Chapter 1: Overview of study

1.1. Rationale

English is acknowledged as a useful means of communication in the contemporary world. With the rise of globalization, the significance of
English as a global language has grown considerably. Those who are proficient in English often have better prospects for employment and
advancement compared to those who lack proficiency. While learning English may not be overly difficult, achieving mastery in the language is
more challenging than commonly perceived.

Writing is often considered the most difficult skill to acquire among the four language skills due to its demand for a deep understanding and
proficient application of grammar, vocabulary, composition, and the ability to craft cohesive essays. Unlike speaking, which often allows for
unfinished sentences and colloquialisms, writing necessitates formal vocabulary, accurate spelling, grammatical correctness, and the
organization of ideas into well-structured sentences and paragraphs. => trích nguồn? As English is not used frequently in written or spoken form
in Vietnam, learning English as a foreign language remains a significant barrier. Nonetheless, students are motivated to study English by its
significance as a global language. Students must be skilled at writing if they want to use English effectively. The reason is that written
communication is a unique feature of the human species as well as a great way to market to partners in other countries.

In the context of Thuongmai University, English writing is a compulsory subject for all first-year students enrolled in the Faculty of English,
alongside the other three language skills. This subject aims to provide students with an understanding of the components of writing and various
writing styles, laying a solid foundation for developing strong writing abilities throughout their academic journey and future careers. However,
based on initial observations by the researcher during their first year at Thuongmai University and through research conducted with current first-
year students of the K59 classes, it was observed that students still struggle with numerous mistakes, particularly in grammar. Therefore, in
order to enhance students' writing skills and address grammatical errors among first-year English majors at Thuongmai University,

it was imperative to assess the current state of English writing education among students and identify the underlying causes of these mistakes.

That's the reason why I chose the topic "A Study on Common Grammar Mistakes in Writing Essays of First-year English-majored Students at
Thuong Mai University". This study was conducted to investigate the problems that the first-year were making and proposed solutions to help fix
those mistakes and to improve their English as a whole. The researcher also hoped this research would become a helpful study for those
students and maybe the teachers as well.
1.2. Previous studies

There has been research and studies around the world conducted to find out the grammatical mistakes that students make in their writings.
They show that grammatical mistakes are a pervasive issue, prompting researchers to explore their causes and propose solutions to enhance
students' grammatical proficiency in writing and beyond. The following are examples of previous studies relevant to this topic, encompassing
both international and Vietnamese research.

1.2.1. Foreign studies

→ add more Cat fast sstudies?)

The initial study, conducted by Kaçani (2014) and titled "Grammatical mistakes of Albanian students in learning English as a foreign language",
focuses on identifying the prevalent grammatical errors among Albanian students in the process of learning English as a foreign language (EFL).
The study aims to examine the origins of these errors and their implications for effective English grammar instruction. Utilizing standard British
English as a benchmark for correct usage, the paper delves into the most significant issues highlighted by the survey results. The research
findings indicate that many of the grammatical errors made by Albanian learners stem from the influence of their native language, while others
are attributed to overgeneralization, simplification, avoidance, and excessive production.

The second study was made by Atashian and Al-Bahri (2018), entitled "Towards Arab Students' Grammatical Errors in Academic Writing & their
Perceptions", Using the qualitative method, the study aimed to uncover the grammatical challenges

it was imperative to assess the current state of English writing education among students and identify the underlying causes of these mistakes.

That's the reason why I chose the topic "A Study on Common Grammar Mistakes in Writing Essays of First-year English-majored Students at
Thuong Mai University". This study was conducted to investigate the problems that the first-year were making and proposed solutions to help fix
those mistakes and to improve their English as a whole. The researcher also hoped this research would become a helpful study for those
students and maybe the teachers as well.

encountered by university students in their academic writing, as well as to ascertain the underlying causes of these difficulties. Additionally, the
research sought to explore strategies and potential solutions to address these issues. Data were gathered from 200 Education undergraduates
(with the sub-major in English) at the University of Nizwa in Oman, utilizing their assignments over the course of a semester. The researchers
concluded that the primary factor contributing to various grammatical errors is the influence of Arab students' native language, which
significantly impacts their command of the English language.

With these international studies, they were able to find out various grammatical mistakes that were made by the students and both studies also
concluded that the first language or the mother tongue of the students was the main problem. But these are research for international students
outside of Vietnam so the findings might not be fully applicable or true to the culture of Vietnamese students which this current research is
about. The researcher also wanted to look for different main problems that students of Thuongmai University might have had.

Demestic 1.2.2. Domestic Studies

(find more at least 5 studies?)

