NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

BACHELOR THESIS
Major

Topic: DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSLATING THE PASSIVE VOICE FROM

ENGLISH TO VIETNAMESE OF THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS AT
NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY.

……………………….

HANOI – 2021
 NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY
EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

BARCHELOR THESIS

Topic: DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSLATING THE

PASSIVE VOICE FROM ENGLISH TO VIETNAMESE
OF THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS AT NATIONAL
ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY.

Student: NGUYEN THI THANH THANH

Student’s ID: 13171028
Supervisor: LE THUY LINH

HANOI - 2021
 Acknowledgment

I would like to express my sincere thanks and deep gratitude to the teachers at
the National Economics University, especially the teachers in the school's English
department for creating conditions for me to study in the department. to have plenty of
time to graduate. And I also sincerely thank ….. enthusiastically guided me to
complete the internship topic well.

In the process of doing the internship, due to limited knowledge and practical
experience, the report cannot avoid its shortcomings. Therefore, I look forward to
receiving comments from teachers so that I can learn more skills and experience and
will better complete this graduation assignment.

Sincerely
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Original

NEU National Economics University

SL Source language

TL Target language

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 LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1: The active and passive voice

Table 4.1: Reliability Statistics

Table 4.2: Mean of items

Figure 1.1: Process of translation

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................................i

LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................ii

TABLE OF CONTENT..............................................................................................iii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................4

2.1. Passive voice...........................................................................................................4

2.1.1. Definition of Passive voice...................................................................................4

2.1.2. Classification of Passive voice.............................................................................5

2.1.3. The usage of Passive voice...................................................................................7

2.2. Translation.............................................................................................................8

2.2.1. Definition.............................................................................................................8

2.2.2. Process of translation...........................................................................................8

2.2.3. Translation method............................................................................................10

2.3. Method of translating Passive voice......................................................................11

2.3.1. Translating passive voice into passive structure................................................12

2.3.3. Translate passive voice into impersonal active structure...................................13

2.3.4. Translate passive voice into the parallel active structure..................................13

2.3.5. Translate passive voice into the neutral sentence...............................................14

2.4. Related studies.....................................................................................................14

2.4.1. Studies abroad....................................................................................................14

2.4.2. Vietnamese studies.............................................................................................15

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY............................................................................17

3.1. Approach of study...............................................................................................17

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3.2. Research design...................................................................................................17

3.3. Data collection......................................................................................................17

3.3.1. Questionnaire.....................................................................................................17

3.3.2. Translation texts.................................................................................................18

3.3.3. Interview.............................................................................................................18

3.4. Data analysis procedure......................................................................................18

3.5. Data collection technique....................................................................................18

3.5.1. Questionnaire.....................................................................................................18

3.5.2. Interview.............................................................................................................19

3.6. Data analysis technique.......................................................................................19

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.......................................................21

4.1. Findings................................................................................................................21

4.1.1. Questionnaires results........................................................................................21

4.1.2. Translation texts.................................................................................................22

4.1.3. Interview.............................................................................................................25

4.2. Discussion.............................................................................................................28

4.3. Suggestions...........................................................................................................29

4.2.1. Students..............................................................................................................30

4.2.2. Teachers.............................................................................................................32

4.2.3. The authority......................................................................................................33

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION..................................................................................34

APPENDIX.................................................................................................................36

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 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1. The rationale of the study
It is widely acknowledged that language is an essential component of our
society's cultural richness in particular, and of the world's in general. Unfortunately, in
order to stay up with the worldwide requirements in today's world, which is known as
the global community, we must learn English, a language of the world. Nowadays,
English is often regarded as the most widely used language for exchanging knowledge
and concepts among many cultures and countries.
Countries can have mutual understanding and a sense of global citizenship in
this multilingual environment thanks to their English translated versions. It is regarded
as an efficient method of learning to respect the cultures, communities, and people of
many nations. People may get insight into their own culture and civilization by making
comparisons, as well as mutually trade nations' beauty of cultural values.
Furthermore, English translation improves people's understanding of one
another in the process of diplomatic ties, economic cooperation, and other domains in
today's period when countries are integrating for overall growth. As a result, English
translation has steadily become a necessary and pressing instrument that lays the
groundwork for the worldwide success of individuals, organizations, and even
enterprises in today's more developed society and fierce competition.
Nowadays, in the era of integration, universities are also paying special attention
to training English majors with intensive translation skills as well as other English
skills so that they can contribute their competence. its true language for the
development of society. To accomplish this task well, understanding the difficulties of
Vietnamese students when studying translation, Vietnamese - English translation is
considered by National Economics University as a subject of practical significance for
Vietnamese students. English majors begin their second year of interpreting courses.
Understanding the importance of learning Vietnamese - English translation, students
always want to improve their translation skills.

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 However, the majority of students continue to struggle with translation,
particularly with the passive form. According to Duong Thi Thuy Hang and Nguyen
Thi Cam Xuyen (2010), while translating passive voice from Vietnamese literature into
English, students make typical problems in verb tenses and word choice. They are
unsure of how to avoid making mistakes in order to make the content appear fluid and
fluent in accordance with English standards.
For those reasons, the researcher decided to choose the study “Difficulties in
translating the passive voice from English to Vietnamese of the third-year students
at National Economics University.” which aims at finding out what the third–year
English majors’ common mistakes on translation passive voice.
2. The aim of the study
The primary goal of this thesis is to identify the most prevalent challenges
experienced by third-year English majors while translating passive voice from English
to Vietnamese. The research also seeks to identify the root causes of these issues and to
propose potential solutions. The primary audience for this thesis is students. However,
anyone interested in translating can use it as a reference to enhance their translation
abilities.
3. The research questions of the study
 What are the difficulties in translating passive sentences from English to
Vietnamese of third year students at NEU?
 What are the solutions to support third-year students at NEU to improve their
passive sentence from English to Vietnamese translation skills?
4. The scope of the study
As NEU's third year students majoring in English, they have to learn both
English-Vietnamese translation and Vietnamese-English translation. This thesis
focuses on analyzing difficulties when translating passive sentences from English to
Vietnamese and gives some suggestions to help avoid those errors.
5. The method of the study

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 In this study, I employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research
methods. To examine the theoretical basis for the issue, a quantitative analysis was
used. Following this, the author created a test on passive sentence translation.
Furthermore, the author created an online questionnaire.
6. The structure of the Study
The first chapter "Introduction" gives an overview of the whole study including
objectives, methods, and organization. Chapter II "Literature Review" embraces a
system of translation and passive voice theories which were extracted from other
relevant books and studies. The next chapter, which is the most significant part of the
study, shows the result of calculating passive voice structures, and describes the
process of analyzing methods of translating. The last chapter is "Conclusion" in which
we summarize the whole project and give a recommendation for further studies.

