This study was conducted to examine the importance of english in employability for graduates, which in turn influences the need to learn english as well as the choice of english linguistic specialisation

vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Students‘ interest in learning English...37 Figure 2: Demand for a good job in choosing a major in English ………...38 Figure 3: Effect of good income on choosi

2 Aims of the Study 2

3 Methods of the study 2

4 Scope of the study 3

5 Design of the Study 3

PART TWO DEVELOPMENT 4

Chapter 1: Literture review 4

1.1 Employability 4

1.1.1 Definition 4

1.1.2 Employability skills 4

1.1.3 English competence and the employability 6

1.1.4 Education and employability 9

1.1.4.1 What is education? 9

1.1.4.2 The relationship between education and employability 9

1.1.5 Education and future income 12

1.2 English linguistic specialization 14

1.2.1 Definition of English linguistics 14

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1.2.2 The The purpose program of Teacher Education program at Hong Duc

university 14

1.2.3 The program contents 15

1.2.4 The program learning outcomes 16

1.2.4.1 Knowledge 16

1.2.4.2 Skills and capacity to be self-responsible 17

1.2.5 Demand for learning English 18

1.2.6 Benefits of Learning English 18

1.3 The choice of university specilization by high school graduates 21

1.3.1 Social trend 22

1.3.2 Family orientation 23

1.3.3 Personal interest 23

1.3.4 Future job prospect 24

1.4 The world of work 25

1.4.1 What is the Job Market? 25

1.4.2 Supply and Demand in the Job Market 25

1.4 3 Jobs require English competence 26

1.4.4 English competence level required for jobs 28

1.4.5 English for work skills and income prospect 30

1.4.6 Obstacles to learning English for workers 31

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2.3.2 Interview 34

2.4 Data collection procedure 34

2.4.1 Collecting data from questionnaire 34

2.4.2 Collecting data from interview 35

2.5 Data analysis 35

2.5.1 Method of data analysis 35

2.5.2 Data analysis procedure 35

CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 37

3.1 Findings from the questionnaire 37

3.1.1 Data analysis based on students‘ English survey questionnaires 37

3.2 Findings from the interview 44

CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION 47

REFERENCES 49

I Books and articles 49

II: Foreign news source 49

1 Internet information 49

2 Report 50

III: Vietnamese news sources 50

QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW Error! Bookmark not defined QUESTIONS FOR THE SURVEY QUESTIONAIR 52

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

After putting in long days of study and hard work to finish the thesis, I would like to firstly extend my sincere gratitude to my academic advisor, Dr Vu Thi Loan, a lecturer in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hong Duc University, for her constant guidance and support Without her helpful advice and constructive comments, I would not have finished my thesis so soon At the same time, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Dean of the Faculty, Dr Nguyen Thi Quyet and all the lecturers at Hong Duc University for their assistance in providing me with useful lessons and study materials throughout the previous four years Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to the English-linguistic students who actively participated in the data survey so that we could draw out the findings and propose practical solutions In closing, I'd like to express my gratitude to my parents, friends, and anybody else who has ever supported me through the challenges and discouragement so that I could complete this thesis

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ABSTRACT

Globalization and the need to use English widely in work and life today have pushed people to learn English Currently, in Viet Nam English has become a compulsory subject in school curriculum, starting from Grade 1 Realizing the importance of English in today's life as well as the increasing demand for a deep study of English The objective of this study is to find out how job demand factors influence the decision to choose a unviersity major by school graduates The study included 340 students from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Hong Duc University who participated in a survey to answer a questionnaire using the Google Form approach Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 randomly selected students to learn more about their attitudes The findings show that the demand for employment has largely influenced students‘ decision to choose a major in English They see English as a means to get a good job in the future This is also the motivation to help students complete their tasks in four

years of university

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Students‘ interest in learning English 37 Figure 2: Demand for a good job in choosing a major in English ……… 38 Figure 3: Effect of good income on choosing to learn English linguistic…… 38 Figure 4: Social trends influence choosing a major in English……… 39 Figure 5: Effect of job opportunities when choosing to study English 39 Figure 6: Friend's advice in deciding to learn English……… 40 Figure 7: Successful businessman‘s advice in deciding to learn English… 40 Figure 8: Parent‘s advice in deciding to learn English linguistic……… 41 Figure 9: Learn English linguistics because of the information on Hong Duc ‗s website……… 42 Figure 10: The influence of the media on the choice of learning English… 42 Figure 11: The effect of the current trend among young people in deciding to learn English linguistic……… 43 Figure 12: Reasonable tuition fees affect the decision to learn English linguistic ……….……… 43