Firstly, a study made by Pham Mai Lan (2022) entitled “Một số biện pháp khắc phục lỗi trong viết đoạn văn Tiếng Anh của sinh viên năm thứ nhất
khoa kinh tế, trường đại học Mở Hà Nội” or “Solutions to correct errors in English paragraph writing of first- year student at faculty of economic,
Hanoi Open University". The study aimed to identify suitable measures to rectify errors encountered in English paragraph writing by first-year
students enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at Hanoi Open University. Employing interview, diary, and statistical methodologies, the study
analyzed the errors present in the written work of 70 first-year Economics students, categorizing them into three groups: grammatical, lexical,
and expressive errors, along with investigating six underlying causes of these errors. Based on the research findings, several corrective measures
were proposed with the intention of assisting students in self-correcting their errors and enhancing their writing skills more effectively,
ultimately contributing to the improvement of teaching writing skills for instructors.

1.2. Previous studies

There has been research and studies around the world conducted to find out the grammatical mistakes that students make in their writings.
They show that grammatical mistakes are a pervasive issue, prompting researchers to explore their causes and propose solutions to enhance
students' grammatical proficiency in writing and beyond. The following are examples of previous studies relevant to this topic, encompassing
both international and Vietnamese research.

1.2.1. Foreign studies

→ add more ( at least 5 studies? )

The initial study, conducted by Kaçani (2014) and titled "Grammatical mistakes of Albanian students in learning English as a foreign language",
focuses on identifying the prevalent grammatical errors among Albanian students in the process of learning English as a foreign language (EFL).
The study aims to examine the origins of these errors and their implications for effective English grammar instruction. Utilizing standard British
English as a benchmark for correct usage, the paper delves into the most significant issues highlighted by the survey results. The research
findings indicate that many of the grammatical errors made by Albanian learners stem from the influence of their native language, while others
are attributed to overgeneralization, simplification, avoidance, and excessive production.

The second study was made by Atashian and Al-Bahri (2018), entitled "Towards Arab Students' Grammatical Errors in Academic Writing & their
Perceptions", Using the qualitative method, the study aimed to uncover the grammatical challenges

And also, the research made by Pham Kim Chi (2020) entitled "Error Analysis On English Compositions and Paragraphs of Vietnamese Students".
The study aimed to identify suitable measures to rectify errors encountered in English paragraph writing by first-year students enrolled in the
Faculty of Economics at Hanoi Open University. Employing interview, diary, and statistical methodologies, the study analyzed the errors present
in the written work of 70 first-year Economics students, categorizing them into three groups: grammatical, lexical, and expressive errors, along
with investigating six underlying causes of these errors. Based on the research findings, several corrective measures were proposed with the
intention of assisting students in self-correcting their errors and enhancing their writing skills more effectively, ultimately contributing to the
improvement of teaching writing skills for instructors.

In conclusion, these above-mentioned studies determined some typical mistakes as well as suggested solutions to enhance students' abilities of
writing. However, none of these studies did a research focus on English-majored students. As a result, the author decided to carry out this study
to focus on the Thuongmai university first-year English- majored students' grammatical mistakes in writing only which wasn't the scope of study
of both Vietnamese researchers. So, the researcher considered this subject to be quite new and helpful to research further into.

1.3. Aims of the study

This research is carried out to investigate the essays => thay bằng “text” written by the first-year? English-majored Students at Thuong Mai
University

The aims of this study are set out as follows:

Finding out the grammatical and lexical errors made by first year English major students at TMU while writing compositions.

Identifying potential factors and proposing remedies to assist students in mitigating their challenges.

1.4. Research Subjects

The research subject was English Grammar Mistakes in Writing Made by First- year English-majored Students at Thuongmai University and Some
Suggested Solutions.

1.5. Scope of the study

The primary objective of this study is to analyze common errors found in academic essays written by junior English majors at Thuongmai
University. The research was conducted within the English Faculty of Thuongmai University, with a specific

emphasis on first-year students majoring in English. The study is scheduled to span two months, running from February 26th to April 28th, 2023-
2024. Research Instrument Data Collection Povedures

1.6. Research methodology

phân tích cụ thể, chi tiết

- Research Intrusment
- Data collection Procedures
- Data Ananlysic Methods

Pata Analysic Methods With the purpose of the study is to help the first year English-majored students find out their common grammatical and
lexical errors in writing composition and the causes of these errors, my methods are:

Gathering materials by consulting reference books on English writing, grammar, and vocabulary.

Utilizing quantitative research techniques with a group of 100 students, employing a questionnaire containing multiple choice inquiries and a
rating system to identify prevalent mistakes and primary reasons for these errors.
Data analysis.

1.7. Organization of the study

The study encompasses of four main chapters as following:

Chapter 1 Overview of the study

In terms of this part, the background of the study will be clearly defined and lucidly written including the rationale, the aim of the study, the
research subjects, the scope of the study, the research methodology, and data processing as well as research structure.

Chapter 2: Literature review