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 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Passive voice
2.1.1. Definition of Passive voice
According to Asher R.E. (1994), "speech may be regarded as a system of
connection between semantic features such as agency and sufferer and grammatical
roles such as subjects and objects." The voice responds to the question of whether the
object is the doer or the recipient of the verb. When the subject is the person
performing the action, the active verb is used. When the subject is the object of the
action, we choose a passive verb, John Eastwood (1994). In both active and passive
voice, only transferable verbs are used.
A transitive verb, according to Gerald Nelson (2001), is one that cannot stand
alone in the premise of a statement. Another sentence component is required to
perform the message.
Passive voice is not a derivation of active voice, which is the result of people
expressing their message in diverse ways. The passive voice portrays the entire process
of a specific occurrence from the perspective of the patient. It is a distinct type of
voice. In passive voice, there are three markers: be, -ed, and by, each with its own
meaning and significance. Passive with agent and passive without agent, or agentive
passive and non-agentive passive, are two types of typical passive. The agent does not
appear in the agentive passive, but is implied by the context. (Wang, 2010)
The passive voice is a structure that allows you to make a remark or a phrase
without knowing who did what (Ed Swick, 2005). Gerald Nelson, "The passive form of
a phrase is constructed by adding the passive auxiliary "be" and employing alternative
forms of the verb" (2001). The fundamental pattern S+V+O is transformed into: DO +
to be + past participle (+ by + subject).
For example:
 We will buy a house next year. (Gerald Nelson, 2001)
 A house will be bought next year (by us). (Gerald Nelson, 2001)

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 The Table 2.1, according to John Eastwood (1994), shows each different verb
tense of active voice, and how to exchange it to passive voice:
Table 2.1: The active and passive voice

2.1.2. Classification of Passive voice

The passive construction has been classified in many different ways.
Summarizing the discussion of the passive scale in the “A Grammar of Contemporary
English” (1972), Quirk set up the following subcategories.
2.1.2.1. Agentive passives
Agentive passive involves with expressed agent and without expressed agent.
Sentence (1) and (2) have a direct passive-active relation. The difference between the
next two is that the former has a personal, the latter a non-personal agent:
(3) My father made this violin. (Quirk, 1972)
(4) The results hardly justify this conclusion. (Quirk, 1972)

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 With expressed agents:
(5) Coal has been replaced by oil. (Quirk, 1972)
This is a passive with two possible active transforms depending on the
interpretation of the by-phrase.
(6) Oil has replaced coal. (Quirk, 1972)
(7) (People in many countries) have replaced coal by oil. (Quirk, 1972)
Sentence (6) is an active transform like (4) with a non-personal agent; (7) is an
active transform where the by-phrase has been given an instrumental interpretation
(by=with).
Consequently an active subject must be supplied. Without expressed agents:
(8) This difficulty can be avoided in several ways. (Quirk, 1972)
Sentence (8) exemplifies the most common type of passive, which has no
expressed agent, or agentless passives.
2.1.2.2. Quasi-passives
(9) We are encouraged to go on with the project. (Quirk, 1972)
(10) John was interested in linguistics. (Quirk, 1972)
The passive sentences (9) and (10) represent a “mixed” class whose members
have both verbal and adjectival properties.
They are verbal in having active analogues:
(11) (The results) encourage us to go on with the project. (Quirk, 1972)
(12) Linguistics interested John. (Quirk, 1972)
2.1.2.3. Non-agentive passives/intensive active complement constructions
(13) The modern world becomes more highly industrialized and mechanized.
Sentence (13) has no active transform or possibility of agent addition, since no
“performer” is conceived of. The participles have adjectival values: compare
industrialized-industrial and mechanized-mechanical. Besides a number of such
“resulting” verbs ending in –ize (organize, Americanized, etc), this class includes
“existing” constructions, as in
(14) The house is already sold. (Quirk, 1972)

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 The corresponding active of which is not (15) but (16).
(15) (The agent) already sells the house. (Quirk, 1972)
(16) (The agent) has already sold the house. (Quirk, 1972)
In this case, voice transformation involves aspectual shift from present to
present perfect. While it is clear that (13) and (14) are not „passive‟ in the sense of
sentences, they still satisfy the formal passive requirement and, as in the case of (14),
often have an “indirect” voice relationship.
We will therefore call this class “non-agentive passive/intensive active
complement constructions”, recognizing that The house is already sold. It is related
both to agentive passive The house has already been sold and to the intensive (active)
complement construction.
(17) The house is already gone/ no longer available. (Quirk, 1972)
2.1.3. The usage of Passive voice
The passive voice is commonly employed in writing, particularly in scientific
and technical texts. When creating this type of document, it is critical to understand
how to utilize it correctly in order to avoid misusing it. On the one hand, it is first
mentioned when to employ the passive voice. According to Jeremy (2015), passive
voice allows you to explain the same occurrence as in an active phrase from a different
perspective. It also enables us to emphasize the specific individual impacted by the
activity rather than the person or thing doing the activity. In scientific and
technological writing, the passive is frequently used to prevent the repeated repetition
of the subject "I" or "We" and to emphasize processes and experimental techniques.
(School of Foreign Language, 2012).
On the other hand, it is critical to eliminate using so many the passive voice in
writing. Using a lot of passive voice phrases in academic writing may lead to reader
misunderstanding since it will be difficult to determine who is accountable for the
activity. Academic writing frequently focuses on disparities in the views of various
researchers, or on discrepancies between your own ideas and those of the scholars you
are discussing. When there are too many passive sentences, it might lead to inquiries

12
like "Who did it?" "You or your professor?" or "Another author?" (Tim and Rebecca,
n.d.).
2.2. Translation
2.2.1. Definition
Translation has always been important for exchanging ideas between cultures
people from different cultures. The globalization has made translation even more and
more important, it is considered to be a good way to improve knowledge and to help
bridge the gap of languages between nations in the world. Up to now, there has been a
multitude of definitions of translation proposed by linguists.
Larson (1984) defines translation as the process of “transferring the meaning of
the source language into the receptor language by way of semantic structures”. Almost
similar with Larson, Nord (2005) defined the term translation as “the production of a
functional target text maintaining a relationship with a given source text that is
specified according to the intended or demanded function of the target text...” (p.32).
Translation has been characterized and examined as a product, which is a
written text in a target language that reflects the outcome of a translation process, by
comparison with the relevant source-language text. The relationship between the SL
and TL texts had been the subject of various and very abstract equivalency models
(Koller 1978; 2 1983: 95; Ladmiral 1981: 393). In most cases, these models were
prescriptive in character and of little practical help to the translator.
Based on these viewpoints, translation is considered a complex process of
reproducing the meaning of message, statements, and utterance of the source language
(SL) into the target language (TL), or the process of transferring the meaning of the
written texts into target languages without changing the way that the author intended
the text.
2.2.2. Process of translation
Translation process, according to Newmark (1988), works on different
levels . It begins with choosing a method of translation taking into consideration the
text type, then, start translating with four levels in mind: Textual, referential, cohesive

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and naturalness. After that, We are going to separately tackle other aspects which can
be problematic in the process of translation such as:
- The unit of translating
- The translation of lexes
- The translation of proper names
Finally, we conclude with the last and most important procedure; revision
which demandingly, according to Newmark, must take “the lion share” of the whole
process.
Figure 1.1: Process of translation

