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TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THƯƠNG MẠI
KHOA TIẾNG ANH
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NGHIÊN CỨU KHOA HỌC CẤP TRƯỜNG
AN ANALYSIS ON THE INFLUENCE OF VIETNAMESE STYLE
ON WRITING ENGLISH BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
SITUATION AND SOLUTIONS
(PHÂN TÍCH ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA NGÔN NGỮ TIẾNG VIỆT KHI VIẾT THƯ
TÍN THƯƠNG MẠI BẰNG TIẾNG ANH – THỰC TRẠNG VÀ GIẢI PHÁP)
Người thực hiện: ThS. Phạm Thị Xuân Hà
Đơn vị: BM Thực hành tiếng – Khoa tiếng Anh
Hà Nội, tháng 3, 2017
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 5
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LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS ....................................................................... 6
PART A: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 7
1. Rationale ................................................................................................................................................7
2. Aims of the study ...................................................................................................................................8
3. The research questions of the study .....................................................................................................9
4. Scope of the study .................................................................................................................................9
5. Significance of the study .......................................................................................................................9
5. Methods of the study ......................................................................................................................... 10
6. Design of the study ............................................................................................................................. 10
PART B: DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................. 11
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................................... 11
1.1. The importance of business letters in doing business ................................................................ 11
1.2. Definition of a business letter ..................................................................................................... 12
1.3. Kinds of business letters .............................................................................................................. 12
1.3.1. Inquiries ................................................................................................................................ 12
1.3.2. Quotations and offers .......................................................................................................... 13
1.3.3. Orders ................................................................................................................................... 13
1.3.4. Claims ................................................................................................................................... 13
1.4. Features of a goof business letter ............................................................................................... 14
1.5 The factors influencing translation process ................................................................................. 15
1.5.1 Influence of the mother tongue ............................................................................................ 15
1.5.2 Words and choices of word meanings .................................................................................. 16
1.5.3 Grammatical structures ......................................................................................................... 17
1.5.4. Context ................................................................................................................................. 18
1.5.5 Characteristic of language ..................................................................................................... 18
1.6 Common errors in Vietnamese-English translation ..................................................................... 20
1.6.1. Vocabulary errors ................................................................................................................. 20
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1.6.2 Grammar errors ..................................................................................................................... 25
1.6.3 Cultural errors ........................................................................................................................... 28
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 30
2.1 Research questions....................................................................................................................... 30
2.2 Research participants ................................................................................................................... 31
2.3 Research procedure ..................................................................................................................... 31
2.4 Data collect instruments .............................................................................................................. 32
2.4.1 The test papers analysis and statistic .................................................................................... 32
2.4.2 The questionnaire.................................................................................................................. 32
CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................................................... 34
3.1. The findings ................................................................................................................................. 34
3.2 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 35
3.2.1. Some difficulties and common mistakes in using correct grammar .................................... 35
3.2.2. Power of lexis and Terminology ........................................................................................... 39
3.2.3. Mistakes and difficulties in set expression and using words ............................................... 43
3.2.4. Mistakes and difficulties in using words .............................................................................. 45
3.2.5. Difficulties in conveying the original writing styles .............................................................. 49
3.3. Causes of business-letter writing problems ................................................................................ 52
3.3.1. Causes of grammar errors related to verb tenses ................................................................ 52
3.3.2. Causes of errors on word choices ........................................................................................ 52
PART C: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................ 53
1. Implications ........................................................................................................................................ 53
1.1. Using correct language ................................................................................................................ 54
1.2. Solution to conveying the original writing styles ........................................................................ 56
2. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 59
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 60
APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 62
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APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................................ 62
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................................ 64
Acknowledgements