study 12
4. Method of the study 12
5. Scope of the study 12
6. Organization of the study 13
Chapter 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 14
1.1. ESP Teaching and Learning 14
1.1.1. Definitions of ESP 14
1.1.2. Types of ESP 15
1.1.3. The differences between General English and ESP 18
1.2. Business English – a type of ESP 20
1.2.1. Introduction of Business English 20
1.2.2. Characteristics of Business English 21
1.2.3. Performance objectives for Business English 22
1.2.4. Content of Business English course 23
1.3. Summary 24
Chapter 2: THE PRESENT SITUATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH
FOR BUSINESS AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION (TUEBA) 25
2.1. Introduction of Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business Administration
and its students 25
2.2. Objectives of the ESP course at TUEBA 26
2.3. Materials of the ESP course 26
2.4. The problems in teaching and learning ESP at TUEBA 27
2.4.1 Problems on the part of the teachers 27
2.4.2 Problems on the part of the students 27
2.5. Summary 27
Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 29

Chapter 5: IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPROVING READING SKILLS OF BUSINESS
ENGLISH FOR STUDENTS AT TUEBA 47
5.1. For the students 48
5.1.1. Awareness of the importance of reading skill and role of the ESP course 48
5.2.2. Development of reading strategies and techniques 48
5.2.3. Development of extensive reading habits 50
5.2. For the teachers 50
5.2.1. Improvement of background knowledge of Business 50
5.2.2. Enhancement of ESP teaching methodology 51
5.3. For the materials 55
5.3.1. Improvement of reading materials 55
5.2.3. Awareness of the student’s needs in designing the materials 56
5.4 Summary 57
PART THREE: CONCLUSION 58

1. Summary of the study 58
2. Limitations and suggestions for further study 59
REFERENCES 60
APPENDIX
Questionnaire for the students (English version)
Questionnaire for the students (Vietnamese version)
Questionnaire for the teachers (English version)

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EAP
English for Academic Purposes
EBP
English for Business Purposes
EFL

Figure 2: ESP classification by professional area (Evans, T. D. and St John, 1998: 6) 17
Figure 3: Continuum of ELT course types (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:9) 18

Chart 1: Student’s purposes of learning English 32
Chart 2: Student’s purposes of learning to read English 33
Chart 3: Attitudes towards foreign language skills in students’ future work 34
Chart 4: Views of the role of ESP course 34
Chart 5: Students’ favorite reading materials 35
Chart 6: Types of difficult texts and materials 36
Chart 7: Attitudes towards current ESP reading materials 37
Chart 8: Students’ difficulties in vocabulary 38
Chart 9: Students’ difficulties in grammar 39
Chart 10: Students’ difficulties in reading skill 40
Chart 11: Causes of students’ difficulties 41
Chart 12: Students’ expectations of ESP reading materials 43
Chart 13: Students’ expectations of teaching methodology 44
Chart 14: Students’ activities to improve their ESP reading skill 45
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English for Specific Purpose, or ESP for short, is a pedagogy in which the syllabus,
contents and methods are determined according to the needs of learners' specialized subjects
(Ping Duan & Weiping Gu, 2004:1). In the past 20 years, the explosion in business and
communication technology has revolutionized the field of English language teaching, and has
radically shifted the attention of course designers from teaching English for Academic
Purposes to teaching English for more specialized purposes. ESP can be regarded as an
indispensable part of our life, without which a lot of good opportunities may be missed.
ESP teaching has become a popular trend in English language teaching in the world in

The primary purposes of this study are to describe the problems of ESP students in
dealing with their reading materials at TUEBA, their causes and how to reduce the difficulties
.
.In particular, the study is designed with the hope to achieve the aims as follows:
 To discover students and teachers’ attitudes towards ESP teaching and learning
at TUEBA;
 To investigate the present situation of ESP teaching and learning at TUEBA in
order to identify the students’ difficulties in ESP reading and their causes;
 To propose some recommendations to help students overcome the challenges in
order to improve their ESP reading skills.
4. Method of the study
For the purpose of the study, data is collected through the application of the
questionnaire technique. The information from the survey will then be paraphrased in order to
find out the situation of ESP teaching and learning at TUEBA; students’ problems and their
causes. As such, descriptive statistics of simple percentages will be used.
The instruments used to develop this study are chosen according to the needs of the
students such as: pen, paper and questionnaire format.
5. Scope of the study
The focus of the study is mainly on investigating some linguistic problems related to
ESP reading skills of the students at Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business