Step 1: Translation
Translation means to render a text that is in one particular language, to another
language. It’s the accurate transference of information in order to represent the original
document to the target document.
This step is typically done with a computer-assisted translation tool, or CAT,
such as Wordfast or Trados. These tools divide the original text into segments,
generally full sentences, to enable the translator to translate segment by segment. It’s
very common in the translation industry to use translation tools, but today it has
become quite essential for anyone working effectively in this field. Possibly the only
problem this method has is that the translator doesn’t have a clear or overall vision of
the text.
Step 2: Editing
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 Today, when we refer to editing in the field of translation, we are referring to
reviewing what has been completed in the previous step; we review the translation
created from the original text. In this step, the editor also works with a translation tool,
however his or her task is not about translating, but more about revising segment by
segment, ensuring that the translator has made an accurate and faithful translation of
the original document; that they have completely understood the text and not missed
any information; that there have been no omissions, and that any guidelines given by
the customer have been fully complied with.
Generally, at this stage, the editor will begin work with a CAT tool, which
means that they won’t be able to clearly see the text as a whole, however, during the
final stages of editing they will ensure that the sentences and the document as a whole
make perfect sense in the overall context of the project or document.
Step 3: Proofreading
In this final stage, the translators know that the translation and editing stages of
the text have been completed, so in the proofreading or correction stage it should not
be necessary to refer to the original text. This final review will focus mainly on the
premise that the translated text sounds natural and reads smoothly in the target
language, in addition to detecting any inconsistencies with regard to punctuation and
capitalization. Document formatting must be checked for possible issues relating to
fonts and images, plus the document must be checked for any typographical errors.
2.2.3. Translation method
There have been various methods of translation (8 types), namely:
Communicative translation: It attempts to produce on its readers an effect that
is obtained on the readers of the original text. Here, translators should convert the
source language (SL) culture into the target language (TL) culture as much as they can,
expecting to make the translation smoother, briefer and more understandable and
“natural” to the TT reader. At the same time, the source language would play a part as
material basis that should be respected by the translators (if possible).

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 Adopting communicative translation doesn't equal to ignoring the syntactic
equivalence. What is more important is that in order to make the translation conform to
the form of target language, the translator would be free from the regulations of source
language, transferring foreign elements to local expressions while making easier for
readers to understand.
Semantic translation: On the other hand, semantic translation is ST- oriented.
It attempts to follow, as close as possible, the exact semantic and syntactic structures of
the ST trying to retain the special features and expressions of the source language and
shows the writer’s thought-process in a best way (the opposite may happen). It remains
within the original culture while not allowing changing any local expressions of the
source language. Thus, semantic translation tends to be more complex and awkward
and mostly sounds “unnatural” to the TT reader. (it seems like literal translation but
they are different in that the latter doesn’t respect the context; word-for-word in its
extreme version and weaker forms.)
However, not all methods are commonly used. In this study, two main methods
which are focused are semantic translation and communicative translation. The
difference mainly between these two methods is that the semantic form adheres more
to literal translation while the communicative strategy is more concerned with the
overall sense of the text. “Semantic translation differs from 'faithful translation' only in
as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value…” (Newmark, 1988. p.46).
“Communicative translation attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of
theoriginal in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and
comprehensible to the readership”, (Newmark, 1988, p.44). Newmark also concerns
with the using of these two types. While semantic translation is usually used to
translate “expressive text”, communicative is used for “informative' and vocative texts”
(p.64).
2.3. Method of translating Passive voice
In the scope of our graduation paper, we have read some materials relating to
passive voice especially about translating English passive structures into Vietnamese.

16
In which, two authors Luu Trong Tuan (2010) and Bui Thi Dien (2005) are believable,
they have researched and given various strategies to translate passive voice from
English to Vietnamese. These five following strategies are used frequently in
translation of passive voice from English to Vietnamese.
2.3.1. Translating passive voice into passive structure
In general, this first strategy is known as the simplest way to translate passive
voice since it does not require any changes in sentence’s structure. It means that the
sentences in source text are transferred in target language with another equivalent one.
Therefore, it nearly guarantees total meaning of the whole sentences; however, there
has no special emphasis on this strategy.
Example:
 This machine is used to generate electricity. (Tuan, 2010)
 Chiếc máy này được dùng để tạo ra điện năng.
2.3.2. Translating passive voice into passive two-layered theme-rheme structure.
This second method is presented clearly by Luu Trong Tuan (2010) with the
phrase “them-rheme structure”, he demonstrated this method as “the active structure
inside the passive structure”. Here is the construction of this strategy:
Beneficent/Patient + Verb of experience + Actor/Agent + Action (bị/được)
Furthermore, it is noticeable that the passive structure “bị/được + V + bởi (by) +
Agent is not converted totally in the whole sentences in order to avoid unnatural
sounds in Vietnamese translations.
Example:
 The small girl was bitten by the snake. (Tuan, 2010)
 Bé gái đó bị cắn bởi chó. (Tuan, 2010)
 Bé gái đó bị chó cắn. (Tuan, 2010)
 Some evidence were found by the local police in the wild house. (Tuan, 2010)
 Một số chứng cớ được tìm thấy bởi cảnh sát địa phương ở trong ngôi nhà hoang.
. (Tuan, 2010)

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  Các cảnh sát địa phương đã tìm ra một số chứng cứ ở trong ngôi nhà hoang.
(Tuan, 2010)
It is completely seen that the second translated sentence in these examples is
applied much more efectively and sound natural to Vietnamese people than the first
one. Taking 10 advantages of this method creates the intelligent translations if the
author holds the differences between these two layers.
2.3.3. Translate passive voice into impersonal active structure.
The third method is called “the impersonal active structure” will be employed in
all sentences which have no agent or actor in the passive sentences in the source text. It
is used popularly in most of the products in the daily life as well as science documents
because it expresses the demands or suggestions that the author wants to refer. In
contrary, it is noted that finding the correct active structure in the sentence is the key to
having excellent translation.
Example:
 After opening, we recommend this product is consumed within 8 weeks.
(Tuan, 2010)
=> Sau khi mở hộp, chúng tôi khuyết khích sử dụng sản phẩm này trong vòng 8 tuần.
(Tuan, 2010)
2.3.4. Translate passive voice into the parallel active structure.
In his study, Luu Trong Tuan (2010) has mentioned that when active and
passive sentences are paralleled in the source text, the active one should be applied to
attain higher communicative quality in the translated text. One more point must be
noted is that the passive verbs should be converted into active one in Vietnamese. This
strategy shares the same advantages of the second method in the points that it makes
the sentences sound natural and familiar.
Example:
 High fever and vomiting are often encountered and may be severe when being
bitten by a spoilt snake. (Tuan, 2010)

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=> Sốt cao và nôn mữa thường xảy ra và có thể trầm trọng hơn khi bị rắn đôc cắn.
(Tuan, 2010)
2.3.5. Translate passive voice into the neutral sentence.
In Bui Thi Dien’s research (2005), she pointed out that the neutral sentence as
“a neutral structure between active and passive structure rather than a typical passive
structure”. In the details, she proposed that this method should be used when the
passive structure in the source text which cannot be transferred into active one or any
kind of identification of positive or negative meaning are not obvious. Applying
precisely the positive side of this strategy helps to avoid the unfamiliar sound in
Vietnamese language and build the perfect translation.
Example:
 The backup plan is set up. (Dien, 2005)
=> Kế hoạch dự phòng đã sẵn sàng. (Dien, 2005)
 The breakfast has already been prepared. (Dien, 2005)
=> Bữa sáng vừa dọn xong. (Dien, 2005)
2.4. Related studies
2.4.1. Studies abroad
Ionescu’s (2016) research article is an insight into passive constructions present
in the naval architecture discourse. The present research article aims at identifying
difficulties encountered in translating passive constructions in naval architecture texts.
In order to achieve this aim, passive constructions are identified and the Romanian
equivalent is analyzed to discover if and why is the best choice for the translator of
naval architecture text.
Hye Won (2017) finds out that transitive verbs are variously used in English
written texts and there is a clear distinction between transitive and intransitive verbs in
English. As various transitive verbs are used, passive voice are often used. Korean
written texts, on the other hand, do not give a clear distinction between the two and
create a misunderstanding of the English passive structure. This paper aimed to
examine the characteristics or performance differences in translating the passive voice

