









































Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

(AsiaCALL2O21-2)(AsiaCALL2O21-2)(AsiaCALL2O21-2)

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEINTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEINTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ASIA ASSOCIATION ofofof
COMPUTER ASSISTED
LANGUAGE LEARNINGLANGUAGE LEARNINGLANGUAGE LEARNING

HOA SEN UNIVERSITYHOA SEN UNIVERSITYHOA SEN UNIVERSITYatatat
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

(AsiaCALL2O21-2)

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ASIA ASSOCIATION of
COMPUTER ASSISTED
LANGUAGE LEARNING

HOA SEN UNIVERSITYat



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 2 of 168

1. Associate Professor Pham Vu Phi Ho Van Lang University
2. Professor Andrew P. Lian, Suranaree  University of Technology, Thailand
3. Dr. Ania B. Lian    Charles Darwin University, Australia
4. Associate professor Nguyen Ngoc Vu Hoa Sen University
5. Professor Dr. Hayo Reinders  King Mongkut’s University  

      of Technology Thonburi, Thailand
6. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tien   Hoa Sen University
7. Dr. Nguyen Quang Tien   Hoa Sen University
8. Dr. Nguyen Chi Duy Khuong  Hoa Sen University
9. Dr. Tran Van Duong   Hoa Sen University
10. Dr. Huynh Van Tai    Hoa Sen University
11. Lu Van Tuan    Hoa Sen University
12. Tran Quang Hai    Hoa Sen University
13. Tran Le Hoai Vu    Van Lang University
14. Cao Thi Xuan Tu    Van Lang University
15. Associate professor To Minh Thanh Hoa Sen University
16. Phan Thi Kim Thao   Van Lang University
17. Dr. Vy T. M. Luu    HCMC University of Economics & Finance
18. Dr. Bui Thi Kim Loan    Van Lang University
19. Dr. Kurt Candilas, Lourdes College  Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
20. Dr. Nguyen Hai Long   Van Lang University

REVIEWER BOARD MEMBERS



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 3 of 168

1. Pro. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu  Hoa Sen University
2. Dr. Le Thi Ngoc Tu  Hoa Sen University
3. Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ha  Hoa Sen University
4. Ms. Tran Thi Minh Huong  Hoa Sen University
5. Mr. Truong Hoang Nhut  Hoa Sen University
6. Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong  Hoa Sen University
7. Dr. Le Dinh Phong   Hoa Sen University
8. Dr. Nguyen Bao Thanh Nghi Hoa Sen University
9. Ms. Ngo Kim Thanh Thuy  Hoa Sen University
10. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Si  Hoa Sen University
11. Ms. Doan Thi Minh Hue  Hoa Sen University
12. Mr. Tran Dai Dong Hiep  Hoa Sen University
13. Ms. Tran Bao Ngoc  Hoa Sen University
14. Ms. Ly Thi Mai   Hoa Sen University
15. Ms. Huynh Anh Lan  Hoa Sen University

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 4 of 168

From the AsiaCALL President

Welcome to AsiaCALL2021-2, the 
18th International Conference 
of the Asia Association of 
Computer-Assisted Language-
Learning (AsiaCALL). As I 
am fond of reminding friends 
and colleagues, AsiaCALL is 
a research and professional 
association dedicated to bringing 
people together in research and 
professional ventures. We also 
do our best to enable access for 
everyone to new knowledge and 
to encourage collaboration in 
new technology-based ventures, 
including new theoretical 
constructs at all levels, relating 
to language education. In order 
to achieve this, we have done our 
best to find ways to bring together 
researchers and practitioners 
from all over the world, and Asia 
in particular, with no regard to 
status, income or experience so 
as to attain the highest levels of 
intellectual and cultural diversity 
as a way of enriching the field of 
(technology-enhanced) language 
learning and promoting equal 
opportunity.

One might have expected that 
an increase in the number of 
conferences would lead to 
a decrease in the number of 
submitted abstracts for the 
second conference. Far from 
it. AsiaCALL2021-2 actually 
attracted 50% more papers than 
the first of the 2021 conference. 
This is eloquent testimony to 
the vitality of the field and of the 
positive relationship between the 
language teaching profession 
and the AsiaCALL organization. 
Thank you very much for your 
strong continuing support. We 
are delighted that we can be 
of ongoing service to you and 
contribute to the infrastructure 
necessary for the development of 
the field, especially at a time when 
there is a proliferation of online 
conferences and webinars.

I should like to take this opportunity 
to express my thanks on behalf of 
the AsiaCALL organisation to Hoa 
Sen University for its magnificent 
support of the conference. In 
particular, I would like to express 
my heartfelt gratitude to the 
President of AsiaCALL2021-2, 
Vice-Rector Associate Professor 
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu and his 
team, for their wonderful efforts 
on behalf of the organisation and 
for ensuring the success of the 
conference. 

I also wish to express my heartfelt 
thanks to Associate Professor Dr. 
Pham Vu Phi Ho, Associate Dean 
of Foreign Languages at Van Lang 
University, Vietnam and Vice-
President for Administrative Affairs 
of AsiaCALL for his tireless efforts 

on behalf of the organization. He 
has provided the key energy for 
many of the association’s recent 
initiatives. We owe him much.

My deepest gratitude also goes 
to our wonderful keynote, plenary 
and featured speakers: Professor 
Dr. Hayo Reinders, from Anaheim 
University, USA and King Mongkut 
University of Technology Thonburi, 
Thailand, Associate Professor 
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu, Vice-Rector 
of Hoa Sen University, Vietnam, 
Associate Professor Dr. Long V. 
Nguyen, Vice-President of the 
University of Foreign Languages, 
Da Nang University, Vietnam, 
Dr. Ania Lian, Senior Lecturer in 
Education, College of Indigenous 
Futures, Education and the Arts, 
Charles Darwin University, Australia, 
Vice-President of AsiaCALL for 
Research and Innovation, Dr. Le 
Dinh Phong, Dean of the Faculty of 
Information Technology, Hoa Sen 
University, Vietnam. These gifted, 
innovative speakers set the tone for 
the conference. Their contributions 
fuel the participants’ ever-present 
enthusiasm and I look forward to the 
research and publications generated 
by this gathering of minds.

Finally, a word of warm thanks to 
all the conference participants. 
As always, they are the most 
important people, the reason 
for the organization’s existence 
and its lifeblood. Thank you for 
joining and extending AsiaCALL’s 
intellectual and social family. 

Professor Dr. Andrew P. Lian
President of AsiaCALL

WELCOME TO ASIACALL



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 5 of 168

TABLE OF CONTENT

Hidden impacts and  stereotypes of technology in language learning
Andrew Lian ......................................................................................................................................... 14

Language learning spaces beyond the classroom: 
The role of technology in supporting lifelong and lifewide learning

Hayo Reinders ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Building artificial intelligence advantage for Vietnam TESOL in the post Covid-19 world

Nguyen Ngoc Vu .................................................................................................................................. 16
Hidden impacts and  stereotypes of technology in language learning

Ania Lian ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Applications of robotics in education: a case study on teaching foreign language

Le Đinh Phong ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Adaptability to the Covid-19 crisis: what are the roles of the stakeholders?

Long V. Nguyen .................................................................................................................................... 19
An investigation into the phenomenon of morphological conversion in current textbooks  
of English and Vietnamese literature for high schools

Pham Thanh Hoai(1), Nguyen Xuan Minh Hai(2)   ..................................................................................... 20
English paraphrasing

Truong Van Anh ................................................................................................................................... 21
The impact of globalization and international integration to become a global citizenship  
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Giang(1) , Dr. Nguyen Minh Tri(2)  ................................................................................ 22
Readiness, preparation, and effectiveness of online teaching and learning in Vietnam tertiary education

Tran Tin Nghi(1), Nguyen Tat Thang(2), Tran Huu Phuc(3), Nguyen Mau Vu(4)  ............................................ 23
The importance of translanguaging in improving fluency in speaking ability  
of non English major sophomores

Phan Thi Ngoc Thach; Tran Thi Thu Ha - Ma; Tran Hoang Anh – Ma ..................................................... 24
Teaching the narrative essay: embedding elements of fiction (plot and setting)

Pham Thi Hong An ............................................................................................................................... 25
The disadvantages in learning listening via moodle at Van Lang University

Quynh Ngo(1), Phuong Tran(2)  ............................................................................................................... 26
Technology in preschool English programs: What, When, Where, How, How Much?

Tien Bui ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Students’ collective learning network in an English-Medium instruction context

Tho Vo ................................................................................................................................................. 28
Mobile Or Hostile? Cellphone Use In The EFL Classroom: A case study

Phan Thi Anh Nga ................................................................................................................................ 29
A study on EFL students’ perceptions of learner autonomy at People’s Security University

Nguyen Thi Thanh Tra .......................................................................................................................... 30
Bringing LBC into classroom: An evaluation on self-video recorded speaking task  
through Vietnamese learner Perceptions

Phan Thi Cat Tuong .............................................................................................................................. 31



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 6 of 168

Influence of video dubbing tasks on students’ participation in a speaking classroom:  
An action research project

Author ................................................................................................................................................. 32
Estimating university students’ acceptance of technological tools for studying English  
through the UTAUT model

Phe Q. Chu(1),  Trang H. Nguyen(2)  ........................................................................................................ 33
Some challenges of online learning faced by EFL freshmen at Hanoi Metropolitan University  
during the pandemic of Covid-19

Vuong Thi Hai Yen ............................................................................................................................... 34
Acceptance and use of video conferencing for teaching in Covid-19 pandemic:  
An empirical study in Vietnam

Khuong Nguyen(1), Tham Nguyen(2)  ...................................................................................................... 35
Exploring language learning of disabled children: a context in Bangladesh

Author ................................................................................................................................................. 36
The application of Google form to evaluate and assess student’s performance  
at Hanoi Metropolitan University

Nguyen Thi Hoa ................................................................................................................................... 37
Exploring challenges of major English students towards learning English speaking skills online  
during Covid 19 pandemic and some suggested solutions

Nguyen Chau Bich Tuyen ..................................................................................................................... 38
Learning and teaching English at the People’s Police University: A cross-cultural perspective

Nguyen Thi Van Anh(1), Nguyen Thuy Ngoc(2)  ........................................................................................ 39
Enhancing EFL student intercultural competence through “challenging stereotypes” assignment

Tran Thi Xoan ...................................................................................................................................... 40
Improve writing skills for EFL learners via blended online learning activities

Nguyen Ngoc Vu(1), Vo Thi Minh Due(2), Nguyen The Luong(3), Nguyen Thi Hong Lien(4)  .......................... 41
Teachers’ language assessment literacy: A case study at a high school in Halong

Ha Bui .................................................................................................................................................. 42
Determinants in student satisfaction with online learning:  
A case of second-year students at private universities in HCMC

Nguyen, Thanh Minh(1), Tran, Quang Hai(2) ............................................................................................ 43
Information technology in online English classes: An opportunity or a challenge

Vo Tu Phuong ...................................................................................................................................... 44
Structure and application of 50 ways to conjugate a finite verb in English

Thai An Truong(1); Phuoc Sang Nguyen(2)  .............................................................................................. 45
Comparison French borrowed words in English and those in Vietnamese

Vo Tu Phuong ...................................................................................................................................... 46
On the shift of parts of speech in prepositional meaning in English-Vietnamese translation

Phat Dinh Dac ...................................................................................................................................... 47
The perceptions of Vietnamese EFL students at Van Lang University on jigsaw learning

Tran Le Hoai Vu ................................................................................................................................... 48
Considerations for a contextualized learning and instruction in an English language classroom

Jessie L. Labiste Jr. ............................................................................................................................. 49
Discourse analysis of speech acts of apology by Filipino call center agents

Mary Joy V. Sienes(1); Jasper Eric C. Catan(2)  ........................................................................................ 50



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 7 of 168

Measuring the student motivation and learning perception of using augmented reality (ar)  
in the EFL classroom

Victor Marrahí-Gómez(1); Jose Belda-Medina(2)  .................................................................................... 51
The importance of activity tracking in class-based call activities

Thomas Robb ...................................................................................................................................... 52
Grammar teaching techniques used by native English teachers for 5th - graders  
at Vietnam-Australia School, Hanoi

Minh N. Nguyen ................................................................................................................................... 53
Achievement emotions and barriers to online learning of university students  
during the Covid-19 time

Vo Thi Bich Phuong; Lam Thuy Trang (Co-Author) ................................................................................ 54
Online learning for master’s degree programs: a look at the learner’s perceptions

Tran Thi Ngoc Yen ................................................................................................................................ 55
A comparative analysis of learner engagement between online and offline learning: 
A case study of undergraduate students at Hoa Sen University

Tran Ngoc Tien(1); Lu Van Tuan(2); Nguyen Thi Ton Nu Phuong Linh(3)  .................................................... 56
Coronateaching in a Palestinian university: changes, challenges, and new conceptions