LIST OF TABLE

The results of four countries with a relatively high demand for English in career development……….……… …….…8

1

PART ONE INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale

The Globalization has certainly effect on English becoming the lingua Franca of business In the international commercial sphere, English has become the lingua Franca of the business world, irrespective of geographical, social, political, or religious differences It is recognized as one of the six official languages of the United Nations Being a professionally trained in English makes a person more employable as English language skills open the doors to many

more career options and connect one to more globally recognized companies "In

a corporate environment, especially in international companies, employees who are good at English will be more confident.", "From there, they communicate better with their supervisors and colleagues, and they are able to represent that business and easily hold important positions in the company", "Most candidates who are good at foreign languages often find jobs with higher incomes than candidates who do not know foreign languages by 30%–50%", "In addition, compared with the group of candidates who do not know foreign languages, the opportunity for career development, promotion, and management level of candidates who know foreign languages is greater and takes less time." (Harvard Business Review, 2012) There are more than 50 English-speaking countries around the world, and around 375 million people communicate in English (Crystal, 2012) The options for employment in different parts of the world for those who can speak English are more extensive than with any other language For example, English speakers could find jobs in different countries in the world, for example Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States The demand for doing a good job of putting emphasis on the English language's development is of utmost importance As we are living in a competitive world; if workers only speak their mother tongue, they may lose the opportunity to work in multinational companies and reduce their ability to

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compete directly with foreign workers As for the aforementioned reason, this study was conducted to examine the importance of English in employability for graduates, which in turn influences the need to learn English as well as the choice of English linguistic specialisation Due to the increasing demand for learning English and choosing an English linguistic major, schools and centers focus on investing in facilities and teachers, leading to tuition fees for foreign language centers or English linguistic majors at universities that are often more expensive than other majors Besides, the input quality of the English language major also becomes more competitive because the number of students who want to study to develop is very large; even those who are not good at learning foreign languages also want to study this major to be prepared for their opportunities in the future Because of the relatively high amount of competition, most of the top schools for foreign language training will be more difficult to pass Some of you with low university exam scores who are not so good at English will find other schools with lower entry scores to develop their major Therefore, Hong Duc University, a school with investments in facilities and relatively quality foreign language teachers with low tuition fees and not too high admission scores, will be a preferred choice for students who have the hope of developing, although their knowledge is not too good Since then, it has been emphasized that students choose to study English at Hong Duc University because many other motivations are not simply passions and interests

2 Aims of the Study

This study aims to investigate the factors that influence students to choose English linguistics From the study findings, implications and recommendations are provided to provide students with guidance on university major selection In addition, the study also examines the importance of English in today's life and work

3 Methods of the study

To achieve the above goal, the study used a survey questionnaire and interview to collect data from students majoring in English at Hong Duc

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University to assess the difficulties and benefits encountered when studying this major At the same time, finding out the motivation of students when majoring in foreign languages and the influence of job demands on their decision to choose to learn English

4 Scope of the study

This study focuses on investigating the influence of job demand on students' decisions to enroll in the English linguistic program at Hong Duc University The researcher limited the participants to being English majors in the 2022-2023 course at Hong Duc University

5 Design of the Study

This graduation paper consists of three mains parts:

Part I - Introduction: First, the rationale is presented, followed by sections outlining the aims and the scopes of the study Finally, methods and design of the study are described

Part II – Development: this part consists of three chapters as following: Chapter 1: Literature review – provide a brief overview of theoretical and practical background of the study

Chapter 2: Research methodology - describe the context of study, methodology, data collection instruments, and data collection and analysis

Chapter 3: Findings, discussions This chapter presents the main results of the study and discusses the meaning of the results

Part III – Conclusion: this part presents an overall evaluation of the study as well as implications and recommendations

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PART TWO DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literture review 1.1 Employability

1.1.1 Definition

According to the Cambridge dictionary, employability is the skills and abilities that allow a person to be employed In the language of recruiters, there is a criterion called employability – roughly translated as ability to be employed This is an important concept that students have to think about during their time at university Regardless of what one wants to do after graduation, it is important to consider whether one‘s knowledge, experience and soft skills will meet the needs of employers Today, employers believe that a degree is not a sufficient condition, and they are looking for candidates who can demonstrate skills and show that they are ―ready to work‖ (Cambridge dictionary)