19
and in relation to the performance test scores. A total of 65 university students
participated in this research. One of the findings was that the passive voice directly
connected with a prepositional phrase yielded different translating patterns. Preposition
that functions to connect space, time, or period was translated correctly and separation
with the passive voice was successful. However, students with low performance scores
had difficulty separating the prepositional phrase and the passive voice. Instead of
adding information with the prepositional phrase, the phrase become the agent and the
reason for the recipient of the verb.
Rhazi et.al (2017) focuses on the problems resulting from the translation of
Arabic passive sentences into English. This translation may lead to many difficulties;
resulting from the disparities between the source language and the target language;
mainly at the syntactic level. We will present the NooJ approach that uses translation
rules in order to solve problems at the syntactic level (i.e. order, structure, tense, and
genre), NooJ dictionaries, and the morphological rules. It is hoped that NooJ as a
linguistic environment and a machine translation could remove ambiguities produced
by the translation of Arabic passive sentences into English language
2.4.2. Vietnamese studies
Do Thi Thuy Hieu (2011) believes that tn a globalization era, language has
become more and more important. Obviously, grammar plays a significant role in
learning language. There are variant kinds of grammar in English such as tense,
reported speech, conditional sentence…. Among these ones, passive voice stands out
as a fundamental popular part and also causes a lot of confusion for learners. Passive
voice is a basic grammar in English and there are many differences comparing with
Vietnamese passive voice. That causes some common mistakes and unnaturalness in
translation for Vietnamese learners of English. Aim at helping learners overcome some
obstacles in translating, the author had done a research of passive voice in English and
Vietnamese. There are four main sections in her paper. The very first section is the
general description which provides theory and simple example of passive voice. Some
similarities and differences are included in the second part. Next, the third part is

20
giving some common mistakes that Vietnamese students usually make in creating
language transference between English and Vietnamese passive voice and some
suggestions for a better. Last one is some implication.
Le Lan Huong et.al (2016) discuss passive voice, an outstanding linguistic
phenomenon frequently used in the assigned Mechanical Engineering and Material
Sciences Document named “Automotive Engineering Fundamentals” from the
viewpoint of the last year students of School of Foreign Languages, HUST. The
purpose of this thesis is to study the translation strategies employed to translate English
passive voice in the given document and to enhance translators’ skills when dealing
with EnglishVietnamese passive structures in mechanical engineering and material
sciences related documents. Regarding the given document in our study, after
analyzing, counting and recapitulating, we have a list of 88 passive structures.
Consequently, five strategies have been explored in our translation. The highest
frequency belongs to translating into passive structure (the first strategy). The second
most widely used in this translation is translating into Vietnamese active structure (the
second strategy). Besides, the fourth and the fifth strategies (translating into
Vietnamese parallel active structure and translating into Vietnamese neutral sentence)
are of equal frequency. Meanwhile, the strategy of translating into Vietnamese
impersonal active structure is used at least. From the research results, we hope that
readers and translators can better understand the content of technical materials and
choose suitable procedures to translate different types of passive voice.

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 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Approach of study
In this study, the author used a mixed method which is a combination of
qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey is a quantitative method to
assess the participants' views on the difficulty of translating passive sentences from
English to Vietnamese. The qualitative method is the result collected from translation
texts and interviews.
3.2. Research design
It took about two months to finish the study at NEU. First, the researcher started
to choose the topic, then collected the related previous studies, materials from the
Internet and reference books from the supervisor to figure out the outline, after that the
questionnaire was designed and delivered for 80 students at English major of NEU; the
interview questions were also designed and implemented interviewing with five
students as well as the test papers were on statistic to collect data for the study. Finally,
the study was implemented to find out the NEU English department students’
difficulties in translating passive voice form English to Vietnamese and some
suggested solutions were given as well.
3.3. Data collection
3.3.1. Questionnaire
Questionnaires were developed to assess instruction and gather information
from every learner, allowing the instructor to immediately acquire a huge number of
relevant data in a short time at a minimal price.
Questionnaires (also known as surveys and sheets) are among the most widely
used tools for collecting research data, maybe because asking questions is one of the
most obvious ways of gathering information. ( Dörnyei, 2003)
The questionnaire is considered a very common mean or instrument used to
collect data on phenomena, which are not easily observed such as attitude, motivation
and self-conceptions, or in other words, those in social science. Therefore, to seek for
information about the students’ difficulties in translating passive voice form English to

22
Vietnamese as well as the ways they improve their translation skills, the researcher
used the questionnaire to investigate the students. The questionnaire, in some extent,
can help to find out necessary information for the study and suggest appropriate
solutions as well.
3.3.2. Translation texts
Translation texts are designed with 10 English passive sentences with many
grammatical forms for all participants to translate into Vietnamese. After the
translation texts were supervised by the instructor, I sent the translation texts online to
the study participants.
3.3.3. Interview
In order to make the study more reliable, the interview questions were designed
to get more information about the difficulties in translating passive voice form English
to Vietnamese, the possible ways to improve the students ‘ability to translate. The
researcher interviewed five students.
3.4. Data analysis procedure
Qualitative Data Analysis: The qualitative data analysis method derives data
via words, symbols, pictures, and observations. This method doesn’t use statistics. The
most common qualitative methods include:
- Content Analysis, for analyzing behavioral and verbal data.
- Narrative Analysis, for working with data culled from interviews, diaries,
surveys.
- Grounded Theory, for developing causal explanations of a given event by
studying and extrapolating from one or more past cases.
Quantitative Data Analysis: Statistical data analysis methods collect raw data
and process it into numerical data.
3.5. Data collection technique
3.5.1. Questionnaire
The first part of the questionnaire is about the individual information of the
learners, such as name, age, class, gender, and time of studying English. The second

23
part is the items; it was created employing a five-point Likert Scale. The participants
measured the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statements. (1 –
Strongly disagree, 2 – disagree, 3 – neutral, 4 – agree, and 5 – strongly agree). This
instrument was chosen because of its simplification and high reliability: it has a scale
and is processed by the SPSS program which can provide a score for evaluation.
3.5.2. Interview
Another effective way to collect data on people’s perspectives, attitudes, and the
meanings underlying their lives and behaviors is by interview (Gray, 2014). According
to Merriam, (2001); Patton, (2002), the object of the interview is to help the researcher
figure out what could not be done, to explore the significance correlated with their own
experiences, explore the significance correlated with their own experiences.
At the end of the course, interviews were conducted with five students to
understand more the students’ difficulties in translating passive voice form English to
Vietnamese. This is a semi-structured interview designed to gain insights into the
students’ difficulties in translating passive voice form English to Vietnamese.
Interviews were conducted after completing the translation texts. The interviewers
were five students. Each interview should be no more than 15 minutes long.
3.6. Data analysis technique
Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient only indicates whether the measures are
related or not; but does not indicate which observable variables should be removed and
which observed variables should be kept. Then, the calculation of the correlation
coefficient between the variable-total will help to exclude those observed variables that
do not contribute much to the description of the concept to be measured (Hoang Trong
& Chu Nguyen Mong Ngoc, 2005).
The criteria used when making the scale reliability assessment:
- Type of observed variables with small variable-total correlation coefficient (less
than 0.3); criteria for choosing a scale when the alpha reliability is greater than
0.6 (the larger the alpha, the higher the internal consistency reliability) (Nunally