Hidayat Abu Elhawa ............................................................................................................................. 57
Teaching moral competence through moral complexity in videogames:  
Proposing a didactic framework based on lind’s KDDM

Benjamin Hanussek ............................................................................................................................. 58
EFL preservice teachers’ development of 21st century skills through field experiences during Covid-19

Eunjeong Park...................................................................................................................................... 59
Challenges and opportunities of implementing E learning in teaching English  
at tertiary level from teachers’ perspective

Pham Thi Ngoan(1); Nguyen Minh Duc(2)  ............................................................................................... 60
Task-based approaches and learners’ l2 motivational self system:  
The joy and despair of an emergency online EFL class in the Covid-19 pandemic

Quang Nhat Nguyen(1); Linh Nhat Pham(2); Hien Nguyen Thi Thu(3)  ........................................................ 61
Stratergies for translating English passive sentences into Vietnamese

Eunjeong Park...................................................................................................................................... 62
Students’ perception of “American English file multipack 3” – a study at People’s Security University

Le Thi Thu Phuong(1); Tran Hoang Anh(2)  .............................................................................................. 63
Automated evaluation of semantics in fact-based writing with semantic similarity tools

Qiao Wang ........................................................................................................................................... 64
The role of classroom-situated game-based language learning  
in promoting students’ communicative competence

Qiao Wang ........................................................................................................................................... 65
Using lecture videos in flipped classroom model

Bui Thi Kim Loan .................................................................................................................................. 66
Students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of idiom teaching and learning in speaking skill for freshmen at foe, 
Thuongmai University

Tran Thi My Linh .................................................................................................................................. 67
Effectiveness of online learning through using collaborative learning in flipped classroom

Ngo Van Thien ..................................................................................................................................... 68



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 8 of 168

Global citizenship education in the English language classroom: Theory and practice
Elizabeth Norman ................................................................................................................................ 69

Integrating call into teacher preparation curricula: success and failure
Mili Saha ............................................................................................................................................. 70

Vietnamese students’ perspectives on online micro-teaching as a technique  
in English teacher education in the 4.0 Era

Pham Ngoc Kim Tuyen ......................................................................................................................... 71
The impacts of mobile-assisted language learning (mall)  
on freshmen’s vocabulary acquisition and their perspectives

Nguyen Van Thang(1); Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha(2)  ...................................................................................... 72
The semantic change of Ra – Vào In Vietnamese and their equivalents in English:  
A corpus-based study

Van Duong Tran ................................................................................................................................... 73
Utilizing digital resources to foster young learners’ engagements in online learning classrooms

Ho Thi My Linh(1); Nguyen Thi Bao Khuyen(2)  ........................................................................................ 74
Non-English major students’ perceptions towards TOEIC online learning and testing

Thi Doan Hoang(1); Thuy Linh Phan(2); Hong Phuong Le(3) ...................................................................... 75
Using songs are highly motivated young learners in learning English

Pham Thi Thuy Tien ............................................................................................................................. 76
Teaching speaking online using digital mind mapping software (DMMS) 
 and screen recording tool (SRT): A practical method

Ismail Anas .......................................................................................................................................... 77
Students’ responses to the implementation of audio-visual recording  
in English pronunciation classrooms

Hong T.t.vo(1); Thi Anh Tuyet Ly(2)  ......................................................................................................... 78
A neuroscientific approach to understanding listening comprehension in EFL contexts

Vy Luu Thi Mai ..................................................................................................................................... 79
Translating culture-specific items in Vietnam’s cultural festival texts into English

Nguyen Thi Nhu Ngoc(1); Le Thi Ngoc Anh(2);  Tran Cao Boi Ngoc(3);  
Nguyen Anh Quan(4);  Van Thi Nha Truc(5)  ............................................................................................. 80

A case study of the effects of storytelling as a memorizing technique  
for English vocabulary on young learners

Nguyen Thi Huong Lan(1); Nguyen Thi Hoang Lan(2)  .............................................................................. 81
Perspective of teachers on E-learning at language schools  
during Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam

Pham Ho Hai Yen ................................................................................................................................. 82
The impact of pronunciation practicing strategies on pronunciation competence  
of Vietnamese EFL learners

Ngo Thanh(1); Tran Ngoc Tien(2);  Bien Mai(3); Phan Ngoc Uyen(4)  ........................................................... 83
Effectiveness of blended learning: A classroom action research

Zarin Tasnim ........................................................................................................................................ 84
Improving EFL students’ intonation in text using shadowing technique with the implementation  
of spoken texts via Google translate tool

Nhi Le P.(1); Linh Vu H.m.(2);  Nhat Tran M.(3)  .......................................................................................... 85
Criteria to choose online assessment tools for English language teaching

Tran Thi Minh Phuong .......................................................................................................................... 86



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 9 of 168

Teachers’ difficulties in applying digital game-based learning in a virtual classroom
Thi Doan Hoang(1); Thuy Linh Phan(2); Thuy Linh Phan(2)  ....................................................................... 87

Developing Vietnamese listening - speaking skills for Chinese pupils 
in the first grade in district 5, Ho Chi Minh City during the Covid 19 pandemic period

Tran Thi Kim Tuyen .............................................................................................................................. 88
Changes in students’ experience and perceptions towards e-learning  
at Hoa Sen University during Covid-19 pandemic

Tran Quang Hai(1); Hoang To Thu Dung(2)  .............................................................................................. 89
Analysis of EFL students’ mistakes towards negation structures in English

Nguyen Thuy Nuong(1); Tran Quang Hai(2)  ............................................................................................. 90
The challenges of learning EFL writing via Microsoft Teams

Bui Thi Kim Loan .................................................................................................................................. 91
A phenomenological exploration of eap international students’ speaking  
and listening experience with pechakucha presentations

Van Thi Hong Le .................................................................................................................................. 92
Online education at Saigon University during the Covid-19 pandemic:  
A survey on non-english major students’ attitudes

Tran The Phi(1); Nguyen Trinh To Anh(2)  ................................................................................................. 93
A case study of metalinguistic negation operators in Vietnamese

Nguyen Thuy Nuong ............................................................................................................................ 94
An analysis on the willingness of students to participate in online learning at Hue University

Nguyen Ha Quynh Nhu(1); Pham Do Van Trung(2); Nguyen Ha Quynh Giao(3)  ........................................... 95
More than just ads: prompts for oral proficiency workshop of pre-service teachers

Esperval Cezhar H. Cadiao(1); Glysa Marie Regidor(2); Nhessa Mar Cataloctocan(3);  
Ronith Dianne Coo(4); Ivy Sabandal(5)  .................................................................................................... 96

Factors affecting attitude and motivation of Saudi Arabic students  
in learning English as a second language

Tawhida Akhter .................................................................................................................................... 97
Activities to increase student talk time in the online English classroom

Nguyen Tan Loi .................................................................................................................................... 98
An investigation into non-english major students’ problems in taking APTIS listening and reading

Tran Quang Hai .................................................................................................................................... 99
Improving the competency of geography education students 
through using internet data-based cognitive tasks

Pham do van trung(1); nguyen ha quynh giao(2); nguyen ha quynh nhu(3)  .............................................. 100
Resilience, motivation, and demotivation in online learning during turbulent time:  
A case study among EFL university students in Vietnam

Trang Pham ....................................................................................................................................... 101
Deploying textbook images in English language teaching

Nguyen Thi Thuong ............................................................................................................................ 102
Teachers’ feedback on using discord as an online learning platform

Uong Tran Gia Tri(1); Nguyen Duy Khoi(2); Nguyen Huu Nhon(3) ............................................................. 103
The impact of grading anxiety on efl students’ self and peer assessment:  
The case of Vietnam

Trang Phan ........................................................................................................................................ 104



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 10 of 168

Constructing teacher assessment identity through narratives of university EFL teachers in Vietnam
Thi Bich Nguyen Dao .......................................................................................................................... 105

Learning continuum in a blended mode: A case of a skill-based course
Prajna Pani(1); Anubha Ray(2)  .............................................................................................................. 106

Learning lexical collocations with concordancing and teacher’s scaffolding
Le Thanh Ha ...................................................................................................................................... 107

English language education in the digital age: The roles of EFL teachers from students’ perspectives:  
A case study from Indonesia,Thailand, and Vietnam

Phan Thi Kim Thao(1); Mai Van Ket(2); Mulyaty(3);  
Patlada Wongyotha(4); Payupol Suthathothon(5)  ................................................................................. 108

Prior-study on using on linemicro-game based language learning material  
senhanced vocational college students’esp English learning performances

Cheng-Yu Tsai ................................................................................................................................... 109
Helping language learners self-review learning points and gain learning expectation

 Le Thi Trung Dinh .............................................................................................................................. 110
Using activity theory to understand students’ opportunities and challenges  
in a curriculum vitae writing process

Le Thanh Ha(1); Vu Phuong Hong Ngoc(2)  ............................................................................................ 111
EFL students’ attitudes towards the ease of use mobile technology  
to learn English at a university In Vietnam

Nguyen Ngoc Vu(1); Vo Thuy Linh(2)  .................................................................................................... 112
Impact of mobile technology in EFL students’ pronunciation learning at a university in Vietnam:
From perception to practice

Vo Van Loc(1); Vo Thuy Linh(2)  ............................................................................................................. 113
Promoting students’ autonomy in online classes:  
A study on first-year non-English major students in Thuongmai University

Pham Thi Tuan  .................................................................................................................................. 114
Cross-disciplinary language teaching

Nguyen Hoang Phuong  ..................................................................................................................... 115
The evaluation of English textbook “friends plus” from teachers’ perspectives

Author  .............................................................................................................................................. 116
Learners’ perspectives towards online peer assessment in academic writing: Chance and challenge

Tri Minh Nguyen(1); Nguyen Kim Phuong(2)  ......................................................................................... 117
Exploring relationships between learners’ internet self-efficacy, online self-regulation  
and interaction during online learning amid Covid-19 in Vietnam

Thach Pham(1); Phuong Lai(2); Vinh Nguyen(3)  ..................................................................................... 118
Effects of language variations on elt: a survey on English food idioms in tertiary education

Nguyen Hong Nhung  ......................................................................................................................... 119
Tools for effective online learning

Thi Quynh Trang Dang  ....................................................................................................................... 120
The use of technology in teaching writing: evaluation of an online research paper writing course

Dao Nguyen Anh Duc  ........................................................................................................................ 121
American English and Vietnamese use in public signs:  
A pragmatic cultural comparison and translation

Linh Ngoc Truong Pham  .................................................................................................................... 122



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 11 of 168

English majors’ English listening difficulties and use of strategies at Mien Dong University Of Technology
Nguyen Dinh Nhu Ha(1); Nguyen Quang Minh(2); Le Thi Thuy Trang(3)  ................................................... 123

Implementing task-based approach: a solution for teaching English speaking skills
Nguyen Dinh Nhu Ha(1); Nguyen Loc(2); Tran Tuyen(3)  .......................................................................... 124

Perceptions of EFL tertiary students towards the correlation between e-learning and learning engagement 
during the Covid-19 pandemic

Ngo Duc Huy  ..................................................................................................................................... 125
An analysis on translation errors in online Vietnamese-English menus

Nguyen Thi Nhu Ngoc(1); Nguyen Le Minh Phuong(2); Le Anh Khoa(3);  
Pham Đang Khoa(4); Tran Thanh Thanh Lam(5)  .................................................................................... 126

The untranslatability in translating from English to Vietnamese and vice versa
Nguyen Thi Thanh Trang(1); Nguyen Duy(2)  .......................................................................................... 127

Wix web-based English learning media to support teaching in the Pandemic era
Pham Viet Ngoc(1); Pham Thu Trang(2)  ................................................................................................ 128

Factors influencing Vietnamese teeangers’ intention to use mobile devices  
for English language learning

Hoang Quy(1); Pham Ngoc Thach(2); Dang Dinh Quan(3); Nguyen Xuan Thang(4)  .................................... 119
An investigation of factors affecting students’ class attendance

Nguyen Thi Ton Nu Phuong Linh(1); Nguyen Thi Minh Anh(2); Nguyen Hung Duy(3)  ............................... 130
Enhancing EFL students’ oral presentation skills through blended learning in English  
for occupational purposes classrooms

Hoang Ngoc Tue(1);  Le Duc Hanh(2)  .................................................................................................... 131
Remote teaching amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam:  
Primary school EFL teachers’ practices and perceptions

Dau Thi Thanh Luy  ............................................................................................................................ 132
Byod: The opinions and perceptions of parents in Japan

Jeremy White  .................................................................................................................................... 133
Moving towards a 2020s game jam definition

Jeremy White  .................................................................................................................................... 134
Innovation in higher education - training aprroaches under Covid-19 and  
the revolution of science and technology 4.0