1.1.2 Employability skills

According to information provided on the website an Australian government website created to help young people aged 15-25 in their job search and in building up their employability ( Job jump start, 2020) Employability skills are a set of skills and behaviors that are necessary for every job These are the essential skills, personal qualities and values that enable a person to thrive in any workplace These include:

5 - adaptability

A Newzealand website created to help young New Zealand people enhance their career outcomes, employability skills are the skills, qualities and attitudes that employers say are essential for their workplace The skills are:

The Indeed Editorial Team suggest that the following set of skills are essential to help graduates increase their chances of getting hired:

- Effective communication - Capable of focusing on writing, talks, and presentations while expressing ideas clearly

- Teamwork - The capacity to play a variety of roles in a group and get along with others to accomplish objectives

- Commercial awareness: Expertise in a particular business or industry How do they operate? Why do they exist? What problems do they encounter?

- Problem-Solving - Recognize potential issues, evaluate risks, and use logical and imaginative thinking to come up with solutions

- Leadership - The capacity to encourage, inspire, and help others realize their potential Organize activities, distribute tasks, and establish due dates

- The process of designing, observing, and controlling a specific project is known as project management

- Time management - The capacity to schedule your own activities and set priorities so that you may complete tasks more quickly and effectively

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- Initiative - Proactive and zealous, spotting opportunities, appreciating best practices, and coming up with fresh concepts

- Adaptability - Ability to work in various settings and teams on a variety of activities and projects

- Innovation and entrepreneurship - The capacity to spot market opportunities and gaps as well as develop fresh, creative solutions to issues

- Computer literacy - The capacity to absorb, pick up on, and adjust to new technologies This includes being familiar with the fundamental features of the Microsoft Office package

In short, employability skills are sometimes called soft skills, foundational skills, work-readiness skills, or job-readiness skills, the skills that employers look for when interviewing a candidate for a position at their organization Ultimately, employability skills are general skills employers look for during recruitment, succession planning and other stages of talent development With the growing global workforce, English skills have become a critical employability skill and yet many companies still struggle to define what English proficiency means to them See how strategically investing in employability skills, like English, can improve employee productivity and result in thousands of savings

For young people from non-English speaking countries, English language skills are added to the above lists as essential skills for employability The following section will discuss the relationship between English language skills and employability

1.1.3 English competence and the employability

Almost every job today demands good English communication skills With fluent English communication skills, 80% of work is done, no matter if you are looking to expand your own business or want to crack an interview (Burlington English, 2023) English helps you in understanding common business communications easily Maximum of business contracts, deals, and even product descriptions are written in the English language So, to stay updated

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and understand the language of business throughout the world, it is important for you to learn English When you want to send transport or your logistics all around the world, it becomes important for you to communicate in a universal language Learning and understanding English will help you in talking to people in any country in the world

Employers are constantly in need of employees with strong communication skills covering a wide range of verbal and written communication As there is multi-cultural and multi-linguistic work force in the companies, employees should be interactive and communicative with others in the teamwork, for which English is the common language connecting people English is used for official communication in meetings, presentations, training programmes, conferences, letters, documents and reports etc For this purpose employees are expected to read, write, speak and understand English The lack of English language skills has been considered a barrier to entry of employment and workforce accomplishment Therefore, English communication skills are an important pre-requisite for a career at national or international level In other words, English proficiency is a key factor for employment success and advancement

Cambridge English and Quacquarelli Symonds(QS) present a global, cross-industry overview of English language skills at work, entitled: ―English at Work: Global Analysis of Language Skills in the Workplace‖ (Cambridge English,2016) The English at Work findings are based on data from over 5,300 employers in 38 countries and territories that completed the annual QS Global Employer Survey According to this study, below are the results from four countries with a relatively high demand for English in career development (Cambridge English, 2016)

78%- Global 78%-Global 78%-Global 78%-Global

Marketing 96%-Australia 91%Singapore 93%- Canada 64%- Global 64%- Global 64%- Global 64%- Global

Sales 94%-Australia 89%Singapore 92%- Canada 60%- Global 60%- Global 60%- Global 60%- Global

Production 94%-Australia 87%Singapore 90%- Canada

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In short, learning English will give a boost to career development It will help you in landing your dream job or starting your own business