24
 & Burnstein 1994; cited by Nguyen Dinh Tho & Nguyen Thi Mai Trang,
2009) .
- Alpha levels: greater than 0.8 is a good scale; from 0.7 to 0.8 are usable; from
0.6 or more can be used in case the research concept is new or new in the
research context (Nunally, 1978; Peterson, 1994; Slater, 1995; cited by Hoang
Trong and Chu Nguyen Mong Ngoc , 2005).
- Observed variables with small variable-total correlation (less than 0.4) are
considered as garbage variables, they will be removed and the scale is accepted
when the reliability coefficient Alpha is satisfactory (greater than 0.7). ).
- Based on the above information, the study evaluates the scale based on the
following criteria:
- Type of observed variables with variable-total correlation coefficient less than
0.4 (these are variables that do not contribute much to the description of the
concept to be measured and many previous studies have used this criterion) .
- Choose a scale with alpha reliability greater than 0.6 (concepts in this study are
relatively new to research subjects when participating in the answer).

25
 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Findings
4.1.1. Questionnaires results
After sending an online survey to 80 participants, the author obtained 80
valuable feedbacks. The statements in the survey are coded from D1-D18. The results
of data analysis using SSPS software are presented below.
Table 4.1: Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Cronbach's Alpha Based on N of
Alpha Standardized Items Items

.901 .905 18
Source: Form SSPS
The scale's Cronbach's Alpha is 0.905 > 0.7. All of the measurement items in the
scale had overall coefficient of determination higher than 0.4 (item-rest correlation
line). There is no possible to generate the Cronbach's Alpha of this scale bigger than
0.905 by eliminating the measured variable (alpha column). As a result, all measured
variables are valid and will be included in the subsequent measurement model.
Table 4.2: Mean of items
Items Std.
Mean Deviation
D1 3.5000 0.87149
D2 3.5625 0.79307
D3 3.6875 0.77286
D4 3.8125 0.52996
D5 3.5625 1.00434
D6 3.7500 0.66561
D7 3.5625 1.00434
D8 3.9375 0.55902
D9 3.5625 0.79307
D10 3.3750 0.86236
D11 3.5000 1.00631
D12 3.6250 0.86236
26
 D13 3.6250 0.99842
D14 3.8750 0.93287
D15 3.5625 0.86922
D16 3.6250 0.70036
D17 3.4375 0.86922
D18 3.3750 0.93287
Source: Form SSPS
Through the above table, it can be seen that the variable D8 "With passive
sentences without the subject, I can't identify the subject when translating into
Vietnamese" has the largest Mean coefficient. This shows that students have difficulty
in converting the subject of the passive sentences to the subject in the translation
process. The reason is that the students have not found a suitable translation method for
them. In addition, D14 “I need to know the object (direct orindirect) of ditransitive
verbs like “give” that changes position with the subject.” having the second highest
Mean coefficient (mean=3.87) shows the importance of mastering the structure of
passive sentences. Specifically, only when students are really knowledgeable about
passive sentence structures can they translate well. The majority of the participants
complained that they had problems with translating the passive voice. The shift from
the active verb group structure to the passive verb group and the systematic order of
auxiliary verb in the passive verb structure pose a great difficulty, especially when an
aspectual form (progressive or perfective) is involved.
The data suggested that the students struggled to translate English passive to
Vietnamese and employed certain grammar learning tactics.
4.1.2. Translation texts
The survey shows that there are 10 of 10 English passive sentences which are
translated into Vietnamese passive sentences.
We can clearly see that one line in Vietnamese is in the passive voice because of
the letters "được" and "bị" In Vietnamese, the passive voice with "được" has a good
connotation, but the passive voice with "bị" has a negative connotation.

27
 In the translation materials, below are some particular instances of converting
English passive sentences into Vietnamese passive sentences:
Sentences with positive meaning:
Example 1: The house will be cleaned by me every Saturday
 Ngôi nhà sẽ được tôi dọn dẹp mỗi thứ bảy.
The sentence makes no indication of the receiver. As a result, we must examine
the preceding phrases in the paragraph to comprehend the meaning of this passive
statement. Because the activity has a good connotation, using the word "được" in this
phrase is appropriate.
Example 2: A great deal of meaning is conveyed by a few well-chosen words.
 Rất nhiều ý nghĩa được truyền tải bằng một vài từ được chọn lọc kỹ càng.
Although the translator does not employ the agent in the English passive phrase,
the receiver (Rất nhiều ý nghĩa) and the action (một vài từ được chọn lọc kỹ càng) are
given in the Vietnamese translation versions. This is a good approach for a translator to
make a translated statement sound more natural. This sentence's meaning is determined
by the word "được."
Example 3: The children are excited about being taken to the zoo.
 Các em nhỏ đã rất thích thú khi được dẫn đi sở thú.
In this scenario, the agent is unknown; we don't need to know who take the
children to the zoo since the author wants to focus on the action's outcomes. In both of
the above examples, the semantic subtlety of the statement is detected in the same way.
Sentences with negative meaning:
Example 4: Criminals must be stopped before they commit crimes
 Tội phạm phải bị ngăn chặn trước khi chúng phạm tội
The addition of the receiver in the Vietnamese version results in an easy-to-
understand sentence for readers. The agent is interpreted as a judge or authoritative
figure. The letter "bị" is used to emphasize the unpleasant connotation of being
sentenced to death on the gallows.

28
 During the process of translating communications from source to target language,
I discovered that English passive sentences are transformed into Vietnamese active
phrases with the performer in the sentence maintained, restored, or removed. They are,
nevertheless, semantically equal but not structurally comparable. This type of
translation, in terms of language, alters the value, expressiveness, and style of
communications. Because this translation approach is highly common and may
minimize the rate of passive structure in Vietnamese compared to the original,
translators choose to employ active sentences rather than passive phrases. It guarantees
that the Vietnamese readers receive a coherent and consistent translation version.
While the action is not stated in the English passive statement but is expressed in
the paragraph's preceding or following phrases, we can utilize this agent to translate
into the subject in the Vietnamese activities that are required. 
In overall, the procedure of trying to translate an English passive statement into a
Vietnamese activity that are required necessitates the translator's extensive
understanding of other different facets of SL and TL, particularly the framework of two
languages, because this aspect is frequently altered when we move from the passive to
the sensitive to stimulation.
Aside from the two methods of passive statement translation described above, we
can also translate English passive statements into Vietnamese de-transitive statements.
This form is a hybrid of the active or passive sentence structures.
These are grammatically valid statements. In terms of semantics, this seems
illogical since the subject of a de-transitive phrase might be either a person or an object
that cannot engage out some other movement itself in the perspective of words. When
reading or hearing these lines, the reader or listener must keep in mind that there are
passive meanings.
A de-transitive statement is a good alternative for translators if they are unable to
interpret passive phrases in the two methods indicated in the preceding paragraphs
since it allows them to eliminate mistakes when they do not grasp whether the passive
sentences have positively or negatively meaning.

