VNU Journal of Foreign Studies

VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs <div class="description-journal"> <div class="description-journal"> The Journal of Science was established in 1985 for the publication of national and international research papers in all fields of natural sciences and technology, social sciences and humanities. Since then, the journal has grown in quality, size and scope and now comprises a dozen of serials spanning academic research. With the rapid expansion of the field of Economics, the VNU Journal of Science is delighted to announce the launch of the VNU Journal of Science: Foreign Studies (JS: FS) since 2002. This serial publication provides researchers with the opportunity to publish research covering aspects in these areas in the popular VNU Journal of Science series. As a fully open access publication, the journal will provide maximum exposure for published articles, making the research available to all to read and share. The journal will be published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Scope JS: FS is an open access journal publishing double-blinded peer-reviewed research papers, discussions and reviews dealing with Linguistics, Foreign language education, International studies, Related social sciences and humanities. Peer Review Process Any manuscript followed the journal’s scope and author guideline will be assigned to the managing editors. All manuscripts have undergone editorial screening and anonymous double-blind peer-review by the at least one independent expert in the field. The managing editor makes an editorial decision, which is subject to endorsement by the Editor – in Chief. Abstracting and Indexing </div> </div> en-US tapchincnn@vnu.edu.vn (Tạp chí Nghiên cứu nước ngoài) tapchincnn@vnu.edu.vn (VNU Journal of Foreign Studies) Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:10:48 +0000 OJS 3.2.1.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 METAPHOR: MAPPING THE CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5626 This paper aims to sketch the current state of metaphor research, tracing its development from classical rhetoric to contemporary approaches including multimodal, cognitive, pragmatic, and critical perspectives. It outlines the theoretical foundations of metaphor and its conceptual, cultural, and communicative functions, emphasizing how metaphors, grounded in embodied experience and image schemas, both shape and reflect cognition, culture, and ideology. The discussion engages with Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), Conceptual Blending Theory (CBT), Extended Conceptual Metaphor Theory (ECMT), and Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA), while highlighting its cross-cultural variation and use across multiple domains. Metaphor has become a central lens for exploring how we conceptualize, interpret, and relate to the world. In addition to this global overview, the paper enriches the field with a selective review of Vietnamese metaphor studies, showcasing how Vietnam-based research contributes to the overall conceptual landscape. It argues that metaphor research now stands at an interdisciplinary crossroads. Emerging directions include examining metaphors across new modalities such as speech, sign language, gesture, film, emoji, memes, and advertising, and exploring the growing role of digital and AI-mediated environments in meaning-making. At the same time, the paper underscores the growing importance of metaphor awareness in language education as a means of strengthening learners’ interpretive and critical skills. We conclude that metaphor is a foundational cognitive and cultural resource - dynamic, adaptable, and central to meaning-making in diverse social interactions, and recommend future research on metaphors in digital and AI-mediated contexts, in language education, and in developing context-sensitive methodological frameworks. Hoa Nguyen, Anh Tuan Huynh Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5626 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVES ON INTEGRATING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTO CLASSROOMS TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5582 The skills gap is a noticeable issue in many countries, including Vietnam, a developing nation in Asia, where intellectual knowledge gaining seems to be a dominating objective of undergraduate students. To equip students with necessary practical skills for work after graduation, new courses have been developed at a language university in Vietnam. The courses are Presentation Skills, Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution, English for Career Development, and English for Business and Entrepreneurship. All the courses are taught in English and teachers apply Kolb's experiential learning cycle model to develop activities in these classes. The study describes this application and investigates lecturers’ experience in integrating experiential learning into their classrooms to find out benefits and challenges of this process, especially when the teachers were trying to develop students’ employability skills - an important goal of the courses. Analysis of qualitative data from interviews with nine lecturers showed that teachers used a wide variety of experiential learning activities to motivate students as well as assist them to gain knowledge and practical skills. Moreover, with these activities, students were believed to develop important employability skills such as sense making, collaboration or communication skills. The findings suggest that experiential learning is a promising approach to equip students with employability skills before graduation and getting ready for future work. Ngan Ha Nguyen, Kieu Hanh Tran, Phu Viet Anh Duong Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5582 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5603 This research aims to identify the main features of educational innovations in the context of K-12 schools and significant factors that impact the implementation process. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review of 76 English peer-reviewed articles that examined educational innovations between 2010 and 2019. Using the concept of institutional isomorphism, resource dependence theory and the sensemaking perspective, the review found that innovation was not being successfully implemented in schools largely due to “actor-related challenges” including issues related to teachers’ worldviews. The review also identified external environmental pressures outside the schools’ purview that restricted or curtailed the integration of educational innovations. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of innovation implementation in education from the perspective of implementation science. Illuminating some features of educational innovation implementation and the associated obstacles, this study offers recommendations for research and practice to improve the prospects of sustainable and scalable innovations in educational contexts. Thanh Ha Ngo, Thi Bich Phuong Nguyen , Thi Hoai An Nguyen, Hong Ngoc Nguyen Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5603 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN TEXTBOOKS: A SCOPING REVIEW AND SEMI-BIBLIOMETRIC SYNTHESIS (1995-2025) https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5602 This article presents a scoping and semi-bibliometric review of 131 peer-reviewed studies on multimodal discourse analysis (MDA) in textbooks published between 1995 and 2025. The review identifies major research trends, theoretical orientations, methodological approaches, and research gaps by combining quantitative mapping and qualitative thematic coding. The findings reveal a significant expansion in research output since the early 2010s, with over 40% of the studies published between 2020 and 2024. Asia emerges as the dominant region, led by Indonesia and China, yet geographic imbalances persist, with limited contributions from Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The review also shows a pronounced disciplinary concentration on English language teaching, accounting for nearly 60% of the corpus, while STEM and arts-related subjects remain underrepresented. Most of the studies adopt qualitative designs, relying heavily on content analysis and visual grammar frameworks, with 88.5% treating textbooks as isolated artefacts. Only 8.4% of the studies engage with textbook users such as teachers or students, signalling a lack of pedagogical contextualisation. Based on these findings, the article highlights five critical axes of discussion: regional asymmetry, disciplinary imbalance, methodological rigidity, theoretical convergence, and user exclusion. By synthesizing these insights, this review provides a comprehensive map of the field and directs future research toward more participatory, interdisciplinary, and digitally responsive studies that account for multimodality in situated educational practice. Hong Lam Tran, Quang Dong Lam Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5602 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 PERCEPTIONS OF FINAL-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CONCERNING THEIR JOB READINESS IN RELATION TO 21ST CENTURY SKILLS https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5600 Among 21st century skills, critical thinking (CT), creativity or creative thinking (CR), collaboration or teamwork (CL), communication (CM), and information and communication technology (ICT) competence (collectively referred to as 4Cs-ICT) are considered essential for job readiness, particularly for English majors preparing to work in multicultural and technology-driven environments. This study investigates the perceptions of final-year English majors at Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI) regarding the importance of 4Cs-ICT, their self-assessment of proficiency in these skills, and their recommendations for improvement. Employing a mixed-methods design, the data were collected from 47 questionnaire responses and 11 semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that students highly valued 4Cs-ICT, especially CT and CL, but remained less confident in their own proficiency, particularly in CT and CR. Both subjective and objective factors were identified as barriers to skill development. The students suggested integrating 4Cs-ICT more systematically into the curriculum, expanding extracurricular and project-based activities, and fostering a more open, technology-enhanced learning environment. These results highlight an urgent need to strengthen 21st century skills among English majors to enhance their job readiness in an increasingly competitive and globalized labor market. Thi Bich Lien Ta Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5600 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS THROUGH SNAKE IMAGERY IN IDIOMS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH, CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5491 Snakes are considered to be a culturally significant species worldwide and have deep cultural significance across various societies. Snakes have been appearing in folklore, mythologies and languages with fascinating and symbolism images for centuries. While there have been numerous studies exploring snake symbolisms, a comparative analysis across different cultures has been still limited. This study aims to analyze and compare the cultural meanings and idiomatic expressions related to snakes in English, Chinese and Vietnamese. The study also identifies the linguistic features, semantic structures, and cultural implications embedded in snake-related idioms in these languages. The data for the research have been extracted from idiom dictionaries, books, literary works, and research journals, which then would be analyzed to determine both the similarities and differences in how cultural features interpret snake images. The findings will reveal how cultural identity and language shape the meanings of snake-related idioms across nations, highlighting inter-cultural connections. The paper is expected to provide valuable references for multilingual learners, language teachers as well as researchers keen on linguistics, culture and symbolism. Thi Nhat Linh Nguyen, Thi Thanh Thao Le Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5491 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 GENRE AND REGISTER IN MEDICAL RESEARCH ABSTRACTS: A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTIC APPROACH https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5508 This study explores the genre structure and register realization of medical research abstracts through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Based on a corpus of 60 abstracts from six major medical disciplines published between 2017 and 2024, the study analyzes rhetorical staging and linguistic choices to uncover how meaning is constructed in this highly codified academic genre. The findings reveal substantial standardization across the corpus, with most of the abstracts following a simplified Introduction–Methods–Results–Discussion (IMRaD) structure and displaying standard features such as technical field realizations, nominalizations, low-modality expressions, and impersonal constructions. However, subtle disciplinary variations are noted in which Oncology abstracts emphasize contextual background more, while Pulmonology and Cardiology focus more on methods and results, highlighting the influence of field-specific epistemological priorities. These results affirm prior research in genre and discourse analysis and suggest that medical abstract writing requires structural conformity and rhetorical