1.1.4 Education and employability

1.1.4.1 What is education?

Education is the process where an individual acquires or imparts basic knowledge to another It is also where a person:

 develops skills essential to daily living,  learns social norms,

 develops judgment and reasoning, and  learns how to discern right from wrong

There are various types of education but typically, traditional schooling dictates the way one‘s education success is measured Besides, people who attended school and attained a higher level of education are considered more employable and likely to earn more (World vision, 2021)

1.1.4.2 The relationship between education and employability

Education helps eradicate poverty and hunger, giving people the chance at better lives In developing, low-income countries, for example, there is a projected 10 per cent increase in a person‘s future income for every additional year of education It is also why nations work toward promoting easier access to education for both children and adults

Below are some of the other most common reasons why education is so important:

Education helps a person hone their communication skills by learning how to read, write, speak and listen

Education develops critical thinking This is vital in teaching a person how to use logic when making decisions and interacting with people (e.g., boosting creativity, enhancing time management)

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Education helps an individual meet basic job qualifications and makes them more likely to secure better jobs

Education promotes gender equality and helps empower girls and women A World Bank report found that an extra year of schooling for girls reduces teen pregnancy rates by six per cent and gave women more control over how many children they have

Education reduces child mortality According to UNESCO, a child born to a mother who can read is 50 per cent more likely to survive past the age of five

For over 60 years, economists have demonstrated how education leads directly to major economic returns in salary and GDP Education additionally plays a vital role in many countries‘ economies, as well as the general health of labor markets and overall employment Indeed, employment tends to go in lock step with increasing education standards This is true both for individuals and large economies (The learning acency, 2020).

Employability is a key concept in higher education Graduate employment rate is often used to assess the quality of university provision, despite that employability and employment are two different concepts This paper will increase the understandings of graduate employability through interpreting its meaning and whose responsibility for graduate employability from the perspectives of four key stakeholders: higher education institutions, students, government and employers (Mawson and Haworth, 2018; Oliver, 2015; Wilks et al., 2017)

Whenever we discuss about performance of professional education in general and schools in particular, we invariably talk of campus to industry gap Connecting between schools and companies of placement, has been a common theme for so many workshops

Employability, the qualities and skills that make us suitable for paid work, often brings to mind a specific body of knowledge, technical skills or qualifications that are appropriate for a particular position However, there is an

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increasing demand from global businesses for their employees to demonstrate

effective core skills Employability is just not about getting a job It also

encompasses sustainability and continuity in employment Getting, keeping and doing-well‘ on a job, appears to be a very apt definition for employability It also includes those skills which are very basic and fundamental in nature and needs attention at early stage of life of a student; right from childhood, to teenage stage and university education period (The learning acency, 2020) Thus proper parenting is called for, to take care of those early years skills development, so that B-school grooming becomes more productive riding on those strong foundation blocks Education policy at primary, secondary and higher education stage needs to be looked upon in a holistic manner It should carry consistency, maintain congruence and coordination within the sequential stages Professional involvement of the industry is a very critical input for effective contribution in this roadmap of professional education to employability transition For some country consolidate its position as a service sector global hub, a lot needs to be done to get maximum yield from the demographic advantage we have Otherwise, the huge educated youth manpower can spell disaster for the country, if proper employment skills and abilities are not groomed

Simply put, more education leads to much more income What‘s more, an improvement in education would help kickstart the economy Schools are the primary environments in which people develop cognitive skills, and research shows countries with improved cognitive skills over time experience faster rates of economic growth This boost is due to the impact of cognitive skills on an individual‘s earnings

To put it more exactly, better-skilled workers are more equipped to manage a range of situations in their work environment, improve their technical and domain expertise, and strive for higher positions within their current place of employment and elsewhere Cognitive skills also improve a worker‘s efficiency and productivity, making them more attractive to employers

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More educated workers can also compete more effectively for high-paying and high-skilled jobs In other words, the more knowledge someone has, the more effective they are finding work The nation currently faces a shortage of skilled labor in a number of technical areas including machine learning and data science

1.1.5 Education and future income

The relationship between education and income is strong Education is often referred to as an investment in human capital People invest in human capital for similar reasons as people invest in financial assets, including to make money While top grades don't necessarily lead to wealth, the highest-paying jobs often require higher education Earnings increase with education due to credential effects This refers to the idea that higher levels of schooling are associated with higher earnings, not because they directly raise productivity, but because they certify that the worker is likely to be productive In this sense, education merely sorts workers according to their unobserved attributes; it does not necessarily augment their intrinsic productivity Considering early grades are linked to more advanced degrees, it would only make sense that higher grades are linked to higher salaries When a country‘s education system improves, labor force skills increase and incomes rise Boosting the education system, then, presents a key opportunity for a robust recovery for both policymakers and individuals To better understand the benefits of educational investments, the Learning Agency conducted a study to look at how Americans‘ incomes would grow as a result of better skills and education