29
4.1.3. Interview
The results of the interview with 5 students about difficulties in translating
passive sentences from English to Vietnamese are reported as follows:
Firstly, most pupils are perplexed by a lack of terminology. While asked to give
a response to the interviewer's initial question, majority of the students acknowledged
to a lack of comprehension in recognizing the English version when translating English
- Vietnamese passive phrases. The results are perfectly congruent with the
questionnaire responses; while translating, students frequently meet quite so many new
terms, making it impossible for them to comprehend the whole meaning of the passive
phrases. Another issue that learners have is recognizing the meaning of an English term
but not remembering the comparable word in Vietnamese in a certain context. Some
participants noted that they can make generalizations the concept of an English passive
sentence but are unsure how to convert it into Vietnamese or how to utilize appropriate
language in each scenario. As a consequence, whenever doing translations, learners
cannot correctly communicate or distort the source material meaning of the passive
voice. According to students’ comment in question 2, there are several challenging
terms to translate into Vietnamese that originate from English passive statements, and
1/5 learners lacking vocabularies while interpreting passive sentences into Vietnamese.
Furthermore, one of the things that students are perplexed by is the usage of unusual
and complex passive sentences. One student stated that he had trouble interpreting
English phrases that had numerous deep and complicated academic and technical
words. A particular passive voice, without a doubt, needs a significant degree of
expertise to comprehend, and the specialized passive will be more sophisticated. As a
result, when they come across these sorts of passive statements, it takes them a long
time, perseverance, and dedication to translate from English to Vietnamese.
Secondly, grammatical mistakes are unavoidable for most students while
translating in general, and especially when interpreting passive phrases. According to
the findings of five student interviews, one of them stated that her bad grammar has
hampered her training of transforming passive statements from English to Vietnamese.

30
Almost every English-Vietnamese passive phrase has a plethora of sophisticated
structures and irregular situations, which might be perplexing to pupils. Students who
are unfamiliar with these structures will be unable to effectively transfer their content
into another language. This is why students must learn grammar in process of
translating passive statements. Another barrier is that learners are frequently perplexed
when it comes to selecting the correct tense in English.
When translating a passive voice from English to Vietnamese, a member of
English class K58 stated that she frequently made the error of selecting the correct
tense. She freely confesses that she is unable to accurately portray the meaning of the
original passive voice because she is unsure about which tense to employ, particularly
in reference to a past or present action. Sometimes students are unsure of which tense
to use in a certain situation. When translating, employing the incorrect tense in the
passive sentence might cause the meaning of the new version to deviate from the old
one, producing major confusion. In conclusion, while translating passive phrases from
English to Vietnamese, students face difficulties in employing proper structure and
right tense to express meaning.
Aside from the two basic challenges that students frequently experience while
translating passive phrases from English to Vietnamese, there are a multitude of other
issues discovered via interviews with students who translate passive sentences from
English to Vietnamese. According to student response, they are Vietnamese, thus while
translating a text from English to Vietnamese, they will develop the practice of
translating interpretation according to their mother tongue's manner. One of the
interviewed students stated that as a Vietnamese studying English, he frequently
translated passive statements from English to Vietnamese in the Vietnamese manner,
which rendered it more troublesome for readers to comprehend what he was trying to
say.
Perhaps learners interpret the way Vietnamese thought and write word for word,
but English does not. It creates the translation remain incredibly Vietnamese, and
individuals reading this translation result may misinterpret or be confused.

31
Furthermore, because Vietnam is a Southeast Asian nation, our geography, culture,
customs, and habits differ from those of Western countries, which might be a barrier
for students. Two out of five students stated that culturally and geographical variations
make translating passive sentences from English to Vietnamese more challenging. One
also stated that he was unable to appropriately translate cultural indications from the
original paper. Obviously, each nation has its own beauty, therefore students must have
sufficient understanding and information regarding specific cultural regions in order to
translate passive phrases from English to Vietnamese.
Additionally, considering there are so many challenges that learners must face
while translating passive phrases from English to Vietnamese, they submit some of
their aspirations as well as ideas to their professors in order to be encouraged in
overcoming them. 
To begin, majority learners have identified vocabulary and grammar as their
most difficult challenges. So, in response to an interview, one learner stated that she
intended to enhance her vocabulary and grammar structure on her own. Students can
study vocabulary and grammar on their own at home, but they will still require the
assistance of a teacher. When assisting them to translate a phrase pattern, most students
anticipate their instructor to provide them with additional vocabulary as well as other
passive sentence grammatical patterns. Likewise, a student expects the teacher to
demonstrate certain tactics for selecting the appropriate words to use in translating
passive phrases from English to Vietnamese based on their content and context. In
terms of instructional materials, two students remarked that the materials offered by
their lecturers were varied in subject and substance, yet substantial and hard to fathom.
Once two female students were interviewed, one of them stated that the
substance of the text was quite significant, with the included sentences relating to the
topic of passive sentences. According to the remarks above, the majority of the
students want to be given easy assignments connected to some common subjects that
they find fascinating, as well as materials that are appropriate for their skills.
Additionally, a acquaintance stated that she would like to translate the passive sentence

32
correctly, but she is unfamiliar with the translation processes. As a result, she wishes to
be directed through the stages of translating a passive statement in order to improve her
learning.
Additionally, some participants underlined the importance of the teacher's
demeanor in the classroom. According to both the discussion, one in five students
prefers to study with a social and supportive individual; they believe that the teacher's
rigidity will restrict students' liveliness and imagination in the classroom. It is
guaranteed that when learners participate with a passionate and social professor, they
will study more comfortably and with greater enthusiasm in translating
passive statements from English to Vietnamese.
In conclusion, the researcher gathered a wealth of important information
regarding the realities, challenges, and expectations of students while translating
passive phrases from English to Vietnamese through the use of a questionnaire and
interview items. With the above valuable results, the researcher proceeds to complete
the study's objective by giving some recommendations for teachers and students to
assist both instructors and students in making progress in teaching and learning.
Translation in general, and passive sentence method in particular.
4.2. Discussion
The findings of this study revealed that the features of English Passive the
participants had difficulties with are: i) the situations when the passive sentence should
be used; ii) how tense and aspect changes; iii) conjugation of the past participle forms
of irregular verbs, and distinguishing between be as a primary auxiliary and as a
passive auxiliary; iv) the syntactic structure of English passive sentences, especially
with the sequence of verbs in the VP structure.
These data show that the participants lack both grammar and practical skills to
effectively and appropriately build and apply the English passive sentence. These
challenges are still mostly related to the absence of the passive structure and discourse
structure (Emenanjo, 2015; Obi-Okoye, 2008; Umoh, 1996, etc). To address these

33
challenges, the students used grammatical learning techniques such as emotive,
intellectual, and recollection techniques.
Given the importance of English in university education in Vietnam, as well as
the value of implementing a high competence in English for successful communication
in classroom and out-of-school circumstances, situational filters are used. Many
participants' bad moods aided them in making a serious attempt to grasp passive
English. This means that keeping such a low emotive filter will benefit their English
grammar acquisition in general, of which passivity is one element. The goal-directed
method used by the five more confident participants, which included reading the
newspaper on a daily basis and seeking for opportunities to practice building active
phrases and their passive sentence forms, demonstrated integration. Real-world tools
for teaching and studying English passive voice in Vietnam will go a long way toward
igniting and compliance monitoring, as well as enhancing student accomplishment.
This outcome supports Hinkel's (2002) conclusion that passive qualities must be
presented in relevant situations.
The cognitive method they used demonstrates that they attempted to obtain
information on translating passive sentences from English to Vietnamese. While the
memorization technique is learning the principles for producing English passive
phrases. This implies that students discover that they cannot build a passive structure
until they learn "subject + to be + participle." This indicates that participants must be
familiar with the principles that govern the development of English passive sentences.
This conclusion is consistent with understanding L2 language learning as more like
rule creation than habit development.
4.3. Suggestions
Translation is becoming more important in the development of the world. Most
of the fields such as construction, health, finance or tourism use specialized materials
in both Vietnamese and English. In the aspect of economy, translation supports the
companies to solve the problems happening in dealing with documents, contracts of
international partners or communicating with foreign customers. Moreover, translation

