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) Wed, 28 May 2025 09:04:25 +0000 OJS 3.2.1.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 THE TEXTURE OF A LITERARY TEXT: AN EXPLORATION OF TEXTUAL COHESION RESOURCES IN A TALE OF TWO CITIES https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5432 This descriptive qualitative-quantitative paper is an in-depth enquiry into how the textual cohesion resources are utilised in the construction of texture or textual cohesion meanings of a literary text – a topic that has received scarce attention in English literature teaching, learning and research, particularly at tertiary EFL (English as a Foreign Language) departments or faculties. The text under investigation is Chapter 1 entitled “The Period” of “Book the First” of the three-book novel A Tale of Two Cities by the famous British novelist Charles Dickens. The main theoretical framework adopted in this study is Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) textual cohesion model as propounded in their seminal monograph Cohesion in English. The aspects of analysis are grammatical and lexical cohesion resources. The study shows that Charles Dickens has deployed a diverse range of textual cohesion resources to construct texture of his text, among which four stand out. First, in terms of reference resources, there is a very high frequency of endophoric references. Second, as regards conjunction resources, additive relation predominates. Third, concerning lexical cohesion resources, repetition takes up the largest proportion. And fourth, virtually no substitution and ellipsis are utilised in the text. The study closes with a résumé of the points explored, the salient textual cohesion resources deployed in the text, a recommendation affirming the relevance of Halliday and Hasan’s textual cohesion model to the study of texture or textual cohesion meanings of texts in general and of literary texts in particular for EFL literature teaching, learning and research, and a suggestion for further study. Van Van Hoang Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5432 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 RESONANCE IN EXPRESSIONS OF FACIAL AFFECT AND VOICE AFFECT IN “FROZEN” ANIMATION https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5390 In contemporary discourse analysis, understanding communication extends beyond written and spoken words to encompass a broader range of modes, including images, gestures, and sounds. Multimodal Discourse Analysis emerges to explore how meaning is constructed and communicated through these diverse modes within various contexts. This study addresses this fruitful field by examining the relationship between voice qualities and facial expressions in conveying emotions through a popular children’s animation called “Frozen”. The analysis is based on Ngo et al.’s (2022) framework to explore the interplay of the two systems of Facial Affect and Voice Affect from an interpersonal perspective. In analyzing Elsa, one of the two main characters in the animation, we found that she is largely portrayed as having low spirits, evident in the type of facial and vocal features she expresses. Although there are occasional disjunctions between these two systems of affect, likely stemming from contextual variables or production flaws, the majority of instances reveal resonance between Elsa’s expressed features of Facial Affect and Voice Affect. Theoretically, the findings involving a complete animation contribute to the literature on multimodal texts targeted at children. It also yields practical benefits in encouraging the utilization of multimodal resources to enhance children’s language and social development. Hoang Chau Vo Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5390 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 A PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR WASHBACK EFFECTS OF E-PORTFOLIOS IN SPEAKING ASSESSMENT https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5406 This paper aims to propose a framework to explore the washback effects of e-portfolios in speaking assessment. Drawing on multiple theoretical frameworks in washback research, it first reviews classical models of language assessment and illustrates how evolving priorities in language education have led some educators to adopt alternative, technology-driven approaches, notably e-portfolios. The paper then synthesizes prior theoretical foundations alongside empirical studies to identify key stakeholders including students, teachers, and school administrators and their roles in shaping and experiencing washback effects. Building on this synthesis, the paper proposes a framework that shows how stakeholders’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices intersect when e-portfolios are used to assess English speaking skills. Finally, it underlines the framework’s theoretical significance for valid and responsive assessment design and provides pedagogical recommendations for educators and assessment practitioners seeking to implement e-portfolios effectively in diverse instructional contexts. Nguyen Thien Duyen Ngo, Ha Thao Mi Nguyen, My Tham Duong Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5406 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 RESEARCH ON KOREAN STUDIES FROM THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH OF AREA STUDIES https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5439 This paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach to Korean studies through the lens of area studies. The study synthesizes and presents the key concepts and fundamental characteristics of both area studies and Korean studies to emphasize the necessity of applying area studies methodologies to Korean studies research. The paper highlights the interdisciplinary nature of this approach while clarifying key aspects of Korean studies research. Additionally, it relates the current state of Korean studies in Vietnam, identifies challenges, and proposes directions for development, aiming to establish a theoretical foundation for Korean studies as an interdisciplinary field of study and