EVALUATING THE LEVEL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING INVESTMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BASED ON DARVIN AND NORTON’S INVESTMENT MODEL IN A VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The level of investment in foreign language learning plays a decisive role in the success of the foreign language learning process and contributes significantly to promoting professional development. This study explores the basic concepts of investment in foreign language learning based on the investment model of Darvin and Norton (2015) and professional development activities in the context of a university in Vietnam. Based on the investment model of Darvin and Norton (2015), the study delves into three factors including identity, capital, and ideology that affect the level of investment in foreign language learning for professional development. Utilizing methods including interviews, observation, and document analysis, the study's findings reveal the complex interaction among identity, capital, and ideology in shaping learners' investment orientation toward professional growth, concurrently illustrating the extent of the research subjects' foreign language learning investment for professional development. Based on this in-depth perspective on learner investment in language learning within the Vietnamese university context, these findings offer valuable theoretical and practical insights into language education. The research specifically concerns the factors affecting learner investment in foreign language study for professional development based on the three core components consisting of identity, capital, and ideology. The study simultaneously evaluates the level of foreign language learning investment in a university setting in Vietnam.