34
also plays an important role in education. A lot of literary works, philosophical
materials need being translated from other languages into Vietnamese. Each work has
its own set of contexts and cultures so it requires the translator to have a specialized
knowledge and understand the language. There are some aspects that should be
considered about translating other documents in general and translating passive voice
from English into Vietnamese in particular. Those aspects may become problem in
translating passive structure, if the translator does not have sufficient skill in
translating. The problems may relate to the differences of semantic and grammatical
features between SL and TL. Semantically, the translation should be considered based
on lexical and contextual meaning. It concerns the meaning of linguistics expression
and it has to make the use of contextual clues and enriches the information provided by
words and grammatical construction. While grammatically, the translator has to ensure
that the changes in the sentence form in the translation of the SL into the TL are done
properly and without distorting the semantic meaning of the ST. Therefore, we must
pay attention to different aspects of SL during translating to make the translated
sentences comprehensive for the readers or the hearers. Through the importance, the
difficulties of translation and the results of studies about translating the passive voice
from English into Vietnamese, I would like to suggest some solutions to raise the
effectiveness of translation procedure for students and give some suggestions for
teachers and the authority to help students in translating foreign languages.
4.2.1. Students
Firstly, Students need to read the document thoroughly before translation to
identify the main content, context of the source texts, the audience of the translation
and the style that the translation should convey, the different expressions in the English
style and the Vietnamese style. It is also very different by two cultures. Therefore, it is
necessary to carefully study the materials before proceeding to translate English into
Vietnamese or vice versa.
Secondly, it is better to choose the right methods for each type of document.
Having an appropriate translation method will help students to improve your English

35
translation skills. In particular, when students translate passive voice in a novel, they
should choose the method of translating the English passive sentences into the de-
transitive sentence or the active sentence because these methods help translators create
the translation version with easy-understanding content and being close with the style
of Vietnamese. In addition, many points show that there is no passive voice in
Vietnamese. Using passives structure in Vietnamese translation version seems to be
unnatural and decreases the quality of literary translation. On the other hand, they
should not only be imposed on a popular method which is used by many translators
because this depends on the ability of each individual and the difficulty degree of the
documents. For example, students always want to use the Vietnamese active sentences
or the de-transitive sentences during translating to make the sentence more clear and
natural. This is quite unreasonable if they have lack of translation skills or knowledge
about the culture of SL and TL. This causes the errors and changes the meaning of
English sentences. Thus, using the Vietnamese passive sentences is the good way for
this case.
Thirdly, Students need to be practiced in an academic environment in which
they can work on both practical tasks under the supervision of their teachers and
theoretical aspects to enhance their knowledge. In an academic environment, recently
published articles, journals and books on translation are available to them to translate.
Students can become good translators by reading the translation versions of famous
translators and then comparing them with the original texts. In this way, they will
develop their power of observation, insight, and decision-making, which in turn will
lead them to enhance their motivation and improve their translating skills.
Lastly, Practicing and taking plenty of exercises is the key factor for everyone
affecting to improvement in learning any English skills. Students need try to read hard,
translate everything on every favorite subject whenever they can. And do not forge to
memorize the important information. While reading, if there are some difficult
sentences, students may not be able to focus on a document for more than an hour so

36
students should choose a certain time of the day when they feel most comfortable and
ready to translate anything.
4.2.2. Teachers
Firstly, teachers play a critical role in supporting to improve language skills for
students. They need to help their students have obvious awareness of the translation
methods in different documents in various fields, show the usage of each method in the
specific circumstance. It is also important for teachers to point out the common errors
during translating English passive voice and give the ways for students to improve the
quality of translation or avoid repeating those mistakes.
Secondly, translation requires a lot of knowledge about vocabulary, grammar,
phonics, translation theory. The need to understand these aspects of language is very
important during translation. Therefore, teachers should have the proper training
method to identify and teach for their students about the similarities, differences about
grammar, structure and vocabulary between English and Vietnamese because these are
the main factors which affect to the translation procedure and the reasons causes many
errors for students.
Thirdly, teachers need to stimulate their students work in a group and discuss
the difficulties with their partners. Group work and cooperation with friends can
always create better results in translation process. Students who practice translation
with their peers will be able to solve problems more easily and will also more rapidly
develop self-confidence and decision-making techniques. Although there is a
possibility of making mistakes during group work, the experience of making, detecting,
and correcting mistakes will make the students’ minds open and improve their
translation skill easier.
Finally, It is useful for teachers to select various translation materials that are
proper with the ability of students, help them expand their knowledge in many fields
and give students more opportunities to use the different translation methods in
practical translation condition. Teachers also need to create the comfortable
environment in classroom to raise the interest of students in their subjects.

37
4.2.3. The authority
The leaders in the universities should provide learning and teaching schedules
which are consistent with teachers and students to improve the quality of lessons.
Specifically, the proposal of reducing the number of students in a class should be
implemented. As such, teachers can cover the entire class and help students solve
problems in the subject more easily. In addition, the school can equip additional
facilities such as books, reference materials to support students in the finding
information related to the subject and discussion in group.

38
 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
The techniques of translating passive phrases from English to Vietnamese varies
significantly on the basis of translation and are influenced by equivalence levels such
as grammar, meaning, and lexicon. The translation of various sorts of writings also
demonstrates that selecting a translation technique is a hard and creative task. To
generate a decent translation, the translator needs have a strong comprehension of the
foreign language, linguistics, and contextual knowledge of the original material.
According to the survey responses, English passive sentences may be translated
into Vietnamese sentences as: passive statements, proactive sentences, and de-
transitive sentences. In each study, the researchers employ a variety of papers from
many sectors such as technology, economics, politics, education, and so on. According
to prior research, the most preferred technique to translate English passive sentences is
to use Vietnamese passive sentences. Furthermore, employing Vietnamese active
sentences is widely regarded as the second most beneficial approach in translating
passive structure, with the remainder being the strategy of using de-transitive phrases.
In my research, I employ passive voice that is relevant to casual language. As a result,
the percentage of people who use each strategy varies greatly.