Administration. After that, suggestions will be recommended so as to reduce the difficulties
and help students learn ESP more effectively.
6. Organization of the study
There are three main parts in this study including: Introduction, Development and
Conclusion
The Introduction part of the study covers the rationale for the study, the significance,

professional purposes (Anthony, A. 1999).
Based on the concepts of Strevens, P. (1988), Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998)
adopted an extended definition of ESP in terms of its ‘absolute’ and ‘variable’ characteristics.
According to them, in terms of absolute characteristics, ESP (1) is defined to meet specific
needs of the learner, (2) makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the
discipline it serves, and (3) is centered on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills,
discourse and genres appropriate to these activities. In terms of the variable characteristics,
ESP (1) may be related to or designed for specific disciplines, (2) may use, in specific teaching
situations, a different methodology from that of general English, (3) is likely to be designed
for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation, and
could also be for learners at secondary school level, (4) is generally designed for intermediate
or advanced students, (5) assume some basic knowledge of the language system and can be
used with beginners.

The definition Dudley-Evans offered is clearly influenced by that of Strevens (1988),
although he has improved it substantially by removing the absolute characteristic that ESP is
"in contrast with 'General English'" (Johns and Dudley-Evans, 1991: 298), and has revised
and increased the number of variable characteristics. The division of ESP into absolute and
variable characteristics, in particular, is very helpful in resolving arguments about what is and
is not ESP. From the definition, we can see that ESP can be but is not necessarily concerned
with a specific discipline, nor does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or ability range.
ESP should be seen simply as an 'approach' to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an
'attitude of mind'. Such a view echoes that of Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. (1987:19) who
stated, "ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and
method are based on the learner's reason for learning".
Along the same lines, Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. (1987) proposed a broader
definition of ESP. They theorized ESP to be an approach to language teaching in which all
decisions as to content and method are based on the learner’s reason for learning. As for them,
“ESP – is an approach not a product – does not involve a particular kind of language,
teaching material or methodology” (Hutchinson, T. and Waters, A. 1987: 16).

In this ESP tree, EAP involves pre-experience, simultaneous/in-service and post-
experience courses while EOP is for study in a specific discipline (pre-study, in-study, and
post-study) or as a school subject (independent or integrated). Pre-experience or pre-study
course will omit any specific work related to the actual discipline or work as students will not
yet have the needed familiarity with the content; the opportunity for specific or integrated
work will be provided during in-service or in-study courses.
In addition to this, ESP can be divided into EAP and EOP according to discipline or
professional area as is shown in the tree provided by Dudley – Evans and St John as follows:
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

English for Academic Purposes English for Occupational Purposes English for
(Academic)
Science and
Technology
English for
(Academic)
Medical
Purposes
English for
(Academic)
Legal
Purposes
English for
Management
Finances and
Economics
English for

for General Purposes (EGP) and specialist English.
Therefore, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) considered the whole of ELT should be
on a continuum that runs from General English courses to very specific ESP courses as follow:
GENERAL SPECIFIC
1 2 3 4 5
English
for
Medical
Purposes

English
for
Business
Purposes
English
Pre-
vocational
Purposes
English
Vocational
Purposes Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4
Position 5
English for
beginners