Author   .............................................................................................................................................. 135
Analysis of translation trends of modal verb “can” and its alternatives  
in Vietnamese based on corpus-based study

Nguyen Huynh C.   ............................................................................................................................. 136
Teaching and learning English as a major in a business and finance-oriented university:  
Challenges and opportunities

Nguyen Oanh  .................................................................................................................................... 137
The application of multi functional English learning platform to ESP course feedback S  
from students and teachers

Chieh Min Jason Yang  ...................................................................................................................... 138
A validation report for a digital english language assessment:  
Correlations with the toeic® listening and reading test

Bradley Eugene Opatz Jr.  .................................................................................................................. 139



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 12 of 168

A reflection of extensive reading program at American center, U.S. Consulate General, HCM City
Ho Vuong(1); Lu Tuan(2)  ....................................................................................................................... 140

Quizlet as a tool for enhancing autonomous learning of English vocabulary
Thuy Nguyen(1); Tri Nguyen(2); Xuan Le(3); Hoang Mai(4); Khanh Nguyen(5)  ............................................ 141

Quality assurance for online English courses amid the Covid-19 pandemic: Problems and solutions
Vo Huynh Thanh  ............................................................................................................................... 142

“Moderate messiness seems to be good for people.” What do you think?:  
Activities facilitating students’ engagement in an online class

Vu Thi Hong Van  ............................................................................................................................... 143
Shadowing technique as a method of pronunciation teaching

Bui Hoai Huong  ................................................................................................................................. 144
Cooperative learning in EFL reading classes at Lam Dong ethnic minority boarding school

Nguyen Thi Hoai Huong(1); Nguyen Tat Thang(2); Tran Tin Nghi(3); Nguyen Phan Nhat Nguyen(4)  ........... 145
Role of cooperatives and participation of their members in agricultural output marketing:  
Empirical evidence from Ethiopia

Eshetu Tefera Bekele  ......................................................................................................................... 146
Teachers and students’ perceptions and challenges of online teaching and learning during Covid-19 
pandemic: A Case Study

Pham Dang Tram Anh  ....................................................................................................................... 147
How to draw tree digrams via nine how to draw tree digrams via nine sentence patterns

Truong Van Anh(1); Vo Thuy Thanh Thao(2)  .......................................................................................... 148
The important roles of learning pronunciation in the integration era

Nguyen Truong Gia Minh  ................................................................................................................... 149
Some common ways for students to improve pronunciation during Covid-19 pandemic

Nguyen Truong Gia Minh  ................................................................................................................... 150
The contrast of the ergativity between English and Vietnamese

Nguyen Gia Hung Lam(1); Nguyen Manh Cuong(2)  ............................................................................... 151
Stratergies for translating English passive sentences into Vietnamese

Nguyen Xuan My  ............................................................................................................................... 152
The effectiveness of using rhetorical devices in translation process

Nguyen Huu Chanh(1); Nguyen Tuan Kiet(2)  ......................................................................................... 153
An analysis of negative verbs and their equivalents: a case study of the call of the wild and one of its 
Vietnamese translations

Tran Luu Hoang Ngọc Van Trang  ....................................................................................................... 154
Using task- based approach to improve the 9th graders’ speaking skills at Viet Anh School in Ho Chi Minh City

Pham Nguyen Bao Ngoc(1); Truong Van Anh(2)  .................................................................................... 155
The effectiveness of using Facebook to enhance university students’ performance in English

Do Quoc Khanh  ................................................................................................................................. 156
How to avoid using informal language in academic writing

Nguyen Thi Quynh Ngan  .................................................................................................................... 157
Examining the Vietnamese ‘Sẽ’ and its English equivalents in the Vietnamese novel: “Nỗi buồn chiến tranh” 
and its translated text in English: “The sorrow of war”

Nguyen Trung Huy  ............................................................................................................................ 158
Students’ vocabualry memorization is enhanced via fishbone diagram

Le Quy Mai Huyen, Huynh Thi Van Anh  .............................................................................................. 159



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 13 of 168

Management and development of the university teaching staff in Vietnam today  
according to Ho Chi Minh’s ideology

Le Trung Kien  .................................................................................................................................... 160
How to train the higher order thinking skills with CBL project during the Covid-19

Hiroyuki Obari(1); Steve Lambacher(2); Hisayo Kikuchi(2)  ...................................................................... 161
A case study of student views on effective online learning

Le Thi Tuyet Minh  ............................................................................................................................. 162
A narrative inquiry of a Vietnamese university efl teacher’s assessment identity

Dao Thi Bich Nguyen  ......................................................................................................................... 163
Online learning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic: Vietnamese students’ voice

Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat  ...................................................................................................................... 164
The application of multi-functional English learning platform to ESP course:  
Feedbacks from students and teachers

Chieh-Min Jason Yang  ...................................................................................................................... 165
An assessment of students’ satisfaction with online testing in higher education – an empirical study with 
foreign language students at Vietnam National University - HCMC

Truc Tran(1); Du Tran(2); Phuong Nguyen(3); Ngan Nguyen(4)  .................................................................. 166
Mediating reading motivation through parental support: The case of grade 7 students of esperanza switch 
national high school

Joseph P. Casbual Jr., Maels, Aldrianne C. Ligan  ............................................................................... 167
Correlation between internet literacy and vocabulary level: implication towards reading comprehension

Joseph P. Casbual Jr., Maels, Julrem B. Nacua  .................................................................................. 168



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 14 of 168

ABSTRACT
This keynote will address relatively unnoticed aspects 
of technology in (language) education. While these 
aspects may be hidden, they are nevertheless real and 
play a significant role in the development of the field. 
This address will reveal some of these and discuss 
their impacts on the field of (language) learning.

KEYWORDS: Technology, language education, 
impacts on language learning.

HIDDEN IMPACTS AND  STEREOTYPES OF 
TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

ANDREW LIAN
Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand mlapl1@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Professor Dr. Andrew P. Lian, Professor of 
Foreign Language Studies, Suranaree University 
of Technology, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City Open 
University, Vietnam; Professor Emeritus, University 
of Canberra, Australia; President of AsiaCALL, the 
Asia Association of Computer-Assisted Language-
Learning, a research and professional association 
focusing on the uses of technology to enhance 
second/foreign language learning in Asian contexts.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 15 of 168

ABSTRACT
Readers of the literature on language teaching might 
be forgiven the impression that language learning 
takes place only in language classrooms. Studies 
that focus on the measurement of language learning 
variables, such as proficiency, motivation and learning 
strategies, are typically based on research among 
samples of classroom learners. However, it is likely 
that as much, if not more, language learning now 
takes place outside of formal education. Although 
language learning beyond the classroom (LBC) has 
received less attention than classroom learning, the 
steadily growing body of research and in particular 
our experiences from the last 18 months, have shown 
us many ways in which technology can both provide a 
wide range of learning spaces as well as be used to help 
prepare learners for and support them in their learning 
in those spaces. In this presentation I will begin by 
briefly describing what I mean by LBC and its different 
variants and then offer some recommendations for 
how technology can be harnessed to help develop 
learners’ skills for both lifelong and lifewide learning.

LANGUAGE LEARNING SPACES BEYOND 
THE CLASSROOM: THE ROLE OF 
TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORTING LIFELONG 
AND LIFEWIDE LEARNING

HAYO REINDERS
Anaheim University, USA

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Hayo Reinders (www.innovationinteaching.org) 
is a TESOL Professor and Director of the doctoral 
programme at Anaheim University in the USA. He 
is also Professor of Applied Linguistics (Adjunct) 
at King Mongkut’s University of Technology, 
Thonburi, Thailand. Professor Reinders is Editor of 
the journal Innovation in Language Learning and 
Teaching (published by Taylor & Francis) and edits 
a book series on “New Language Learning and 
Teaching Environments”. He founded the Institute 
for Teacher Leadership. His interests are in teacher 
empowerment, learner autonomy, and educational 
technology.  

Orcid ID, Scopus ID, Google Scholar



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 16 of 168

ABSTRACT
COVID-19’s worldwide emergence has had 
catastrophic personal and economic implications. 
Much media attention has been focused on shortages 
of training, as well as facilities, as TESOL institutions 
around Vietnam struggled to respond quickly to 
sudden change in the mode of learning content 
delivery, especially those facilitated by artificial 
intelligence. By introducing new AI tools launched 
during the last 2-3 years, the presenters analyze 
opportunities and challenges for TESOL education 
in Vietnam in the Post COVID-19 world. Major topics 
discussed include history of AI in language teaching, 
AI tools for teaching language skills, language aspects 
and AI for education in the post COVID-19 world. With 
data collected from an experiment using AI powered 
teaching platform, the presentation also reports 
impact of AI enabled digital contents on language 
learning. From the trends recorded until early 2021, 
the presenter makes suggestions for technology 
investment and language education in Vietnam.

KEYWORDS: Artificial intelligence, Educational 
technology, Digital transformation, Language 
education.

BUILDING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 
ADVANTAGE FOR VIETNAM TESOL IN 
THE POST COVID-19 WORLD

NGUYEN NGOC VU
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam vu.nguyenngoc@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Ngoc Vu is vice president of Hoa Sen 
University and chairman of STESOL founded 
by Association of Vietnam Universities and 
Colleges. With training experience from more 
than 25 countries, his main expertise is building 
digital transformation competency and providing 
consultation service to higher education institutions 
and businesses across Vietnam. He won Vietnam 
Technology Innovation Award in 2012 and got 
recognized as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) 
Master Trainer in 2014. His research interests 
include Computer Assisted Language Learning, 
Cognitive Linguistics, Educational Technology, and 
ELT Methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 17 of 168

ABSTRACT
As accountability structures evolve globally, every 
educational institution strives to build capacity of 
its team to offer learning experiences that comply 
with the modern requirements for education to build 
academic, social, and emotional capacities of their 
graduates. However, change is often slow as it takes 
time to embrace new concepts and adapt them 
to one’s contexts. Furthermore, not all theoretical 
concepts immediately translate into education that 
is based on transformative principles that engender 
lifelong learning embedded in values, such as 
humanisation, localisation, regionalisation, and 
universalisation, which typify all modern curricula. 
This presentation describes three research projects, 
which sought to counter the obstacles that typically 
slow down change and short-change the promises 
of the new education reforms. Two of these projects 
took place in different universities in Indonesia and 
the third project is currently underway in Cambodia. 
The discussion will illustrate the context of these 
projects, how technology was used to support team 
teaching with international partners and how the “new 
normal” was more a help in this venture, rather than an 
obstacle. The research findings from the two already 
completed projects provide strong evidence that the 
model was not only a success, but also was superior to 
other approaches against which the two projects were 
compared and tested. The study findings suggest that 
collaborations with international partners can benefit 
from more “hands-on” methods of work. These types 
of collaboration are likely to both progress innovation 
faster and enable a better understanding by each 
group of their contexts, challenges, and possibilities.

KEYWORDS: education, humanisation, localisation, 
regionalisation, and universalisation

HIDDEN IMPACTS AND  STEREOTYPES OF 
TECHNOLOGY IN LANGUAGE LEARNING

ANIA LIAN
Charles Darwin University, Australia Ania.Lian@cdu.edu.au

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Ania Lian, Senior Lecturer (eq. Associate 
Professor) in Education (Teaching and Learning), 
Charles Darwin University, Australia. Since 1993, 
Ania has held positions at various universities 
in Australia, with her work focusing on the uses 
of technology in second language learning 
and in education in general, including software 
development. She has also worked at the National 
Policy Office of the Council on the Ageing in 
Canberra and has a history of working on a voluntary 
basis with the wider community on sustainability 
projects within the framework of the Queanbeyan 
Business Council, NSW. Ania has been a keynote 
speaker at a number of academic conferences 
both in Australia and in Asia, where she engages 
in building collaborative networks between CDU 
and other universities, with the aim of expanding 
the international focus of all involved. The leading 
objective of her teaching and research is to explore 
the concept of inclusive learning environments, 
with a specific focus on learner-centredness. Her 
recent interest in graduate attributes developed 
from these concerns which form the framework of 
her approach.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 18 of 168

ABSTRACT
Along with the great development of science and 
technology in the past few decades, the  Robotics 
has surpassed many limits, such as not only serve 
people in factories and industrial fields, but also it is 
applied in all areas of human life such as agriculture, 
health care, daily life and especially education. The 
presence of Robots in the classroom, firstly attracts 
the attention and concentration of the student as well 
as helps them feel more interested in the lessons. 
One of the most popular applications is using 
Robots to develop the necessary skills in this 4.0 era: 
programming, innovation and critical thinking, math 
and problem solving, etc. Also with diverse features 
that Robots can be programmed to suit the special 
needs of each individual such as children with autism. 
They can be assisted by Robots to learn social and 
communication skills, and interacting with Robots 
also helps them gradually adapt to human contact. 
With such applications or capabilities mentioned 
above, Robots obviously becomes an effective tool 
for teaching foreign language and in fact, countries 
with the high technological expertise such as Japan, 
Korea, Singapore, or Europe are the leading countries 
in this field. In this talk, we will learn how to use Robots 
in foreign language teaching, how effective it is and 
whether it can really completely replace teachers in 
teaching as people fear?