39
REFERENCES
1. Hieu, Đ., (2011). The Contrast in English and Vietnamese Passive Voice.
University Of Education
2. Hye, W., (2017). An Analysis on the Performance Differences in Translating
the Passive Voice. DPBia.
3. Ionescu, A., (2016). Difficulties in translating passive constructions in naval
architecture discourse. Literature and Discourse as Forms of Dialogue. ISBN:
978-606-8624-16-7.
4. Koller, W. (1978): Äquivalenz in kontrastiver Linguistik und Übersetzungs-
wissenschaft, in L. Grähs et al. (eds.): Theory and Practice of Translation,
Nobel Symposium 39, Stockholm, September 6-19, 1976. Bern, P. Lang, p. 69-
92.
5. Ladmiral, J.R. (1981). La traduction comme linguistique d’intervention in W.
Pöckl (ed.): Europäische Mehrsprachigkeit. Festschrift zum 70, Geburtstag von
Mario Wandruszka, Tübingen: G. Narr, p. 375-40
6. Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. and Svartvik, J. (1972). A Grammar of
Contemporary English. London: Longman.
7. Rhazi, A., Ali, H., Aouini, M., (2017). Translating Passive Structures from
Arabic into English Using the NooJ Platform. International Journal of
Information Technology and Language Studies. Vol. 1, Issue. 2, (2017). pp. 1-7.

40
 APPENDIX
Appendix 1: Questionnaires

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
Appendix 2: Interview questions and translation texts

49
Appendix 3: SSPS

Case Processing Summary

N %
Cases Valid 80 100.0
Excluded
a 0 .0

Total 80 100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all
variables in the procedure.

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha Based
on
Cronbach's Standardized N of
Alpha Items Items
.901 .905 18

Item Statistics
Std.
Mean Deviation N
D1 3.5000 .87149 80
D2 3.5625 .79307 80
D3 3.6875 .77286 80
D4 3.8125 .52996 80
D 3.5625 1.00434 80
D6 3.7500 .66561 80
D7 3.5625 1.00434 80
D8 3.9375 .55902 80
D9 3.5625 .79307 80
D10 3.3750 .86236 80

50
D11 3.5000 1.00631 80
D12 3.6250 .86236 80
D13 3.6250 .99842 80
D14 3.8750 .93287 80
D15 3.5625 .86922 80
D16 3.6250 .70036 80
D17 3.4375 .86922 80
D18 3.3750 .93287 80

Inter-Item Correlation Matrix

D
D1 D1 D1 1
D1 D2 D3 D4 D D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 1 D12 D13 D14 5 6 7 D18
D1 .5
1.00 .04 -.10 .22 .43 -.08 .04 .20
.229 .343 .109 .036 .455 .084 .436 .389 4 .156
0 7 8 9 3 4 2 7
3
D2 .3
.18 .49 .51 -.07 .45 .04
.229 1.000 .555 .313 .510 .313 .509 .428 .590 .350 7 .396
7 7 5 5 3 3
3
D3 .3
1.0 -.04 .70 .20 .54 .36
.047 .187 .473 .555 .215 .474 .558 .297 .174 .296 0 .077
00 6 3 3 8 5
0
D4 .4
.47 1.00 .25 .53 .64 .14
.343 .555 .438 .404 .676 .174 .710 .260 .583 .208 5 .272
3 0 4 4 4 9
5
D5 -.
.55 1.00 .39 .03 -.03 .35 -.0 1 -.09
-.108 .313 .438 .402 .310 .176 .338 .247 .279
5 0 2 1 9 8 56 4 3
0
D6 .4
.21 1.00 .51 .56 .46 .47
.109 .510 .404 .402 .402 .468 .276 .386 .333 .561 1 .561
5 0 0 7 5 5
0
D7 .3
.47 1.00 -.04 .39 .53 .50 .39
.036 .313 .676 .310 .402 .411 .027 .592 .008 6 .515
4 0 9 2 2 3 4
7

51
D8 .3
-.0 -.04 1.00 .36 .28 .20 .26
.455 .509 .174 .176 .468 .049 .476 .184 .349 1 .288
46 9 0 6 1 4 3
7
D9 .4
.70 1.0 .43 .45 .49
.229 .497 .254 .392 .510 .392 .366 .243 .497 .350 .267 6 .396
3 00 6 3 9
5
D1 .6
.55 .24 1.00 .43 .72 .13
0 .084 .428 .710 .338 .276 .411 .049 .532 .459 .295 2 .295
8 3 0 8 8 1
3
D1 .7
.20 .43 1.0 .39 .53
1 .433 .515 .534 .031 .567 .532 .281 .438 .146 .756 .337 6 .674
3 6 00 8 9
0
D1 .3
.29 .49 .14 1.00 .62 .07
2 -.084 .590 .260 .247 .386 .027 .476 .532 .276 .098 9 .256
7 7 6 0 3 9
1
D1 .7
.17 -.03 .35 .75 1.00 .39 .33
3 .436 .350 .583 .333 .592 .184 .459 .276 .153 7 .629
4 9 0 6 0 2 9
5
D1 .4
.29 .26 .33 1.00 .40 .31
4 .389 -.075 .208 .279 .561 .008 .349 .295 .098 .153 5 .055
6 7 7 0 0 5
9
D1 .5
.54 .45 .39 1.0 .14
5 .042 .453 .644 .358 .465 .503 .204 .728 .623 .392 .400 0 .127
8 3 8 00 3
8
D1 .4
.36 -.05 .49 .53 .14 1.0
6 .207 .043 .149 .475 .394 .263 .131 .079 .339 .315 8 .702
5 6 9 9 3 00
1
D1 1.
7 .30 -.14 .46 .76 .50 .48 0
.543 .373 .455 .410 .367 .317 .623 .391 .775 .459 .654
0 0 5 0 8 1 0
0
D1 .6
.07 -.09 .39 .67 .12 .70 1.00
8 .156 .396 .272 .561 .515 .288 .295 .256 .629 .055 5
7 3 6 4 7 2 0
4

52
 Summary Item Statistics
Minimu Maximu Maximum / N of
Mean m m Range Minimum Variance Items
Item Means 3.608 3.375 3.938 .562 1.167 .025 18
Inter-Item
.347 -.140 .775 .915 -5.516 .042 18
Correlations

Item-Total Statistics
Scale Mean Scale Corrected Squared Cronbach's
if Item Variance if Item-Total Multiple Alpha if
Deleted Item Deleted Correlation Correlation Item Deleted
D1 61.4375 80.629 .319 . .902
D2 61.3750 77.706 .576 . .895
D3 61.2500 78.671 .519 . .896
D4 61.1250 79.478 .702 . .894
D 61.3750 80.111 .293 . .905
D6 61.1875 78.002 .676 . .893
D7 61.3750 75.554 .563 . .895
D8 61.0000 81.899 .413 . .899
D9 61.3750 76.566 .662 . .892
D10 61.5625 76.072 .636 . .893
D11 61.4375 72.781 .734 . .889
D12 61.3125 78.572 .463 . .898
D13 61.3125 74.142 .654 . .892
D14 61.0625 78.920 .398 . .900
D15 61.3750 75.554 .667 . .892
D16 61.3125 79.838 .484 . .897
D17 61.5000 74.304 .756 . .889
D18 61.5625 76.325 .564 . .895

53
 Scale Statistics
Std. N of
Mean Variance Deviation Items
64.9375 86.388 9.29454 18

ANOVA with Tukey's Test for Nonadditivity

Sum of Mean
Squares df Square F Sig
Between People 379.149 79 4.799
Within Between Items 33.628 17 1.978 67.839 .000
People RNonadditivity 9.353a 1 9.353 19.885 .000
eBalance 631.186 1342 .470
sTotal
i
d
u 640.538 1343 .477
a
l
Total 674.167 1360 .496
Total 1053.316 1439 .732
Grand Mean = 3.6076
a. Tukey's estimate of power to which observations must be raised to achieve
additivity = 4.708.

54