research in Vietnam. Thi Ha Nguyen Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5439 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 INFLUENCE OF READING STRATEGY USE ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ SECOND LANGUAGE READING PERFORMANCE https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5350 Findings about the role of reading strategy use in second language (L2) reading have been inconclusive. This study, therefore, examined the reading strategies that distinguish high- and low-performing L2 readers. For this purpose, 32 Vietnamese ESL university students completed a fourteen-item TOEFL reading test and a survey of reading strategies consisting of 30 items measuring L2 learners' use of global, problem-solving and support strategies. The results of independent samples t-tests revealed no significant differences in their overall use of three strategy categories between high- and low-performing L2 readers, but the two groups showed significant differences in their use of three global strategies and one problem-solving strategy. These findings suggested that certain reading strategies could contribute to proficient reading in a L2. Thi Bich Hanh Nguyen Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5350 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 SOCIAL INTEGRATION IN THE ECONOMIC SECTOR OF VIETNAMESE WOMEN MIGRATING TO SOUTH KOREA FOR MARRIAGE https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5457 In today's era of globalization, the trend of transforming into multi-ethnic and multicultural societies is rapidly happening in many countries around the world. South Korea and the strong migration trend to South Korea in recent years are prime evidences of this trend. One of the main driving forces behind South Korea’s transition to a multicultural society is women migrating through marriage and multicultural families. From the perspective of migration motivation to the factors affecting adaptation and social integration in South Korea, it can be affirmed that an important measure to promote the social integration of women migrating through marriage in South Korea is to provide them with opportunities and capacities for economic integration. This article, based on in-depth interviews with migrant brides in South Korea and survey data on their economic capacity and activities, analyzes the current state of social integration of migrant women in the economic sector. This will act as an important evidence for proposing solutions or policies to support migrant women through marriage in South Korea, enabling them to integrate into society more substantively and effectively. Thu Huong Ha Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5457 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 THE IMPACT OF TRANSLATION ON LANGUAGE LEARNING - AN INSIGHT FROM THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO TRANSLATION https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5404 Translation or Grammar - Translation method (GTM) in its new form has made a comeback in language teaching after decades of neglect due to its limitations. This paper presents the impact of translation on students’ English learning in a tertiary English language program in Vietnam. The methodology was based on a contrastive examination of students’ written and spoken comments on the translation tasks and students’ translation solutions both before and after the translation workshops. The students demonstrated improved awareness of communicative contexts of texts or communicative language use and enhanced text comprehension. The study reinstates the enhanced role of translation in language teaching particularly when translation is defined from the functional approach to translation. GTM in its new form can still be relevant in Vietnam and other similar contexts. Thi Thu Huong Nguyen Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5404 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 ENHANCING MOTIVATION IN EFL TEACHING: INSIGHTS FROM VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY EFL TEACHERS https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5385 This study explores the role of teacher motivation in the context of English education reforms in Vietnam, where reforms have traditionally emphasised language proficiency, teacher training, and pedagogical skills. Drawing on data from 74 EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers across 14 universities in Vietnam, along with 30 in-depth interviews, the study identifies institutional strategies that may support teachers’ motivation. The findings highlight five key areas for improvement: professional development, curriculum and teaching reforms, leadership and management practices, workload management, and the provision of benefits and incentives. The study offers context-specific recommendations to support a more motivated and dedicated teaching workforce. Huong Linh Tran Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5385 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 THE TEACHER WITHIN: SHAPING PRESERVICE TEACHER IDENTITY THROUGH PRIVATE TUTORING https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5427 Research into teacher identity is not novel, but the influences of private tutoring on the formation of teacher identity among pre-service teachers have not been extensively investigated, particularly in the context of Vietnam. This study, therefore, aimed to examine how private tutoring helped to shape and reshape the identity of pre-service teachers majoring in language education, their motivations to participate in private tutoring, and the challenges that they might encounter. The implications of this study were to better understand teacher identity of pre-service teachers so that higher education institutions might improve their practicum, internship programs and pedagogical practice. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen fourth-year students majoring in language teaching education at a university in Vietnam. The findings revealed that students chose to join private tutoring for hands-on experience in a realistic teaching approach, finances, and internship record as their graduation requirement. Additionally, most of the interviewees perceived the lack of practical experience, management of students’ behaviour, and pressure from parents as their major challenges. Through private tutoring, their teacher identity was fostered and reshaped. Some recommendations for offsetting insufficient training in higher education for pre-service teachers, and further research directions were also put forward. Khanh Linh Pham, Thi Bich Phuong Nguyen Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5427 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 APPROACHING ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURAL CONCEPTUALIZATION https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5378 With the rise of globalization, English has developed numerous varieties in the communities it has entered and remained in. The native languages in these communities have also evolved due to prolonged interaction with English. This transformation goes beyond the surface manifestations and occurs in deeper levels, known as cultural conceptualizations. Thus, assessing cultural and social interactions within a linguistic landscape should consider not only the number of classified language groups but also the cultural conceptualization contacts evident in linguistic manifestations. Drawing from the cultural conceptualization systems encoded in American English and Vietnamese public signage, as generalized from previous studies, several key similarities and differences between the two speech communities are identified. These findings provide a criteria foundation for evaluating and classifying linguistic landscapes in Vietnam. Accordingly, public signage is categorized into four groups from a cultural conceptualization perspective: culturally native signage, culturally foreign signage, culturally hybrid signage, and culturally equivalent signage. Preliminary research results from the linguistic landscapes in Vietnam indicate an increasing presence of native English signage. Some English items also show signs of incorporating Vietnamese cultural conceptualizations, forming a variety known as Vietnamese English. Additionally, while Vietnamese public signage retains typical usage habits, it also integrates elements of the English cultural conceptualization system. The research findings and implications can significantly enhance the understanding, learning, and use of English and Vietnamese within Vietnam’s linguistic landscapes. Ngoc Truong Linh Pham Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5378 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 SOME HIGHLIGHTS IN THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST UNDER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN (2021-2024) https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5448 U.S. foreign policy has undergone many adjustments under President Joe Biden (2021-2024), especially in the volatile context of the Middle East. This article analyzes the prominent issues in U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East under President Joe Biden (from 2021 to 2024). In the context of the world and the region facing diverse challenges from security to human rights, U.S. policy has shifted from traditional military strategies to new forms such as multilateral dialogue, strengthening the security network, curbing the influence of China and Russia, and making cooperative efforts to solve problems in the region. The article applies international relations research methods, as well as analytical synthesis and evaluation methods, system structure methods, and forecasting techniques. In addition to assessing the prominent issues, the article also forecasts new adjustments in U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East in the upcoming term of President Donald Trump. Thi Mai Phuong Hoang Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5448 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF USING CHATGPT IN WRITING INSTRUCTION https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5473 While several studies have explored teachers’ experiences and perceptions of using ChatGPT in English as a foreign language teaching, little research has examined its role in French writing instruction. This study aims to investigate how French teachers at high schools and universities in Vietnam utilise ChatGPT for teaching essay writing, as well as its perceived benefits and challenges. Quantitative data were collected through an online 42-item questionnaire completed by 53 teachers who used ChatGPT in essay writing courses. Descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS 26 reveals that the most common applications of ChatGPT before lessons included generating outlines, creating essay samples, and finding reading materials. During lesson implementation, teachers primarily encouraged students to avoid excessive reliance on ChatGPT when writing their essays while allowing them to use it for generating outlines. In assessment, the most reported practices involved integrating writing tasks into ChatGPT prompts, correcting errors the AI failed to detect, and requiring students to revise their essays based on ChatGPT’s feedback. However, the findings indicate that ChatGPT was rarely used for generating grammar and vocabulary exercises or creating essay topics. Teachers also tended to avoid using ChatGPT for grading or requiring students to analyse ChatGPT’s feedback. Teachers recognised its benefits, such as saving time in lesson preparation, providing instant feedback, and facilitating students’ access to reading materials, but expressed concerns about risks related to academic dishonesty and the inaccuracy of ChatGPT-generated feedback. To enhance the effective use of ChatGPT in writing instruction, professional training is necessary, particularly in prompt engineering and AI-supported grammar and vocabulary instruction. Thi Bich Thuy Do Copyright (c) 2025 VNU Journal of Foreign Studies https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/5473 Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000