KEYWORDS: Educational Technology, AI Robotics 
in Education, Foreign Language, Natural Language 
Processing.

APPLICATIONS OF ROBOTICS IN 
EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY ON 
TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

LE ĐINH PHONG
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam phong.ledinh@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Le Dinh Phong received his Ph.D. degree from 
the Division of HCI & robotics at the Korea Institute 
of Science and Techonology, Korea. He is currently 
the Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology, 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. Previously, he was 
a Researcher at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park and the 
Nguyen Hoang Group – the biggest education 
corporation in Vietnam, focusing on uses of 
technology to Education. His research interests 
mainly include Human-Computer Interaction, 
Applied AI in Education and AI Robotics-assisted 
English teaching and learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 19 of 168

ABSTRACT
The worldwide education system has suffered severe 
failures as a result of the accelerated shift to online 
instruction caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. This 
study investigated the responses from a foreign 
language university in Vietnam throughout this 
transition from a holistic approach, moving from the 
institution’s policies to realizing such goals via the 
implementation of administrative, supporting, and 
teaching staff. It also looked at how high-experienced 
lecturers used technology in their online classes. The 
study highlighted important themes in administrative 
and EFL teaching elements using semi-structured 
interviews with two administrative and supporting 
staff members and five English Foreign Language 
(EFL) lecturers. In terms of administration, the 
institution formulated a series of policies, established 
a Response Team, and implemented ICT in their 
educational system on a long-term basis. Lesson 
planning, ongoing student assistance, and proactive 
problem-solving are all part of the teaching process. 
Institutional and individual initiatives are also 
highlighted. During and after the COVID-19 Pandemic, 
this study is expected to give practical and relevant 
lessons to worldwide practitioners and online 
education development in EFL programs.

KEYWORDS: EFL programs, highly-experienced 
teachers, initiatives, online teaching, policies

ADAPTABILITY TO THE COVID-19 
CRISIS: WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THE 
STAKEHOLDERS?

LONG V. NGUYEN
The University of Danang - University of Foreign Language Studies, Vietnam nvlong@ufl.udn.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Associate Professor Dr. Long V. Nguyen is a vice-
President of the University of Foreign Languages, 
Da Nang University, Vietnam. He earned his MA in 
TESOL Studies from The University of Queensland 
in 2005 and a PhD. degree in the Applied Linguistics 
program at the School of Language Studies, 
Massey University. He has received a number of 
outstanding grants for his research in the areas 
of educational technology, collaborative learning, 
digital literacies, and language teacher education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 20 of 168

ABSTRACT
The study aims at investigating the phenomenon 
of morphological conversion in current textbooks 
of English and Vietnamese Literature for High 
schools. Based on those survey results, the 
authors analyzed the similarities and differences 
of this phenomenon between the two disciplines 
to propose appropriate teaching methods when 
encountering it in the curriculum. The research 
used the inductive method to synthesize theories 
from available data about the phenomenon of 
conversion and the survey method to analyze 
statistically the conversion phenomenon density 
in the English and Vietnamese Literature books 
at high school level. Finally, the comparative 
method was used to point out the similarities 
and differences of the above phenomenon in the 
textbooks of the two subjects. From the collected 
data, this study showed that the phenomenon 
of conversion in the textbooks of English and 
Literature has occurred. Through the research 
paper, the authors would like to give some notes 
and suggestions on appropriate teaching methods 
for high school teachers when encountering this 
phenomenon in the teaching processThis study 
examines the: ……...

KEYWORDS: Conversion, teaching, English, 
Vietnamese Literature

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE 
PHENOMENON OF MORPHOLOGICAL 
CONVERSION IN CURRENT TEXTBOOKS OF 
ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE LITERATURE 
FOR HIGH SCHOOLS

PHAM THANH HOAI(1), NGUYEN XUAN MINH HAI(2)  
(1) Sai Gon University  mindyminpham@gmail.com
(2) Sai Gon University  nxmhai217@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
As Vietnamese juniors at the Department of Foreign 
Languages at Saigon University, Pham Thanh Hoai 
and Nguyen Xuan Minh Hai are students in an English 
teaching major who have won a championship in a 
contest “Pedagogy Expertise”. Under the guidance 
of their lecturer, Truong Van Anh, M.A., they found 
their interest in the phenomenon of morphological 
conversion and conducted a paper to investigate 
the phenomenon in current textbooks of English and 
Vietnamese Literature for High schools. It is certain 
that they will be able to get more achievements when 
being exposed to a scholar atmosphere like the one 
created by this Conference.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 21 of 168

ABSTRACT
Paraphrasing is changing the structure without 
changing the meaning or using two different structures 
but having the same meaning. These 914 sentence 
patterns cover all the paraphrasing structures in 
English and guide how to handle other patterns when 
learners encounter them. It is important that students 
know the deep sentence patterns which they can 
convert into surface sentence structures flexibly. 
Our research is a summary of what we already know 
from books and exams, but they haven’t been fully 
collected yet. Collecting data for research, we compile 
assignments in the form of essays. This is great for 
developing students’ writing and speaking skills..

KEYWORDS: deep structure, pattern, paraphrasing, 
surface structure.

ENGLISH PARAPHRASING
TRUONG VAN ANH

Sai Gon University  tvanh@sgu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Being a senior lecturer at Sai Gon University, 
Truong Van Anh also gives lectures at other 
universities such as University of Social Sciences 
and Humanities, VNU-HCMC, Bac Lieu University, 
Open University – HCMC, Hoa Sen University, 
HUFLIT University and Hanoi Vietnam National 
University, HCMC Branch. Supervising students 
doing their scientific research, he has supported 
them to win some national prizes granted by 
Ministry of Education and Training.  He has 
presented many articles at the international and 
national conferences. His scientific articles have 
been published on Sai Gon University Journals 
of Science and many articles in proceedings 
at universities and institutes. Especially, he 
has had over 50 reference books relating to 
English language studies published by various 
publishing houses.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 22 of 168

ABSTRACT
In the context of globalization, international integration, especially the 
development trend of industrial evolution 4.0 is strongly and deeply 
influence and impact on different aspects and field in social life. It 
attracts every country to a “playground” called “Integration”. With 
its vastness and complexity, globalization firmly impacts on every 
fields of social life, to every country, nation, especially to train global 
citizenship so they can satisfy the requirements of globalization and 
international integration nowadays. For Ho Chi Minh City, globalization 
and international integration has brought chances, opportunities, at 
the same time, there are also some real challenges and risks in the 
training of global citizens. Therefore, the urgent issue at the moment is 
the need of further researching, analyzing in order to have an objective 
and comprehensive in visions and assessments to use full potential of 
chances and to control risks in globalization and integration international 
process for the training of global citizens to meet the presently socio-
economic development requirements has urgent practical significance. 

KEYWORDS: Opportunities, challenges, education and training, global 
citizenship, globalization, Ho Chi Minh City.

THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION AND 
INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION 
 TO BECOME A GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP  
IN HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

DR. NGUYEN THANH GIANG(1) , DR. NGUYEN MINH TRI(2) 
(1) Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance (UEF), Vietnam
(2) Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(*) Corresponding Author: Nguyen Minh Tri  nm.tri@hutech.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 23 of 168

ABSTRACT
This study aims at examining whether the university 
students artte ready to transform and adapt to the 
emergence of online learning, which serves as a 
response to the Covid-19 pandemic and as a measure 
that would help reduce its spread. The factors that 
usually influence students’ ability in changing their 
learning habits and adapting to these changes readily 
were usually proposed theoretically. A mixed method 
was conducted around 50 participants who were 
supposed to complete an online survey. Six of the 
participants were chosen to participate in interviews 
that were semi-structured. The survey indicated the 
students’ initial preparedness and motivation factors 
in the university to the online learning via an online 
platform. The pedagogical mode was drawn from 
students’ readiness and effectiveness during their 
online learning in comparison with their efforts. It 
was clear that students who were enrolled in social 
and humanity courses like English language and 
linguistics were much resistant to online learning 
compared to those in engineering courses.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Pandemic, students’ 
readiness, online learning

READINESS, PREPARATION,  
AND EFFECTIVENESS  
OF ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING  
IN VIETNAM TERTIARY EDUCATION

TRAN TIN NGHI(1), NGUYEN TAT THANG(2), TRAN HUU PHUC(3), NGUYEN MAU VU(4) 
(1)  Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

 University of Foreign Language Studies – The University of Da Nang, Vietnam  nghitt@hufi.edu.vn
(2)  Faculty of Foreign Languages, Da Lat University, Vietnam       thangnt@dlu.edu.vn
(3)  University of Foreign Language Studies – The University of Da Nang, Vietnam  thphuc@ufl.udn.vn
(4)  The People’s Police University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam       nguyenmauvu.dhcsnd@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Tin Nghi, M.A. is the lecturer of Foreign 
Languages Faculty, Ho Chi Minh City University of 
Food Industry. He is also a member of the STESOL, 
a part of the Association of Vietnam Universities 
and Colleges. His research interests are Teaching 
English as a Foreign Language, CALL, Corpus 
linguistics, and Cognitive Linguistics.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 24 of 168

ABSTRACT
This observational study aims to investigate 
the use of translanguaging to foster speaking 
fluency development among students at a 
university in the south of Vietnam. A total of 
individual 70 sophomores were tracked over 
eight weeks and studied in 4 modules conducted 
in a translanguaging instructional context. 
The findings suggest that the students had a 
positive experience with the lesson that included 
translanguaging resources and did promote 
students’ speaking ability. Their use of L1 is 
reported to be a supportive approach in increasing 
their confidence and fluency in communication 
when learning English. Also, the results indicate 
that the students’ language in the English lesson 
contributed to a positive change in behavior, 
engagement and motivation. The implication of 
this study suggests that there is a need for more 
focus to be put on the use of a blending approach 
when teaching and learning the English language. 
In addition, teachers need to be formally trained 
in using translanguaging and supported in their 
use of translanguaging in alignment with current 
language policies and programs. 

KEYWORDS: Speaking fluency, translanguaging, 
low level, motivation.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSLANGUAGING 
IN IMPROVING FLUENCY IN SPEAKING 
ABILITY OF NON ENGLISH MAJOR 
SOPHOMORES

PHAN THI NGOC THACH; TRAN THI THU HA - MA; TRAN HOANG ANH – MA
ha.ttt@vlu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
They have been teaching English for over ten years at 
Van Lang University, Vietnam. During those time, they 
have been interested in ELT, especially developing 
students’ proficiency in Speaking, writing skill as well 
as communication skills. 

Phan Thi Ngọc Thach Tran Thi Thu Ha

Tran Hoang Anh



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 25 of 168

ABSTRACT
The narrative essay belongs to chronological order, a 
way of organizing ideas in terms of their occurrence 
in time. As a result, it requires different set of writing 
skills from other types of essays: it is built out of 
sequential events of the narrative, not main ideas and 
supporting details. However, it is realized that the two 
writing coursebooks Reason to Write (Intermediate) 
by Oxford (2003) and Great Writing 4 by Heinle 
ELT (2014) construct relatively vague guidance for 
students to build a narrative essay accordingly. This 
paper is, therefore, to bridge that gap, suggesting a 
literary approach to teaching that essay: embedding 
two elements of fiction, plot and setting, in the 
process. In this paper, the benefits of the approach 
are discussed, in terms of students’ organizational 
and critical thinking skills. Insights drawn from the 
students’ real practice of the suggested method are 
then taken into consideration. The implications of the 
approach are that there exist the opportunities and 
possibilities of applying literary theories into English 
teaching and learning.