The approach for this economic white paper draws from a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study, ―Returns to Skills around the World: Evidence from PIAAC.‖ In that paper, the NBER demonstrated that workers could expect impressive percentage increases from relatively nominal increases in skills through education Improved math skills, for instance, led in theory to a 28 percent increase in wages, while improved reading skills in

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education would produce a 27 percent improvement in wages (Eric A Hanushek ,Guido Schwerdt , Simon Wiederhold , Ludger Woessmann, 2014)

Better math skills can increase salary by $21,000 per year If a student had improved reasoning ability with data, statistics, graphs, and spatial relationships — as measured by a standardized exam — the total expected increase in earnings would be an additional $21,000 per year for an 35-54-year- old, full-time U.S worker The total accrued amount in earnings for an individual for better math skills over two decades would be $400,000 (The learning agency, 2020)

The analysis only included careers requiring at least a high school-level of math knowledge, such as financial operations, computers, engineering, the sciences, healthcare, manufacturing, management, and administration In California, further education in math would lead to a $25,000 yearly increase in wages, or $31,000 in Washington D.C In New York, over a 20 year period, the increase in income would come close to $500,000 (The learning agency, 2020)

Improvement in reading and writing skills could spark an $11,000 increase

in annual salary This estimated and approximate $11,000 in individual gains

would aggregate to a $421 billion increase in wages annually for the U.S workforce as a whole, with a boost of $8.4 trillion over 20 years While most workers already have basic reading and writing abilities, improved reading and writing skills lead to a substantial increase in wages (The learning agency, 2020)

Though the numbers for gains from reading skills were not as impressive in total as those from increasing math skills, the foreseeable impact would be wider, since more Americans work in fields where reading and writing are a necessity, and a wider variety of professions stand to benefit

As part of the analysis, we considered all full-time workers in the U.S Again, the analysis assumes a single standard deviation increase in reading and writing scores This is the equal to a 200 point increase in SAT scores

Graduating with a high school diploma is equivalent to an additional almost

$7,000 in annual salary In the final component of this analysis, we found

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similarly impressive wage increases for the value of completing a high school diploma The basis of this calculation was Census Bureau‘s 2018 American Community Survey data According to the data, workers currently without high school diplomas stand to earn an additional $6,700 per year if they completed their degree, as compared to the earnings of non-high school graduates

The takeaway is that workers without degrees who currently earn on average $24,500 per year, would increase their salaries to $31,300 annually If half of all adults 25 and over, who did not graduate from high school, finished their degrees, the earnings would accrue to $88 billion in increased annual income nationally Over 20 years, this increase would be a boost of $1.8 trillion in wages for the American economy (The learning agency, 2020)

1.2 English linguistic specialization

1.2.1 Definition of English linguistic

English language is the study of language, its learning methods, and the proficient application of English skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in various areas of life such as culture, economy, and culture, trade, tourism, diplomacy, etc., through oral or written communication In addition, learning English also provides students with extensive knowledge about people, the economy, and culture in many ethnic countries that use English (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

1.2.2 The purpose of Teacher Education program at Hong Duc university

The goal of the undergraduate program is to train students for a bachelor's degree in English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English; mastering knowledge of linguistics; understanding English literature, America, and the cultures of English-speaking countries; having good translation and interpretation skills and professional skills; having the ability to conduct small-scale scientific research; having good computer and foreign language skills; having political qualities; having ethics; having health; having professional responsibility; having skills of critical thinking and

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creativity; having teamwork; having the ability to detect and solve problems; studying and working well in an international environment; having the capacity to plan, organize, and manage professional-related activities, participate in higher-level learning, practice important personal and professional qualities and skills, and become experts in their field of expertise (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

1.2.3 The program contents

The English language training program at Hong Duc University is 142 credits, excluding physical education and defense education

The English Language University training program aims to equip people with the following knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities for self-control and self-responsibility:

First, there is a theoretical knowledge system of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the policies and laws of the state Thereby, forming a worldview, using scientific and revolutionary methodology, building a firm belief in the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, advancing political bravery and civic consciousness, and contributing to building a rich and strong Vietnam (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Second, acquiring basic knowledge about Vietnam's geography, economy, culture, environment, and people; general sociological issues; and applying interdisciplinary knowledge to study and serve professional work, thereby raising a sense of civic responsibility in preserving and protecting the environment and Vietnamese cultural identity (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Third, having basic knowledge and skills on computers and Microsoft operating systems Windows, computer networks, and the Internet; popular utility software (browser Web, email); word processing software (Microsoft WORD); word processing software spreadsheets (Microsoft EXCEL); and presentation software (Microsoft POWERPOINT) (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

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Fourth, acquiring basic skills and operations in scientific research (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Fifth, gaining the ability to use English communication skills fluently (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and the basic ability to use other foreign languages on request (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Sixth, being equipped with in-depth knowledge of theory and translation skills (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Seventh, gaining the ability to use language manipulation proficiently at work interpreting (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Eighth, developing soft skills such as systems thinking, reasoning, analysis, and problem-solving skills, as well as leadership, teamwork, communication, and time management skills in study and research, and have creative ability (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Lastly, self-study, self-accumulate knowledge, skills, and experience to improve professional qualifications, develop, and lead career change

1.2.4 The program learning outcomes

1.2.4.1 Knowledge

Analyze and evaluate the theoretical knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the policies and laws of the state; apply the principles, rules, and arguments of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, as well as the guidelines and lines of the party and politics State books and laws to solve practical problems posed in the process of studying, cultivating, and training oneself to meet the requirements

of the training program (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Understand and analyze the current economic development situation of Vietnam; cultural elements, cultural space, and time; the environment and people; the relationship between environment, natural resources, and socio-economic development; Manipulate in solving problems posed in professional

activities and professional development (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

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Present the concept of information and methods of information representation; are proficient in using computers with the Windows operating system; are proficient in using e-mail, searching for, and processing information on the Internet; proficiently use word processing software (Microsoft WORD), spreadsheet processing software (Microsoft EXCEL), and presentation software

(Microsoft POWERPOINT) for professional work (knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

To be able to carry out scientific research on basic issues in three specialized areas

Analyze, synthesize, and apply basic knowledge of language (phonetics, morphology, grammar, syntax, and semantics) in communication and

professional practice

Contrast and apply the UK and US socio-cultural backgrounds in language communication situations to avoid problems in intercultural communication

1.2.4.2 Skills and capacity to be self-responsible

Apply linguistic and specialized knowledge to evaluate documents that will be used for communication, translation, and operational purposes in the working environment

Implement foreign language communication situations in actual communication Meet foreign language standards (2 levels, 3/6 equivalent) Vietnamese language ability, according to Circular 01/2014/TT-BGDT, is

trained prescribed at lawful training institutions in the national education system

(knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Fluently use four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in the process of practical language communication in English; Meet the output standard at level 5 Vietnamese language proficiency framework (6 levels) or

equivalent level C1 European Competency Framework for English language

(knn.hdu.edu.vn, 2021)

Can use English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English translation skills to translate sentences and expressions in different types of text; English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English translation ability at a successful level of fluency

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Reasoning, analyzing, and solving problems in professional activities: identifying Define and analyze work goals, implement solutions, and make recommendations in the process of performing professional tasks

Apply soft skills for self-development, such as communication skills, presentations, teamwork, self-study, self-research, and the accumulation of knowledge and experience to improve professional qualifications

Having the ability to lead professionally and be professionally trained in the working process; taking initiative in performing assigned tasks; being able to draw conclusions on common professional issues and some complex issues in the process of translating and interpreting English

Career orientation and planning to adapt to the changing requirements of the environment

Self-study and self-accumulation of knowledge and experience to improve professional qualifications

1.2.5 Demand for learning English

English is the number one tool for employability It is no longer a demand but has become a necessity Whether you want to get your dream job, become an entrepreneur, or go abroad for higher studies, you need to learn the English language Being a universal language, it helps you in communicating with others with fluency and confidence Along with this, it gives you an edge over your competitors and helps you in growing in your career Therefore, Vietnamese people study English as a compulsory subject from primary school until the end of university

1.2.6 Benefits of Learning English

Fluency in English improves and expands job opportunities As the primary language of communication across the globe, proficiency in English is a highly sought-after skill in the international workplace and one of the benefits of learning English is therefore that it significantly boosts your job opportunities Job applicants with fluency in English on their CV/resumé are statistically proven to have increased hiring potential This may prove especially important in