Figure 3: Continuum of ELT course types (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:9)
As in the positions 2 and 3, it is only the overall context of the program that decides
whether a particular course is classified as ESP or not. At position 4, the course is specified in
terms of the skills taught. It is, at this point, important to choose appropriate skills to focus on
- e.g., some businessmen will need to read some business journals, others will need
communication skills to deal with their partners. The groups seem not to be homogenous from
one discipline or profession (scientists, engineers, lawyers, doctors), so the individual
members can need texts dealing with their specific profession. Lastly, the course, at position 5,
becomes really specific – the key feature of such courses is that teaching is flexible and
tailored to individual or group needs.
In short, on studying different types of ESP, ESP teachers will have an overall picture
of the groups of learners that he/ she is going to work with. This is an initially important step
enabling the teacher to succeed in improving ESP reading skill for the learners.
1.1.3. The differences between General English and ESP
The question of the differences between ESP and English for General Purposes (EGP)
has been widely addressed in literature. According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), there is
no difference between the two in theory; however, there is a great deal of differences in
practice. In deed, ESP differs from EGP in the sense that the words and sentences learned, the
subject matter discussed, all relate to a particular field or discipline. The design of syllabuses
for ESP is directed towards serving the needs of learners seeking for or developing themselves

in a particular occupation or specializing in a specific academic field. ESP courses make use
of vocabulary tasks related to the field such as negotiation skills and effective techniques for
oral presentations. A balance is created between educational theory and practical
considerations. ESP also increases learners' skills in using English.
In order to find out the differences between ESP and EGP, it is necessary to have a
closer look at both EGP and ESP. EGP is one of the compulsory subjects in junior and senior
high schools in Vietnam. Learners are introduced to the sounds and symbols of English, as
well as to the lexical/grammatical/rhetorical elements that compose spoken and written
discourse. There is no particular situation targeted in this kind of language learning. Moreover,

Business English must have originated from a particular kind of learner, often adults, who
already had both grammatical knowledge of English, and also a specific purpose in learning
English. In short, they were looking for a different approach, one which would provide them
with an opportunity to use this knowledge more productively than had been previously
possible, and therefore approached Business English courses with heightened expectations.
According to Johns and Dudley-Evans (1991), Business English “requires the careful
research and design of pedagogical materials and activities for an identifiable group of adult
learners within a specific learning content”, moreover, it “is designed to meet specified needs
of the learner” (Strevens, 1988).
As it can be seen from the above-mentioned ESP classification, Business English is an
area of ESP, and must be seen in the overall context of ESP, because it relies on and utilizes
elements common to all fields of work in ESP, such as needs analysis, syllabus design,
selection and development of teaching/learning materials, course design etc. Just like other
varieties of ESP, BE works with a number of contexts, requires and uses specific language
corpora, and lays emphasis on specific kinds of communication.
However, as Ellis, M. and Johnson, C. (1994: 3) stated, “Business English differs from
varieties of ESP in that it is often a mix of specific content (relating to a particular job area or
industry), and general content (relating to general ability to communicate more effectively,
especially in business situations)”.

Teaching Business English is believed to be the teaching of English to adults working
in businesses, or preparing to work in the field of business, i.e. a needs-directed teaching in
which as much as possible must be made job-related, focused on learners’ needs and relevant
to them. Successful use of English is seen in terms of a successful outcome to the business
transaction. Cost-effectiveness is required by both adults paying for themselves, and
companies sponsoring their staff, so learners’ bosses and supervisors, or the person setting up
the language training in a company may expect reports on learners’ progress on a regular
basis. Business is competitive, and learners’ attendance can even be tracked, especially if the
company is financing the course. Courses may be long or short. Classes may be taught in-
company or in a language school or other rented facilities.

Information has to be conveyed with minimum risk of misunderstanding, and the time
for processing needs to be short. Therefore, there is a preference for clear, logical, thought
emphasized by the kinds of words that indicate the logical process. There is often a need to be
concise – particularly when communicating by fax or telephone – and certain familiar
concepts may be expressed in word clusters to avoid circumlocution.
1.2.3. Performance objectives for Business English
The most obvious objective behind a Business English course is to fulfill students’
work related needs (Donna 2000:3). Moreover, as already stated, one of the main
characteristics of Business English is the emphasis on performance – training learners to
become operationally effective. For people in business, the priority is to be able to understand
and get their message across, and for the majority of Business English learners many of the
refinements of language are quite simply not relevant.
What the majority of business learners need to acquire could be broadly summarized as
follows:
 Confidence and fluency in speaking
 Skills for organizing and structuring information
 Sufficient language accuracy to be able to communicate ideas without ambiguity and
without stress for the listener
 Strategies for following the main points of fast, complex, and imperfect speech