KEYWORDS: Literature and language learning, 
elements of fiction, the narrative essay, 
teaching writing

TEACHING THE NARRATIVE ESSAY: 
EMBEDDING ELEMENTS OF FICTION  
(PLOT AND SETTING)

PHAM THI HONG AN
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam National University honganp@hcmussh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Phạm Thị Hồng Ân has a Master degree in Teaching 
English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), 
HCM-USSH, Vietnam National University. She 
is currently a Ph.D student in the Department of 
Literary Theory, Faculty of Literature, HCM-USSH, 
Vietnam National University. Her interest lies in 
British and American Literature and Culture, and 
Education (TESOL included). Her domain of study 
includes TESOL, Critical Approaches to Literature, 
and their implications and applications in teaching 
and learning English as a foreign language.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 26 of 168

ABSTRACT
In the technical era which may pave the way for the digital 
transformation and the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, language 
learning worldwide is moving towards the E-learning including the 
widespread of Moodle, a web-based learning flatform at universities. 
A majority of previous studies in the effects of implementing Moodle 
on university students’ listening skills have only been conducted in a 
tiny number of areas in Vietnam. This indicates an insatiable demand 
to adhere the various English majors’ perceptions of acquiring English 
listening skills through Moodle. Therefore, the aim of this study is to 
explore the disadvantages of employing Moodle to boost English-
majored freshmen’s listening skills from their perceptions at Van 
Lang University. For this study, the quantitative approach was applied 
to investigate the students’ perceptions regarding the cons occurred 
when applying Moodle to the development of their listening skills. 
To collect data for the study, 50 first-year English majors took part 
in the online questionnaire. The findings reflected that the majority 
of the students manifest their own opinions that using Moodle 
flatform still exists a vast range of drawbacks which they have to 
suffer from during the period of learning Listening through Moodle. 
Another integral finding was that most of the research participants 
negatively evaluated the use of Moodle for lessening their autonomy 
in the learning process. Also, although there are several benefits 
when applying Moodle in learning Listening, some of the responders 
indicated that the inadequate technical support from school caused 
the primary difficulties in acquiring listening skills. Some of the issues 
emerging from the findings have crucial implications for implementing 
Moodle flatform more effectively in language teaching and learning in 
the future. 

KEYWORDS: Moodle; disadvantages; listening skill; learning 
management system; e-learning

THE DISADVANTAGES IN LEARNING 
LISTENING VIA MOODLE  
AT VAN LANG UNIVERSITY

QUYNH NGO(1), PHUONG TRAN(2) 
(1) Van Lang University  quynh.nnp@vlu.edu.vn
(2) Van Lang University  ptran0701@gmail.com
(*) Corresponding author.   phuong.tt@vlu.edu.vn 

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ngo Nhat Phuong Quynh is an 
English lecturer at Van Lang 
University. She holds an M.A 
in TESOL and Linguistics from 
Benedictine University. She has 
taught English for 7 years. Her 
areas of interests are blended 
learning in Listening and Reading. 

Tran Thanh Phuong is an English 
lecturer at Van Lang University. 
She holds an M.A in TESOL from 
Edith Cowan University. She has 
taught English for 5 years. Her 
areas of interests are blended 
learning in Listening and Reading.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 27 of 168

ABSTRACT
This is not a study with empirical evidence. This is a 
discussion that I hope to bring to teachers of English 
for all ages and types of learners, especially very 
young learners aged 3-6. I intend to present the current 
literature in applying technology within the early 
childhood education umbrella, with special attention 
to the teaching of English as a foreign language. 
The discussion will include the following: whether to 
teach English as a foreign or as a second language to 
preschoolers, what type of technology can be used, 
the timing of technology immersion, the location 
for technological tools installed with education in 
mind, the manner by which technology is controlled 
to maximize the educational values, and the amount 
of technological input in an early childhood English 
program. This discussion should be suitable to those 
working with young learners aged 6-12, teenagers, 
and especially preschoolers. An understanding of 
young children’s mindset and learning mechanism 
should make for the best values of this discussion.

KEYWORDS: early childhood education; preschool; 
very young learners; EFL; ESL technology; 
immersion

TECHNOLOGY IN PRESCHOOL ENGLISH 
PROGRAMS: WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, 
HOW MUCH?

TIEN BUI
Ho Chi Minh City University of Education  tienbd@hcmup.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Bui Duc Tien is a lecturer at HCMC University of 
Education. He has trained pre-service teachers 
and translators/ interpreters in English for almost 
10 years. He also has experience doing translation 
and simultaneous interpretation for international 
conferences, workshops and educational courses. 
He has presented his interests and findings in 
numerous international conferences in ELT.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 28 of 168

ABSTRACT
In response to globalisation and internationalisation, English-medium 
instruction (EMI) has become a phenomenon in higher education 
in many multilingual countries including Vietnam. More and more 
Vietnamese universities have mandated EMI curricula in order to 
enhance the quality of their teaching and learning, promote an 
institutional profile as multilingual and international-focused, and 
attract more domestic and international students. However, the 
implementation of EMI in Vietnamese universities has encountered 
certain challenges associated with the English language proficiency 
of both teachers and students, the lack of EMI materials and 
professional development for EMI teachers, and the institutional 
policies of promoting EMI without adequate content and language 
curriculum development. This presentation focuses on the experience 
of undergraduate students in EMI economics courses at one university 
in Vietnam. The findings from classroom observations and focus 
group discussions reveals some concerns of the students regarding 
the insufficient support from their teachers, their preparedness 
for and learning progress in both content knowledge and language 
competence. They therefore developed to be autonomous learners 
and utilised their digital competence to create a collective learning 
network in which they interacted and collaborated with people from 
different social groups to seek help and accommodate challenges in 
EMI courses. This not only reflects special characteristics of students 
from Confucian heritage culture in a digital age but also raises some 
implications for the learning support scheme and teaching practices 
which offer students opportunities to access collaborative support 
and tasks.

KEYWORDS: EMI, collective learning network, higher education, 
Confucian heritage culture

STUDENTS’ COLLECTIVE LEARNING 
NETWORK IN AN ENGLISH-MEDIUM 
INSTRUCTION CONTEXT

THO VO
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH)  doantho@ueh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tho Vo is an English lecturer 
at the University of Economics 
Ho Chi Minh City (UEH). He has 
gained his Ph.D in Education at 
Victoria University of Wellington 
(New Zealand) where he worked 
on the teachers’ and students’ 
use of digital technologies in 
the English-medium context of 
Vietnamese higher education. His 
research interest is in the areas of 
technology in language education 
and English-medium education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 29 of 168

ABSTRACT
 Amid digitalisation, the mobile phone has overflowed 
society and become one of the most wide-reaching 
digital technologies. Momentous change and 
remarkable discoveries open up students and staff 
the favourable opportunity to fully positively embrace 
use of cell phones in the university classroom. 
This paper minutely examined the digital native–
digital immigrant dichotomy based on the results 
of a painstaking compendium of research involving 
100 students from three classes at the Vietnam 
Aviation Academy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The 
extensive investigation was carried out through a 
comprehensive survey and face-to-face interview/
discussion with a focus group of students. The study 
serves three sole purposes by precisely determining 
how potential of cellular phones for learning may 
be scored and negative minimised, given that the 
literature builds up a detailed picture of both positive 
and negative impacts of using mobile phones in 
EFL language classrooms and then giving sufficient 
consideration to both the practical and the more 
fundamentally philosophical issues encountered in 
the process. Finally, the detailed discussion offers 
reasonable interpretation of the surprising findings 
and broad avenues for future research..

KEYWORDS: mobile phones, EFL classrooms, 
mLearning, impacts, philosophical issues

MOBILE OR HOSTILE? CELLPHONE USE IN 
THE EFL CLASSROOM: A CASE STUDY

PHAN THI ANH NGA
Vietnam Aviation Academy

“The future of learning: From eLearning to mLearning”. (Keegan, 2002)

BIODATA STATEMENT



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 30 of 168

ABSTRACT
Learner autonomy has recently been raised as one of the top concepts 
concerned by researchers as well as educators in the language 
learning and teaching field when it is one of the principles to develop 
life-long learning. However, the process of employing the curriculum 
integrated with fostering learner autonomy still faces many difficulties, 
especially when the students seem to feel tricky to get involved in the 
system. For this concern, the current study was carried out to explore 
wether or not the students are ready for their autonomy through their 
perceptions of learner autonomy. 

The data were collected through a mixed methods approach including 
a questionnaire delivered to 162 students, interviews with 5 students 
at People’s Security University. The study revealed that students 
are more active in learner autonomy than expected. To be specific, 
students are willing to take responsibility in many activities of learning 
English, except for their responsibility in methodological areas. They 
are also aware of developing their learner autonomy in collaboration 
with their teacher, friends, or classmates. Their wish to take the main 
control of their learning, however, is not strong enough. 

Accordingly, solutions are recommended to help students develop 
learner autonomy. Firstly, teachers should create a friendly atmosphere 
in the class for students to be more comfortable to decide their 
learning process or raise their voice when they need help or desire 
to debate some points of knowledge. Second, teachers can also 
instruct their students to practice formative assessment inside and 
outside the class. Finally, teachers should introduce some authentic 
resources or platforms of teaching and learning English to students.

KEYWORDS: learner autonomy, interdependence, collaboration, 
responsibility, control

A STUDY ON EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS 
OF LEARNER AUTONOMY  
AT PEOPLE’S SECURITY UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI THANH TRA
University of Social Sciences and Humanities   thanhtra812@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trà is an MA 
student at University of Social 
Sciences and Humanities. She has 
also been working as a teacher of 
Faculty of Foreign Languages & 
Informatics at People’s Security 
University. She has taught English 
courses for non-majored English 
students for over seven years. She 
is interested in researching learner 
autonom.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 31 of 168

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, thanks to the internet and other life 
conveniences, chances for learners to study language 
beyond classroom have been expanded. It is therefore 
suggested that teachers should link the world beyond 
classroom (LBC) to their teaching, and put their 
students’ perceptions at the core of the teaching 
process. In this study, the teacher-practitioner 
assigned an out-of-class task: self recorded speaking 
task (SRST) in which students had to self-video 
record their speaking outside classroom, and the 
products were then assessed in class. In previous 
studies, learner perceptions of the task effectiveness 
were reported but the role of teacher seemed to be 
ignored. This maybe because SRST in these contexts 
was seen as supplementary to in-class teaching 
where teacher role is obvious. However, if considering 
SRST an activity students can conduct on their own, 
the role of teacher in supporting and making SRST 
a part of their teaching can become significant. 
By using semi-structured interviews and reflective 
journals, the research draws evaluative findings about 
SRST through learner perceptions of its effectiveness 
and successful learning strategies. Another 
important finding is learner perspectives about the 
role of teacher in SRST by providing input and giving 
feedback. The study also offers implications for both 
research and practice on SRST application within and 
beyond Vietnamese context.

KEYWORDS: Self-video Recorded Speaking Task 
(SRST), Language Learning and Teaching Beyond 
Classroom (LBC), learner perceptions, SRST 
effectiveness, learning strategies, teacher role

BRINGING LBC INTO CLASSROOM:  
AN EVALUATION ON SELF-VIDEO RECORDED 
SPEAKING TASK THROUGH VIETNAMESE 
LEARNER PERCEPTIONS

PHAN THI CAT TUONG
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ha Tinh University  tuong.phanthicat@htu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Phan Thi Cat Tuong has been an English lecturer 
at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ha Tinh 
University for more than 6 years. She earned her 
M.A. in TESOL (High Distinction) from Victoria 
University, Australia in 2018. Her research interests 
include: Technology-assisted Language Learning, 
Language Learning and Teaching Beyond Classroom 
(LBC), Learner and Teacher Cognition. Her e-mail:  
tuong.phanthicat@htu.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 32 of 168

ABSTRACT
In recent years, the integration of video as an audio-visual material in 
foreign language classroom has spread rapidly partly by virtue of the 
emphasis on communicative teaching approach. Various research 
concerned with the use of video dubbing tasks in speaking class 
showed the significance alteration to students’ pronunciation. In the 
present study, an action research was employed to scrutinize the 
impact of video-revoicing technique on students’ participation in a 
speaking classroom whose students were observed to be reluctant to 
engage in the class. Thirty 3rd year university students involved in the 
research. The result interpreted from three sources as questionnaire, 
video-recording, interview pinpointed: (1). barrier to students’ 
engagement in speaking class, including speaking anxiety, students’ 
belief on speaking activities as face-threatening acts, instructional 
practice, and speaking task design; (2). students’ positive attitudes 
towards the implementation of video-dubbing tasks in speaking 
class since it provided students with authentic learning environment, 
integrated language learning to 21st century skills learning & 
technology skills enhancement, overcame cultural stereotypes; (3). 
students’ evaluation on how the dubbing technique changed their level 
of classroom participation, justified by the regular class attendance, 
students’ engagement in group discussion, students’ self-report on 
their confidence to speak in front of the class & on the decrease in 
the fear of getting negative evaluation from classmates. The study 
also discussed the criteria of video selection, video treatment before 
implementation, and technology matter in dubbing.