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2022 as many countries experience economic downturn and unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic It is also widely recognised that those with second language fluency, whether they are bilingual or have studied a foreign language, can generally expect a higher salary (up to 10% – 15%) than those without It‘s worth noting that some global professions have a particular need for English speakers, given that the main language within them – and global communication conducted within their communities – is English (LABM, 2022) The business world and international trade are, of course, known for their use of English, and English has, for example, also become the international language of science and medicine since the mid 20th century English is also the main language of the internet An estimated 565 million people use the internet every day, and an estimated 55.5% of the world‘s most visited websites are displayed in the English language American companies such as IBM, Microsoft and other tech pioneers were the ones who invented the first programming languages, and English is still the most widely used and therefore most important language in the world of programming and coding

Fluency in English helps people confidently exchange and explore the world Travel and exploring the world are once again on many people‘s agendas As well as countries where English is the main language, such as the UK, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, there are scores of different countries which also list English as an official language! These include Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, Kenya, Hong Kong, India, Mauritius and the Philippines Knowledge of English equips you with the tools to travel and communicate more effectively in so many parts of the world, which, in turn, allows to you to explore and travel more confidently and to learn more about the countries and cultures you visit

Knowing English helps people access world-class education systems and establishments Another reason to study English is the access it can give you to some of the best education systems and institutes in the world Many of the world‘s best universities are either situated in the UK and the USA, or use

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English as the main language for their courses, and English skills are therefore key when it comes to applying If you aspire to study at an English-speaking university, including the likes of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge or MIT, then achieving English proficiency is essential (LABM, 2022)

Learning English helps increase your cognitive ability Learning a second language is proven to be one of the best ways to keep your brain challenged and active Studies have shown that the brain undergoes changes in electrical activity and even structure and size while learning another language; changes which do not occur when learning any other type of task or skill No matter what age you start at, there are benefits to learning a new language in addition to your native language It is now known that people who speak more than one language fluently have better memories and are more cognitively creative than those who don't, and in addition, studies suggest that the onset of dementia and Alzheimer‘s disease are diagnosed later for bilinguals than for monolinguals, meaning that knowledge of a second language can help us to stay mentally healthy for longer (LABM, 2022)

Anyone can start a life in an English-speaking country by learning English Another benefit of learning English is that it can offer you the chance to move to an English-speaking country Often, to become a citizen in an English-speaking country, you must achieve a certain level of English proficiency Speaking and understanding English will also improve your chances of finding employment and will help you converse and communicate successfully with those around you – whether it‘s at the supermarket, the doctors, or with new friends and neighbours (LABM, 2022)

Learning English can improve your communication skills When you learn English as a second language, you are also learning new ways to think and express yourself both verbally and through the written word Learning multiple languages can help you communicate more clearly in any language as you learn more about how language itself works and how to use it to communicate with others in all kinds of social, educational and professional settings (LABM, 2022)

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Learning English help open up a world of entertainment and popular culture Many of the world‘s most iconic film and TV shows have been produced in the English language, much of it in Hollywood, and English fluency will offer you the chance to enjoy and appreciate them in their original form — either with or without subtitles The same applies to literature, and with so many world-famous works produced originally in the English language, you will have endless

options to enjoy From JK Rowling to Shakespeare, there is something to suit all

tastes! Watching and reading English language media will also enhance your language skills, in particular your listening skills and reading skills Familiarity with this type of world-famous pop culture will open up endless topics of conversation when you come to practising your speaking skills too! (LABM, 2022)

Learning English will improve your confidence Being able to speak a foreign language is a sought-after and much admired skill, no matter what your motivation for learning A final benefit of learning English, or any other foreign language, therefore, is the pride and self confidence that comes with knowing your language skills can help you work and travel in different parts of the world, and communicate with people from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds Self-confidence can take you far in the world of today, and mastering a new and useful language will certainly help you achieve it (LABM, 2022)

1.3 The choice of university specilization by high school graduates

Choosing the right major in college is never easy for anyone, especially for students at the end of high school when they are standing on an important threshold in their lives The major will decide 80% of your future career If I choose the right industry with the right interests and passions, my job will be favorable in the future Should I pursue my dream, will that dream really become a lifelong career for me? Or should I listen to my parents' advice, follow the trend of society, and follow an industry that is getting a lot of attention? At the higher levels of education, we often find a considerable discrepancy between the output of graduates in different specializations and the absorptive

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capacity of the labour market leading, in turn, to unemployment and under-employment of certain types of graduates Therefore, the choice of major and school for high school graduates is gradually influenced by many different factors

To choose a career that is right for you, young people should pay attention to the following: Find the intersection of three factors: ability, passion, and social need If you are wondering if a certain job is right for you or not, Ask and answer 3 questions:

Do I like this? Am I good at this? Does society pay for this?