 Strategies for clarifying and checking unclear information
 Speed of reaction to the utterances of others
 Clear pronunciation and delivery
 An awareness of appropriate language and behavior for the cultures and situations in
which they operate.
Some learners may also need to develop practical reading and writing skills.
In Business English, these performance criteria need to be seen in the context of
specific business situations in which the learner will be involved. If the requirements of a
typical job are analyzed, it can be seen, for example, that the learner has to attend meetings
which are conducted in English, and that he or she has to follow what is going on and be able

them. (www.teachingenglish.org.uk)
1.3. Summary
It is hoped that most of the related issues to the study have been fully discussed in this
chapter. As we know, due to the result of current economic and political developments in
different parts of the world, Business English is currently undergoing a period of rapid growth.
Indeed, it is becoming the leading branch of ESP. The situation with Business English is in
many ways analogous to the situation with English for Science and Technology and English
for Academic Purposes in the 1970s and 1980s (Dudley – Evans and St John 1996: 39).

Chapter 2: THE PRESENT SITUATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH
FOR BUSINESS AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (TUEBA)
In order to sense the aim of the thesis, this chapter is expected to give an overall
description of factual teaching and learning ESP in the aspects of objectives, materials,
teachers and students.
2.1. Introduction of Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business Administration
and its students
Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business Administration (TUEBA) is a
newly established member of Thai Nguyen University, and has been operating for 5 years. The
university is the merger of the Faculty of Agricultural Economics of Thai Nguyen University
of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) and the Faculty of Industrial Economics of Thai Nguyen
University of Technology (TNUT). One of its foremost important responsibilities is to train
highly qualified human resources at under-graduate and graduate levels, and non-degree short-
term training. TUEBA has been trying to become a centre of high quality training and
education in the field of economics and business administration, rural development to support
hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and sustainable socioeconomic development in
industrialization and modernization process in midland and mountainous provinces of the
North of Vietnam.
Every year, TUEBA admits students for a course of study of 4 years. The number of
students admitted is increasing more and more each year. After graduating, our students can

At TUEBA, the textbook namely “English for Economics and Business” used in ESP
teaching and learning is the in-house one. The book has 7 chapters covering different topics
such as Microeconomics and Macroeconomics; Business Management; Finance and
Accounting; International Trade; Marketing; Economic Policies and Issues; and Business
Communication, which are selected from available updated published books and edited
according to the real teaching and learning conditions of the university and to suit the
student’s level of both English proficiency and professional knowledge. Each chapter contains

three main parts as Vocabulary, Discussion and Reading Comprehension, Grammatical Points,
and Assigned Exercises.
2.4. The problems in teaching and learning ESP at TUEBA
2.4.1 Problems on the part of the teachers
The English division has 10 teachers, of which, 8 teachers are from 25 to 30 years old
and the other two are at the age of fifties. Most of them had formal ELT training in different
institutions inside Vietnam, whereas one teacher switched from Russian to English language
teaching; another holds the second degree in Business Administration. Especially, one teacher,
who is specialized in teaching ESP, graduated from the Faculty of Business English of Hanoi
Foreign Trade University. All of the teachers have been to some domestic workshops in
foreign language teaching and some to ESP teaching workshops.
Five out of the division are teachers of GE and in fact, they were trained to become
teachers of GE only but are unexpectedly required to teach ESP that is unfamiliar to them.
Therefore, they face a lot of difficulties in teaching the new subject in terms of the specialized
knowledge and teaching methodology.
In this situation, the teachers have no other choice but try to fulfill their job by learning
and working harder in order to be up to the expectations of the teaching and learning process.
2.4.2 Problems on the part of the students
Most of the students of TUEBA started learning English at their high schools and they
have already studied English for three semesters before learning ESP. Although many of them
have good command of English vocabulary, grammar structures and rules, it is shown that
they are not equally competent in English because GE is quite different from ESP.