KEYWORDS: dubbing, classroom participation, video

INFLUENCE OF VIDEO DUBBING TASKS  
ON STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION  
IN A SPEAKING CLASSROOM:  
AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT

AUTHOR
Faculty of English, Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 

BIODATA STATEMENT
The author is a lecturer at Faculty 
of English, Hanoi Pedagogical 
University 2 (located in Vinh Phuc 
province). Her specialized areas 
are teaching methodologies and 
linguistics. Her recent research 
selected for presentation at 
International Mekong TESOL 
Conference 2018, and International 
Language, Literature, Culture 
Education 2020.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 33 of 168

ABSTRACT
This paper is based on a questionnaire survey on 
two hundred medical students to understand their 
acceptance of or resistance to information and 
communication technology (ICT) for learning English 
through Venkatesh et. al’s technological acceptance 
model (UTAUT). The scale used to predict their 
behavioral intention of ICT use for learning includes 
four determinants of the UTAUT, namely, performance 
expectancy, ef ort expectancy, social influence and 
facilitating conditions, and four moderating factors, 
namely gender, age, experience and voluntariness 
of use. The quantitative research mostly drawing on 
EFA and CFA will help locate the factors that affect 
students’ use of ICT tools for learning English and 
numerically estimate how the determinants, together 
with the mediation of the moderators, impact the 
behavioral intention and the actual use of ICT for 
learning English. All the relationships among the 
various constructs of the research model will be 
hypothesized and explained through ANOVA and SEM. 
The findings not only explain the numeric correlations 
among the constructs through regression weight 
paths and provide the grounded implications for 
making policy on what should be done to effectively 
increase the students’ use of ICT for learning needs at 
higher education

KEYWORDS: information and communication 
technology, expectancy, performance, behavioral 
intention, actual use 

ESTIMATING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ 
ACCEPTANCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS 
FOR STUDYING ENGLISH THROUGH  
THE UTAUT MODEL

PHE Q. CHU(1),  TRANG H. NGUYEN(2) 
(1)  University of Finance-Marketing
(2)  University of Finance-Marketing

BIODATA STATEMENT
Phe Q. Chu 
The author earned his BA degree in TESOL at Quy 
Nhon University in 2003 and then his MA degree in 
the same field in 2011 at Ho Chi Minh City University 
of Social Sciences and Humanities. He is currently 
the lecturer of English at the University of Finance-
Marketing’s Foreign Languages Department. His 
major area of interest involves translation, writing 
skills, and ICT use in instruction and learning. 

Trang H. Nguyen 
The author has her BA degrees in Education with 
Quy Nhon University in 2011 and in Banking with 
the University of Finance-Marketing in 2016. 
Also in this year, she earned her MA degree in 
Business Management from the University of 
Finance-Marketing. She is working in the field of 
educational inspection at tertiary level; thus, her 
concern and passion mainly cover education, 
educational management and technology use in 
education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 34 of 168

ABSTRACT
The study investigates online learning challenges 
faced by EFL students, during the Covid-19 pandemic 
and some solutions to solve them. The author collected 
research data sources through textbooks and articles 
in print or online form that are relevant to the research 
problem. Besides, we also conducted a survey 
questionaire to collect the data. The questionnaire is 
in Vietnamese and is distributed to English majored 
fresh men via google.docx and zalo in the second 
term of school year 2020- 2021. The data was 
analyzed qualitatively with covering data collection, 
data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. In 
addition, some suggestions are given to improve the 
quality of the implementation of the online learning 
for EFL freshmen at Hanoi Metropolitan University 
during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

KEYWORDS: Covid-19 pandemic, online learning, 
challenges, suggesstions 

SOME CHALLENGES OF ONLINE LEARNING 
FACED BY EFL FRESHMEN  
AT HANOI METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY 
DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19

VUONG THI HAI YEN
Falcuty of Foreign languages, Hanoi Metropolitan University, Vietnam  vthyen@daihocthudo.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
My name is YEN Thi Hai Vuong, Doctor in 
Contrastive Linguistics and work as an English 
lecturer at Falcuty of Foreign languages, Hanoi 
Metropolitan University, Vietnam. My interests 
are Teaching English Linguistics and Educational 
Linguistics; Online Teaching and Learning; 
Teaching Language Skills; Intercultural Language 
Teaching and Learning English for Specific 
Purposes (ESP); English teaching methodology and 
contrastive analysis of linguistics. I have published 
one book and many articles about English 
teaching methodology issues and contrastive 
analysis of linguistics. I can be reached at:  
vthyen@daihocthudo.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 35 of 168

ABSTRACT
The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 
2019 (COVID-19) has drastically changed 
the form of learning at all levels from 
university to primary school. In Vietnam, 
learning through video conferencing 
systems is implemented to ensure 
continuous learning. Video conferencing 
is a learning tool that has been used 
between teachers and learners during 
the pandemic, to create effective 
communication and interaction. The 
study uses a unified theory of acceptance 
and use of technology (UTAUT) that 
measures the factors influential in 
the use of video conferencing for 
online instruction during the COVID-19 
pandemic in Vietnam. A survey was 
conducted among 203 teachers using 
video conferencing for teaching during 
the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed 
using a structured equation model (SEM). 
The results showed that key factors in the 
use of video conferencing for teaching 
during the Covid-19 include: effort 
expectancy, habit, hedonic motivation, 
and the behavioral intention to use 
which explain 57% of the usage video 
conferencing (R2=0.57) for teaching. 

KEYWORDS: video conferencing, 
UTAUT2, teacher video conferencing 
adoption

ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF VIDEO 
CONFERENCING FOR TEACHING  
IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC:  
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN VIETNAM

KHUONG NGUYEN(1), THAM NGUYEN(2) 
(1) Ho Chi Minh University of Law  ntkhuong@hcmulaw.edu.vn
(2)  Nguyen Thai Binh high school

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen Thanh Khuong is  a lecturer ofInformation Technology 
at Ho Chi Minh University of Law, Vietnam. His academic 
interest areas are open and distance education, online 
learning, e-learning, information communication technology in 
education, information system in business and e-commerce.

Nguyen Thi Hong Tham is a teacher at Nguyen Thai Binh 
secondary school and is currently studying for a Master of Arts 
in Linguistics at Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. She has over 
10 years of experience in teaching English for students. Her 
academic interest reas are about education and methodology 
in learning a foreign language.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 36 of 168

ABSTRACT
Children without autism start learning a language from the very first 
day of their born. But children with disabilities find it difficult to learn a 
language. language learning is not impossible for the disabled person. 
If they get support from their family and get a supportive environment. 
The study has focused on the language learning of disabled people in 
Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to find out the learners’ interest 
in language learning, the parent’s & society’s attitude towards learners, 
the limitation of disabled learner’s education. The scope also covers 
the context to find out some recommendations for the disabled learner. 
The researcher has collected data by non participant observation and 
questionnaire survey. The present rate of disabled language learners is 
represented by the analysis of data. The result shows that the learners 
are much conscious about language learning and if they find a better or 
supportive environment then they would become very potent in language 
using. The teachers are very much concerned about their learners. 
Besides, they give chance to the learners to show their extracurricular 
activities. The findings of the study show that language has a dominating 
power, so it is very much essential for the disabled person to have this 
power.

KEYWORDS: language learning; disable person; autism; education

EXPLORING LANGUAGE LEARNING  
OF DISABLED CHILDREN:  
A CONTEXT IN BANGLADESH

AUTHOR



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 37 of 168

ABSTRACT
Due to the Pandemic of COVID 19 and several social 
distancing periods in Vietnam, many Vietnamese 
universities and institutes have switched from offline 
learning to online learning. During this process of 
change, many teachers do not only have problems 
with technology but also delivering their lessons 
effectively. Especially, evaluating and assessing 
students’ performance and self-study have 
encountered various difficulties, which encourages 
teachers to find out different ways to evaluate their 
students’ learning in class or outside the classroom. 
The article investigates the use of Google forms and 
shows how Google forms can be applied in testing 
during and after the lessons. After conducting an 
action research among 56 non-English majored 
first-year students in Hanoi Metropolitan University, 
who are between the age of 18 and 20, the author 
found out that it can be an effective optional tool 
for testing. Besides the advantages, the author 
also gives some disadvantages and recommends 
some tips/ techniques to overcome the obstacles of 
using Google forms in her teaching English at Hanoi 
Metropolitan University.. 

KEYWORDS: The pandemic of COVID 19, Google 
forms, evaluating; assessing; students’ performance  

THE APPLICATION OF GOOGLE 
FORM TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS 
STUDENT’S PERFORMANCE AT 
HANOI METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI HOA
Falcuty of Foreign languages, Hanoi Metropolitan University, Vietnam  nthoa@daihocthudo.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
My name is Nguyen Thi Hoa, Master in English 
linguistics and I am currently working as a 
lecturer at Faculty of Foreign Languages, Hanoi 
Metropolitan University, Hanoi, Vietnam. My 
interests are teaching English Linguistics, 
online teaching and learning, teaching language 
skills and English teaching methodology.  
I have delivered presentations about teaching 
English in domestic workshops and seminars. 
I have also presented at VietTesol 2020.  
I can be reached at: nthoa@daihocthudo.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 38 of 168

ABSTRACT
Due to Coronavirus outbreaks, almost all universities 
carried out teaching online by using variety of 
learning platforms such as web-based learning, LMS 
combining with conducing video conferences through 
Zoom Meeting or Google Meet and the like. Although 
Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU) made 
great efforts to invest state-of-the-art facilities and 
well- trained teaching team in online educational 
process, students were not to be satisfied with this 
training system. Particularly on in English speaking 
classes, students seemed to be in stuck. Thus, this 
paper aims to explore the challenges encountered 
of major English learners towards learning English 
speaking skills online and then suggest some possible 
solutions for such problems existed. To conduct this 
study, 35 major English freshmen joining in a speaking 
class of Schools of Advanced studies at HCMCOU 
were asked to respond questionnaire survey, and 
then five hard working students were selected to 
participate in-depth interviews relevant to barriers 
of online learning and their expectation during Covid 
19 period. The findings illustrated that majority of 
students expressed their neglected attitude towards 
learning speaking skills online in Covid 19 pandemic 
when they had to cope with various problems of 
technological advances, wi-fi connection, significant 
characteristics of speaking skills and sociolinguistic 
competence. With such challenges exposed, more 
project – based learning and more video conferences 
were expected to apply.

KEYWORDS: online learning, speaking skills, 
challenges and solutions.

EXPLORING CHALLENGES OF MAJOR 
ENGLISH STUDENTS TOWARDS LEARNING 
ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS ONLINE 
DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND SOME 
SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

NGUYEN CHAU BICH TUYEN
Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMCOU)   tuyen.ncb@ou.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms Nguyen Chau Bich Tuyen is currently working 
as a lecturer of Faculty of Foreign Languages at 
Ho Chi Minh City Open University. After obtaining 
a master’s degree of Education in TESOL (Med 
in TESOL), she has a strong passion for English 
teaching and doing research related to online 
training, teaching methods, education psychology. 
Frankly speaking, she is very honor to be an author 
of International Journal on ODEL – University of the 
Philippines Open University, and Journal of Science 
Ho Chi Minh City Open University. She has ever 
been a presenter, a moderator, and a reviewer of 
some national and international conferences such 
as ASIA CALL Conferences, AAOU Conferences, 
OPEN TESOL Conferences, and VIET TESOL 
Conferences within five years (2016 – 2021). She 
considers herself as an ambitious person, so she 
never stops looking for more opportunities to 
get more experiences and improvements in her 
profession and hope to have more achievements 
in English teaching and conducting research



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 39 of 168

ABSTRACT
Over the years, a great deal of researches studies 
about teaching and learning influenced by the culture 
has been carried out. And the researchers found out 
certain theoretical points for English teaching and 
learning. According to these theoretical points, many 
nations in the world want to reform their systems of 
education. However, some are not successful because 
of their own contexts, the combination between the 
process of learning and teaching and the way to 
operate them at many different levels. This paper is 
about EFL class at The People’s Police University, Ho 
Chi Minh City, the complex, systemic nature of the 
process of learning and teaching influenced, and the 
two different significant and long-history systems 
of education in the world: Western education and 
Traditional East Asian education. 

KEYWORDS: Cross-cultural perspective, learning 
and teaching, Western education and Traditional 
East Asian education, motivation

LEARNING AND TEACHING ENGLISH 
AT THE PEOPLE’S POLICE UNIVERSITY:  
A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

NGUYEN THI VAN ANH(1), NGUYEN THUY NGOC(2) 
The People’s Police University(PPU)-HCMC-Vietnam    
(1)  nguyenthivananhdhcsnd@gmail.com
(2)  nguyenthuyngocvina@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen Thi Van Anh is a senior lecturer at PPU; she 
has experienced over 20 years in teachinng GE and 
ESP, she earned MA in TESOL in 2011 at Victoria 
University, her main interests are TESOL, cross-culture 
and ESP

Nguyen Thuy Ngoc is a senior lecturer at UNETI 
Hanoi; she has experienced over 25 years in 
teachinng GE and ESP, she earned MA in TESOL in 
2012 at Victoria University, her main interests are 
TESOL and ESP.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 40 of 168

ABSTRACT
Intercultural competence (IC), as “the importance 
of seeing from others’ perspectives” (Deardorff, 
2009), has long been considered a critical capacity 
among learners of foreign languages. Particularly, 
in the context of Covid-19 pandemic, when racial 
discrimination can be widely witnessed, raising 
students’ awareness of intercultural communication 
knowledge is more crucial than ever. However, the 
instruction on this competence is mostly under-
researched in EFL classrooms. With an aim to develop 
students IC, the researcher, also the teacher, designed 
an assignment named “challenging stereotypes” and 
this paper will demonstrate how she has conducted 
it. The informants included seventy-seven (77) 
students enrolling for the Culture of English-speaking 
countries course in the Western Language Program, 
Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, Thailand. After 5 
weeks of instruction, the author collected qualitative 
data from students’ final products and a structured 
interview before analyzing the data in accordance 
with Deardorff’s IC model (2006). The finding reveals 
that most of the students have shown significant 
improvement in their competence, especially in terms 
of ethnorelative views toward communication in a 
multicultural setting. Implications for instructors of 
intercultural communication are also recommended.