flexibility. Pedagogically, the study underscores the value of SFL-informed instruction in medical English writing courses, especially for non-native English-speaking scholars. Integrating genre- and register-based training could enhance abstract-writing competence and increase the international publication success of emerging researchers in contexts such as Vietnam. Thi Tuyet Mai Nguyen Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5508 THE IMPACT OF ICT-INTEGRATED COLLABORATIVE WRITING ON EFL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE: A PROCESS-GENRE APPROACH TO COMPARISON ESSAYS https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5565 This quasi-experimental research analyzed how Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-integrated collaborative writing shapes comparison essay performance among 79 Vietnamese learners who were divided into experimental group (EG) and control group (EG) at a public university. Both EG and CG attended a process-genre writing approach with five stages. However, merely the EG were supported with ICT platforms and tools; while the CG attended traditional writing classes. The writing performance assessment evaluated comparison essays before and after the intervention according to their task fulfillment, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and overall writing quality. Before the intervention started, no noteworthy distinctions existed between the participant groups based on all assessment metrics. The analysis after the intervention indicated that while both groups improved the overall scores, the EG demonstrated gains in organizational skills and grammatical accuracy, whereas the CG excelled in task fulfillment. Vocabulary development showed minimal improvement in both groups. The study implies the complementary strengths of traditional and technology-assisted collaborative writing. Further studies should advocate a blended instructional approach to maximize EFL students’ writing performance. Thi Hong Nhung Pham, Thi Thanh Ha Nguyen Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5565 “I CAN NOW GET ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS” - EFL STUDENTS’ VOICES ON THE USE OF THE DOGME ELT APPROACH IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING LEARNING https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5592 The Dogme English language teaching (ELT) approach is believed to promote EFL students’ ability to use the target language naturally and effectively; nonetheless, this approach is still underexplored in various contexts. This embedded mixed-methods study examines Vietnamese EFL students’ perceived impacts of the Dogme ELT approach on their English-speaking learning. 90 high school EFL students were conveniently selected to complete a questionnaire, while 10 of them voluntarily took part in interviews. This study employed quantitative analysis through SPSS software alongside qualitative content analysis. The findings demonstrated that the participants regarded the Dogme ELT approach as effective for fostering their English-speaking learning, particularly by augmenting their speaking willingness, increasing their speaking engagement, dedicating more time to practice, and advancing English-speaking proficiency. The pedagogical values can be derived from this study in relation to the use of the Dogme ELT approach in fostering EFL students’ speaking language skills and enriching their broader language learning experience. My Tham Duong, Quoc Thao Tran, Phuoc Dieu Hang Nguyen Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5592 TIMOR-LESTE IN THE XXI CENTURY: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5578 The process of Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia has not only shaped the dynamics of the XXI century global landscape. Still, it has also been a historical reality influenced by internal and external factors, notably Australian support - a traditional middle power. However, the achievement of Timor-Leste's independence has challenged Australia's relations with Indonesia. Despite being the least developed country in Southeast Asia and grappling with economic struggles, Timor-Leste aspires to overcome these hurdles after 19 years of independence and build a prosperous and robust nation, as outlined in the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan extending until 2030. The paper aims to evaluate the issues of Timor-Leste in the twenty-first century, considering geopolitical conditions, post-independence impacts, and issues related to international integration. Thanh Van Chu, Thi Thuy Tran, Thi Thanh Dung Bui Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5578 USABILITY, EFFECTIVENESS AND ENGAGEMENT OF TARI AI TOOLS FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5623 This study investigates user perceptions of AI-supported tools developed by the Training and Applied Research Institute (TARI) at Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages - Information Technology (HUFLIT), designed to enhance language education. As artificial intelligence continues to transform educational practices, the research evaluates the extent to which localized AI tools facilitate usability, effectiveness, and engagement in linguistics learning. The data were collected from 271 participants using a structured questionnaire comprising 18 Likert-scale items and 6 open-ended questions to capture both quantitative and qualitative insights. Data cleaning was conducted using Python, followed by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to validate the measurement scale. The EFA confirmed a three-factor structure aligned with the theoretical framework, while the CFA demonstrated good model fit (CFI = 0.969; RMSEA = 0.052). Reliability testing indicated strong internal consistency across all constructs of the measurement scale (overall α = 0.944). Composite Reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) further supported convergent validity for most dimensions. The findings revealed predominantly positive user perceptions. The participants regarded the tools as accessible, interactive, and effective in supporting both conceptual understanding and practical application. The qualitative responses emphasized advantages such as personalization, efficient data processing, and enhanced motivation, while also acknowledging limitations in capturing humanistic dimensions of language learning. The study concludes that TARI AI tools hold significant potential to foster inclusive, engaging, and impactful language education. Continued refinement and user-centered development are recommended to ensure these tools remain responsive to diverse learner needs in dynamic educational contexts. Ngoc Vu Nguyen, Thi Hong Lien Nguyen, Thi Thu Van Nguyen Copyright (c) 2026 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5623