If all three answers are yes, then you can rest assured that you should choose that career

The common factors affecting choice of major for school graduates are social trend, family orientation and personal interest These factors will be

presented in the following sub-sections

1.3.1 Social trend

The world is undergoing dramatic changes in less than 20 years New jobs are born with the disappearance of some traditional jobs This change also greatly affects the trend of young people choosing a career today Regardless of their profession, young people also want to have a stable income However, they will not be satisfied with jobs that only have a fixed salary without other extra income Young people are becoming more and more ambitious in their careers Young people ask for a job with advancement opportunities instead of accepting to stay in one position for a long time If you choose a trending industry, is the future path more secure? Maybe if you learn a hot profession, there will be many job opportunities in the market However, as a "hot" profession, according to the tastes of society, the competition and level of elimination in the industry will be more fierce You will not be the only one who wants to follow this industry; there will even be thousands and hundreds of thousands of people who are

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aiming for an opportunity in that "hot" industry In addition, society is always developing, and you choose a major for the future, so in 4-5 years after completing the university program, will that profession still be "hot"? As proof, about 10 years ago, accounting was a profession that created a craze when all family members wanted to study and work However, only a few years later, when the number of accounting graduates was too high, the market did not have enough job opportunities, and so many people were unemployed or had to change careers

1.3.2 Family orientation

Choosing a major and a university as a student is really important because it directly affects your work and income later According to Vietnamese culture Most Vietnamese teenagers are often cared for by their parents until they reach adulthood; even when they marry, they are still cared for by their parents and receive advice and criticism from them Therefore, most families are very interested in choosing the right school and major for their children They often seek advice from experienced elders to guide and remind students to choose the right major and the right school Besides, the families have a long career tradition, and they want their descendants to learn and develop the profession of their ancestors Family factors greatly affect the psychology of students' choices because, in Vietnam, parents are always the ones who tend to impose and sacrifice for their children Teenagers also tend to trust and accept the views of their parents and choose safe methods to develop So giving advice or career orientation to college-age children is inevitable

1.3.3 Personal interest

Today's young people no longer accept their fate according to the decisions and orientations of their parents But boldly choose your own path The young generation aspires to find jobs that they are really interested in and passionate

about First, when you learn and work in the right profession with your passion

and desire, you will certainly have fun in the process You will be motivated, inspired, and interested in studying and working the speed of advancement at

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work will be many times faster than when doing a job that is not your strength There is a saying: "Know others, know me; a hundred battles, a hundred victories" This is especially true when it comes to young people's career choices Only you can clearly understand your strengths and weaknesses and then focus on promoting your strengths and reducing your weaknesses That way, you will go far and go more firmly on your career path Today, young people tend to prefer to work with flexible hours rather than at a job fixed office hours In many countries, freelancers are becoming a hot trend This trend is also appearing in Vietnam

However, even if you study and work according to your passion, you will not be able to avoid obstacles or difficulties There will be times when you feel depressed when things don't turn out the way you imagined There are times when you have to doubt yourself; it seems that you are not suitable for it or are not skilled and talented enough to follow the industry Therefore, before deciding on a major of your liking, make sure you have thoroughly researched the industry, learning about the nature and requirements of the industry as well as the difficulties you may encounter

1.3.4 Future job prospect

The relationship between career choices and long-term earnings is a well-studied topic, and a commonly held belief College students tend to lean toward majors that promise higher-paying jobs in the future Alongside other important factors, the job market prospects and a median salary of a particular major play a significant role in students‘ decision-making process of choosing the best majors in college for the When choosing a major, learners should take into account the demand and salary potential of corresponding careers and internships, as well as the courses they'll need to take to earn their degree

The most important thing, for future career options, is to pick a major that gives you the chance to develop yourself, even in a field close to what you are interested in, and then do very well in it It will not help you in your career if you pick a major that you cannot succeed in