KEYWORDS: Intercultural communication, 
Deardorff’s Intercultural Communication Model, the 
COVID-19 pandemic, EFL student

ENHANCING EFL STUDENT  
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE THROUGH 
“CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES” 
ASSIGNMENT

TRAN THI XOAN
Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, Thailand  tran.thi@crru.ac.th

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Thi Xoan is a foreign lecturer in Institute 
of International Language and Culture, Chiang 
Rai Rajabhat University. Her interest covers 
English language proficiency and Cross-cultural 
communication.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 41 of 168

ABSTRACT
Learning management systems are essential 
platforms for developing autonomy through activities 
that enhance interaction among learners with the 
facilitation of teachers. This study is conducted to 
investigate the effects of Moodle-based EFL writing 
activities on students’ perceptions and writing 
performance. Forty English majors are selected and 
divided into two groups: an experimental group and a 
control group. Both groups have the same curriculum, 
course-book, facilities, and teaching method in face-
to-face class. Results show that the experimental 
group doing their writing activities on Moodle performs 
better than the control group doing those activities on 
paper. The questionnaire and interview data further 
confirm that students have positive perceptions of 
EFL writing activities in blended classes. 

KEYWORDS: Blended learning; EFL writing; Moodle; 
Computer assisted language learning

IMPROVE WRITING SKILLS  
FOR EFL LEARNERS VIA  
BLENDED ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

NGUYEN NGOC VU(1), VO THI MINH DUE(2), NGUYEN THE LUONG(3), NGUYEN THI HONG LIEN(4) 
(1) Hoa Sen University         vu.nguyenngoc@hoasen.edu.vn
(2) Tien Giang University        vothiminhdue@tgu.edu.vn
(3) HCMC University of Physical Education & Sports luongtn@upes.edu.vn
(4)  Hoa Sen University         lien.nguyenthihong@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Ngoc Vu is vice president of Hoa Sen 
University and chairman of STESOL founded 
by Association of Vietnam Universities and 
Colleges. With training experience from more 
than 25 countries, his main expertise is building 
digital transformation competency and providing 
consultation service to higher education institutions 
and businesses across Vietnam. He won Vietnam 
Technology Innovation Award in 2012 and got 
recognized as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) 
Master Trainer in 2014. His research interests 
include Computer Assisted Language Learning, 
Cognitive Linguistics, Educational Technology, and 
ELT Methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 42 of 168

ABSTRACT
The study seeks to explore high school teachers’ perceptions of 
language assessment literacy (LAL) and their training needs on language 
assessment. In Vietnam, various issues concerning teachers’ assessment 
practices have been identified, such as exam-oriented teaching, lack of 
expertise in test design, insufficient academic and professional training 
in language assessment (Hoang, 2017; Vu, 2017; Nguyen & Tran, 2018). 
This study built on Davies’ (2008) definition of LAL which includes 
knowledge, skills and principles, and Giraldo’s (2018) eight dimensions 
of LAL. The data was collected via a qualitative approach as five English 
teachers from a high school in Halong were invited to semi-structured 
interviews. The results revealed that teachers’ knowledge of approaches, 
theories and concepts relevant to language assessment were insufficient 
and inaccurate. In terms of skills, major findings indicated an emphasis 
on traditional testing over alternative methods; overreliance on previous 
experiences, personal instincts and colleagues’ professional advice 
in test design; and increased use of technology-based assessment. 
Regarding principles, fairness, transparency and ethics were perceived as 
indispensable in teachers’ assessments. Additionally, teachers reported 
receiving insufficient and heavily theoretical training on language 
assessment in pre- and in-service education. Several areas of training 
were proposed, including giving feedback, preparing classroom tests 
and interpreting results (classroom-focused language assessment), 
giving grades and finding out what needs to be taught (purpose of 
testing), integrated skills and aspects of culture (content and concept 
of language assessment). Further studies should investigate teachers’ 
actual assessment practices and language assessment training needs 
in teacher education programs..

KEYWORDS: : language assessment literacy; language assessment; 
assessment training needs

TEACHERS’ LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT 
LITERACY: A CASE STUDY  
AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HALONG

HA BUI
IZONE - IELTS Training Academy  buithuha2981998@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 43 of 168

ABSTRACT
Due to the development of technology and the 
outbreak of COVID-19, many higher education 
institutions have employed online learning as a 
measure to the urgent situation. The sudden shift 
to complete online learning has a considerable 
impact on students. Therefore, maintaining 
student satisfaction with their learning experience 
is a significant issue for the stakeholders. From 
scientific perspectives, many researchers propose 
the importance of identifying factors influencing 
student satisfaction. Although many studies are 
dealing with this issue, few have succeeded in 
identifying determinants in student satisfaction 
with online learning in which online learning is a 
part of the school ecosystem. This research aimed 
at tackling this problem in the context of private 
universities in Ho Chi Minh city. Notably, 317 
sophomores from two private universities were 
involved in the study. The data were collected via 
online questionnaires and analyzed by using the 
PLS-SEM approach to examine which factors found 
in the literature were more dominant. The research 
findings proposed three determinants, including 
course effectiveness, provided knowledge and 
skills, and the sense of belonging. This result 
suggested that to increase student satisfaction 
with online learning in the current situation, these 
determinants should be paid more attention by the 
stakeholders

KEYWORDS: online learning, student satisfaction, 
private universities, PSL-SEM

DETERMINANTS IN STUDENT SATISFACTION 
WITH ONLINE LEARNING:  
A CASE OF SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS  
AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN HCMC

NGUYEN, THANH MINH(1), TRAN, QUANG HAI(2) 
(1) Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam  minh.nt@vlu.edu.vn
(2) Hoa Sen University, Vietnam     hai.tranquang@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen, Thanh Minh is a lecturer at Van Lang 
University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. He has attended 
and presented at some conferences in the field of 
language learning and teaching. His recent papers 
were “Constructive Alignment in Teaching English 
at Tertiary Level: An Insight into an AUN-Designed 
Course at Van Lang University” (published in the 
proceeding of OPENTESOL2020 - hold by HCMC Open 
University) and “The Implementation of E-Learning 
into Language Learning: A Case of English Majors 
at Van Lang University” (published in the proceeding 
of AsiaCALL2021). He has participated in teaching 
both English and Non-English majors. His research 
interests are Curriculum Development and Language 
Assessment. 

Tran, Quang Hai is currently an English lecturer at Hoa 
Sen University, Vietnam. His accumulated experience 
from working at various educational institutions 
has equipped him with ample confidence and skills 
in language teaching. His interests are Linguistics, 
Virtual Communities, and Teaching Learning Practices



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 44 of 168

ABSTRACT
Internet and information technology have changed 
the way of teaching and learning in general, from 
teaching methods to giving lessons and tests. 
Especially during the time of social distancing due to 
the Covid-19 pandemic, most universities in Vietnam 
and around the world choose to teach and learn 
online. Teachers and students do not have to go to 
school or class, teaching and learning take place at 
home, in isolated places, etc. or anywhere convenient 
and safe for health. With the widely-applied online 
teaching and learning model, it is necessary to have 
studies to evaluate its strengths and limitations, so 
that there are reforms, updates and improvements for 
it. In this study, the author will survey the application 
of information technology in teaching and learning 
foreign languages online by students and lecturers 
of the Universities in Khanh Hoa province through 
a questionnaire for lecturers and students and face 
to-face interviews to find out the advantages and 
disadvantages of this teaching and learning method, 
thereby promoting the benefits and overcoming the 
drawbacks of this method.

KEYWORDS: online teaching and learning; 
Information Technology; Covid-19, pandemic; 
Khanh Hoa university, Khanh Hoa province

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY  
IN ONLINE ENGLISH CLASSES:  
AN OPPORTUNITY OR A CHALLENGE

VO TU PHUONG
Khanh Hoa University   votuphuong@ukh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Vo Tu Phuong is a committed senior lecturer 
with over 16 years of experience at College 
and University in Khanh Hoa teaching students 
from various social and cultural backgrounds. 
She possesses good administrative, verbal 
communication and written skills along with 
constructive and effective teaching methods that 
promote a stimulating learning environment. She 
is able to work as a part of team and has the proven 
ability to successfully work to tight schedules and 
deadlines



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 45 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT

Thai-An Truong and Phuoc-Sang Nguyen are 
Vietnamese sophomores at Department of Foreign 
Languages at Saigon University, majoring in English 
Linguistics. Exposure to research courses and 
contests assists them with various skills, such as: 
information and time management, research and 
investigation skills. Under the guidance of their 
lecturer, Van-Anh Truong, M.A., they found their 
interest in functional grammar and conducted a paper 
about finite verb in English.

ABSTRACT
The majority of English learners associates English 
verb conjugation with the 12 tenses, and traditional 
grammar books only synthesize common ways 
to conjugate a verb. However, this number is 
insufficient. Based on a functional grammar 
perspective, this study synthesizes and analyzes 
the structure and application of 50 ways to 
conjugate a finite verb in English, categorized into 
two main functions of the finite verb: expressing 
tense and modality. By analyzing the examples 
from reputable grammar books, our study clarifies 
the relationship between the structure of finite 
verb groups and their application in real life. This 
research paper is expected to help English learners 
understand fully and correctly how to conjugate a 
finite verb in English.

KEYWORDS: finite verb, logical structure, modality

STRUCTURE AND APPLICATION  
OF 50 WAYS TO CONJUGATE  
A FINITE VERB IN ENGLISH

THAI AN TRUONG(1); PHUOC SANG NGUYEN(2) 
(1) Saigon University  truongthaian7446@gmail.com
(2) Saigon University  nguyenphuocsang.bb@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 46 of 168

ABSTRACT
Borrowed word is the product of a process of 
language development and cultural exposure. French 
borrowed words appear quite a lot in English and 
in Vietnamese. In this article, I will briefly study and 
compare French borrowed words in both English and 
Vietnamese vocabulary. In the first part, the article 
studies the history of French borrowed words in 
Vietnamese and in English, and the latter sections I 
will focus on studying borrowed word forms on the 
basis of dictionary research. Then, this article points 
out the importance of borrowed word learning for EFL 
(English as a Foreign Language) learners, especially 
Vietnamese ones, and gives some tips for learning 
borrowed words.

KEYWORDS: borrowed words, French borrowed 
words, meaning, EFL

COMPARISON FRENCH BORROWED WORDS 
IN ENGLISH AND THOSE IN VIETNAMESE

VO TU PHUONG
Khanh Hoa University   votuphuong@ukh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Vo Tu Phuong is a committed senior lecturer 
with over 16 years of experience at College 
and University in Khanh Hoa teaching students 
from various social and cultural backgrounds. 
She possesses good administrative, verbal 
communication and written skills along with 
constructive and effective teaching methods that 
promote a stimulating learning environment. She 
is able to work as a part of team and has the proven 
ability to successfully work to tight schedules and 
deadlines



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 47 of 168

ABSTRACT
Exploring the shift in meanings of translating 
prepositions from English to Vietnamese, the study, 
besides analyzing the cases of the changes in 
meanings of prepositions, aims to discuss general 
variety of meanings of English prepositions. The 
methods of analysis and synthesis of theories from the 
available data on prepositions as well as the methods 
of classifying and systematizing prepositions are 
applied to English-Vietnamese translation. From the 
collected data, this study reveals the cases of the shift 
in meanings of prepositions and the characteristics 
of multiple meanings of prepositions. In the course of 
translation, contextual meanings are used in order to 
convey the meanings appropriately in the Vietnamese 
style. The research paper can make some contribution 
to the teaching of translation and make it a reference 
material for English learners.

KEYWORDS: prepositions, translation, English, 
Vietnamese, the shift in meanings, multi-meaning

ON THE SHIFT OF PARTS  
OF SPEECH IN PREPOSITIONAL MEANING  
IN ENGLISH-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

PHAT DINH DAC
Sai Gon University   dinhdacphat98@yahoo.com.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
As an excellent student at Sai Gon University, Phat 
Dinh Dac has won a championship in an annual 
contest “The Winner” and conducted a scientific 
research at university level. He will be able to get 
more achievements when he has been exposed to 
scholar atmosphere like the one created by this 
Conference.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 48 of 168

ABSTRACT
Nowadays English has been becoming more and more important in 
Vietnam. Mastering English is a key for Vietnamese students to find 
ideal jobs after graduating or even to study further. Therefore, learning 
English is very necessary for all tertiary students. To help students learn 
English effectively and efficiently, teachers need to know which teaching 
method has positive impacts on student learning and supports learners 
to improve their learning. Based on this background, this research 
study was conducted to explore the perceptions of students on using 
the Jigsaw Technique, which is one kind of Cooperative Learning, in 
EFL classes. The participants are 30 students studying General English 
courses at Van Lang University. To find out the results, a questionnaire 
consisting of 6 questions was distributed to students after they finished 
their course. The findings revealed that most students have positive 
attitudes toward this teaching method. Students also indicated that 
this method created an effective, comfortable, and interactive learning 
environment in which they could improve their English ability as well 
as learnt some useful skills when working together. However, students 
pointed out a few difficulties they faced with when implementing this 
method. In general, despite some difficulties that students had at the 
beginning of the course when the teacher applied this method, it was an 
effective teaching method.

KEYWORDS: Vietnamese EFL Students; Cooperative Learning; 
Jigsaw Method

THE PERCEPTIONS  
OF VIETNAMESE EFL STUDENTS  
AT VAN LANG UNIVERSITY  
ON JIGSAW LEARNING

TRAN LE HOAI VU
Van Lang University  vu.tlh@vlu.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 49 of 168

ABSTRACT
Using an in-depth analysis of teacher beliefs and practices among 
secondary school teachers, this research looks at how a particular local 
culture is integrated in the conduct of English language lessons in a 
coastal community in the Philippines. It was found that maritime culture 
is embedded in the lessons offered in English language courses for 
the Junior High School program with inclusion of three main docks for 
consideration: the primacy of student needs, the importance of maritime 
culture immersion, and the repertoire of techniques to incorporate the 
local culture. As teachers in the Philippines are encouraged to use local 
contexts and situations to approximate real-world language use, as 
mandated by RA 10533, Teachers resort to contextualizing instruction 
as the key to developing students’ language skills, while incorporating 
culture for a meaningful language experience both for the teachers 
and the students. Navigating local culture in language classes and 
understanding the relationships and the complex factors that facilitate 
learning among students with varied experiences dictated by local 
culture are presented.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR  
A CONTEXTUALIZED LEARNING  
AND INSTRUCTION IN  
AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

JESSIE L. LABISTE JR.
University of the Philippines Visayas



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 50 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT

Mary Joy Vailoces Sienes is an ESL Teacher at 
Vinschool Secondary School, Times City, Hanoi, 
Vietnam.  She is currently in a residency program 
of her Ph. D in English with concentration in TESOL 
at Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines.   
Her interest includes qualitative research especially 
in the line of pragmatics and discourse analysis.  

Jasper Eric C. Catan currently sits as the Director 
for Research and Extension Services of Foundation 
University, Dumaguete City, Philippines. His areas 
of interest are language pedagogy research, 
education policy research, service-learning 
research, and physical and mental health research.

ABSTRACT
The Philippines is a top business process outsourcing 
(BPO) destination in the world. Because of Filipinos’ 
strength in English proficiency, many foreign 
investors greatly consider the Philippines to establish 
their call center operations. Furthermore, foreign 
businesses have chosen to outsource their customer 
support to the Philippines (Liquigan, 2018). However, 
the interactive capability of the Filipino customer 
service representative (CSR) appeared to be highly 
problematic at times, especially in situations where 
the customer was getting angry. This appears to be 
both cultural and linguistic in nature. Whilst Filipinos 
are very service-oriented and out to please the 
customer, equally, they have difficulty in being able 
to diffuse anger, irritation, and frustration on the 
phone (Forey & Hood, 2006). This study focuses on 
inbound call center accounts that face various types 
of call situations ranging from asking information 
to complicated calls requiring more time to handle 
including complaint calls. Since the goal of any 
business is customer satisfaction, the researchers 
would like to explore how Filipino call center agents 
mitigate and decrease the liability and guilt towards 
the customer. Results show that Filipino call center 
agents have successfully been producing ‘perfect 
apologies’ by providing all five strategies posited by 
Cohen, Olshtain and Rosenstein (1986) in most of their 
complaint calls. However, the sequence is distorted by 
emphasizing more on offering a repair. This leads to a 
recommendation that call center training on apology 
be emphasized on building personal connections 
rather than a mechanical response to situations.

KEYWORDS: speech act, apology, call center, BPO, 
communication

DISCOURSE ANALYSIS  
OF SPEECH ACTS OF APOLOGY  
BY FILIPINO CALL CENTER AGENTS

MARY JOY V. SIENES(1); JASPER ERIC C. CATAN(2) 
(1) Silliman University, Philippines  maryjoysienes08@gmail.com
(2) Silliman University, Philippines  jasper.catan@foundationu.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 51 of 168

ABSTRACT
The recent emergence and popularity of digital 
authoring tools of SDKs related to Augmented 
Reality (AR), such as Zooburst, Roar or Aumentaty, 
among others, has facilitated the integration of 
this breakthrough technology in Education. Thanks 
to the worldwide expansion and availability of 
new technological devices, such as tablets and 
smartphones, AR applications can be effectively used 
in the EFL classroom. A total of 103 of Secondary 
Education students participated in this experiment, 
which was aimed at analysing and measuring the 
motivation and the learning perception of using 
AR-based lessons in the language classroom. For 
this purpose, students were randomly assigned in a 
control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG), 
and they had to complete similar class activities 
using traditional paper-based materials (CG) or AR-
based materials (EG). All participants completed a 
placement test, an on-line pre-test and a post-test, 
partly based on a validated scale (Kucuk, 2014). 
The research findings revealed that the learning 
progress and motivation were significantly higher 
among students in the EF as compared to the CG. 
The research findings showed a positive attitude 
among the EG participants as regards the adoption of 
AR. However, some problems emerged such as poor 
access to technological resources in some settings 
and lack of in-service teachers’ preparation..

KEYWORDS: Augmented Reality; Motivation; EFL; 
Perception; Linguistics

MEASURING THE STUDENT MOTIVATION 
AND LEARNING PERCEPTION  
OF USING AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)  
IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

VICTOR MARRAHÍ-GÓMEZ(1); JOSE BELDA-MEDINA(2) 
(1) University of Alicante  vmg35@alu.ua.es
(2) University of Alicante  jr.belda@ua.es

BIODATA STATEMENT
Jose Belda Medina is a Senior Lecturer (Profesor 
Titular) at the University of Alicante  (Spain). He has 
been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate 
courses of EFL (English as a Foreign Language), 
Historical and Applied Linguistics for 20 years in 
several universities in Spain (Alicante, Valencia, 
Málaga, Barcelona)  and abroad (Germany, UK, 
Ireland, Czeh Republic, USA). His main research 
interests are Applied Linguistics, technology-
enhanced language learning and communication. 
He has participated in 73 international conferences 
(BAAL, TESOL, ACTFL, MLA, AEDEAN, AESLA, etc) 
and 32 research projects and published several 
articles in scientific  journals (Target, Meta, 
Translation and Terminology, Babel, etc



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 52 of 168

ABSTRACT
While virtually all ELT instructors agree on the value 
of CALL activities, which allow students to practice 
English skills on an “anytime, anywhere” basis, many 
professionals still do not realize that many, if not most, 
of their students will not access these activities unless 
there is tracking or follow-up by the teacher. We will 
not look at the case of the self-motivated, self-directed 
learner, who has the entire Internet available as a 
learning tool, but rather will focus on what is possible 
or unreasonable to expect from students for assigned 
activities. This will depend on whether some form 
of activity tracking is available and the ability of the 
instructor to monitor the students’ activity. Activities 
that are tied to a learning management system, for 
example, might allow the instructor to see what has 
been accessed, but perhaps not how well the student 
performed or the duration of the access. We will also 
survey the status of standalone applications as well 
as chat applications such as WhatsApp and WeChat. 
Finally, we will consider a set of pedagogically sound 
guidelines for selecting activities that have workable 
tracking options.

KEYWORDS: online activities, tracking, homework

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVITY TRACKING 
IN CLASS-BASED CALL ACTIVITIES

THOMAS ROBB
Kyoto Sangyo University (emeritus)  tom@tomrobb.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Thomas Robb, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, is 
Professor Emeritus, Kyoto Sangyo University, 
where he was Chair of the Department of English, 
Faculty of Foreign Languages until he retired in 
March of 2017. He is a long-time user of CALL and 
the Internet, and has created a number of websites 
and applications for Extensive Reading, student 
projects, interactive learning and professional 
exchange. One site for extensive reading, mreader.
org now has over 100,000 student users in 40+ 
countries.

He has been President of JALT (The Japan 
Association for Language Teaching), has been 
on the Board of Directors of International TESOL, 
and a past president Pacific CALL. He is Chair 
of Extensive Reading Foundation, the editor of 
TESL-EJ, the first online journal for ELT. Recently 
he has been delivering workshops to teachers and 
ministry officials concerning Extensive Reading in 
various countries around the world.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 53 of 168

ABSTRACT
In recent years, with the development of communicative 
language teaching (CLT), the importance of teaching 
grammar to EFL students, especially young learners, 
is somehow downgrading. Nevertheless, it remains 
an essential aspect in English teaching and learning 
and needs further research. With an investigation 
into the techniques that native English – speaking 
teachers use to teach grammar to grade 5th students 
at Vietnam-Australia School, Hanoi, the research aims 
at: (1) identifying grammar teaching techniques these 
teachers employ; (2) exploring teachers’ beliefs and 
(3) students’ opinions towards the used techniques 
in grammar lessons. To achieve the given targets, 
the research adopts case study research design 
with various data collection instruments, including 
classroom observation, questionnaires and semi-
structured interviews. The result reveals that various 
grammar teaching techniques are employed in 
three stages of a grammar lesson: presentation 
(using stories), practice (drilling, grammar exercises, 
games, pair speaking, and sentence constructing) 
and production (role play, oral presentation and free 
writing). While teachers and students share the same 
views about some techniques, there are still some 
exceptions, from which pedagogical implications can 
be drawn to help teachers better prepare for grammar 
lessons of young learners.

KEYWORDS: grammar teaching, young learners, 
learning through stories

GRAMMAR TEACHING TECHNIQUES USED 
BY NATIVE ENGLISH TEACHERS  
FOR 5TH - GRADERS  
AT VIETNAM-AUSTRALIA SCHOOL, HANOI

MINH N. NGUYEN
National University, Hanoi  nguyetminh@vnu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Minh N. Nguyen is currently an English lecturer 
at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Faculty of 
English language teacher education. She graduated 
from Korea University with a master’s degree in 
English Education. Her interests include teaching 
EFL to young learners, technology application in 
EFL teaching, and English applied linguistics.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 54 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT

Vo Thi Bich Phuong is currently a lecturer of English 
at Hoa Sen University. She earned her MA in TESOL at 
HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities 
in 2016. Her academic areas of interest predominantly 
include learner autonomy, TESOL methodology, 
Computer-assisted language learning, and blended 
learning. Trang Lam is an English lecturer and also a 
program manager of Faculty of Foreign Languages 
and International Culture at Hoa Sen University, 
Vietnam. She finished a Master’s Degree in TESOL. 
She has been teaching English at the university 
level for over 10 years. Her many interests include 
professional development, curriculum development, 
language teaching and language assessment.

Lâm Thùy Trang _ Co-author

ABSTRACT
Achievement emotions are defined as emotions 
which directly linked to achievement activities or 
achievement outcomes. Achievement emotions 
are very important in the learning process of 
university students because they can affect 
learning performances, especially in the context 
of online learning during the COVID-19 time where 
students may encounter many barriers to learning 
in the virtual environment. In this study, eight 
achievement emotions including enjoyment, hope, 
pride, anger, anxiety, shame, hopelessness and 
boredom are examined using an adapted version 
of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire by 
Pekrun (2002). Students’ emotional experiences 
are studied in online learning-related situations. 
Students’ emotions are also examined in relation 
to four groups of barriers to learning in the virtual 
environment. The study involved the participation 
of 112 students who were currently joining online 
courses through M-learning system at the time 
the survey was conducted. The results reveal that 
students experience barriers to online learning 
using the M-learning system at a low level in 
comparison with a high level of positive emotions 
and a medium level of negative emotions. From the 
results, some educational implications are drawn 
to minimize learners’ negative emotions and help 
them overcome the barriers they encounter when 
studying online.

KEYWORDS: achievement emotions, barriers, 
M-learning

ACHIEVEMENT EMOTIONS AND BARRIERS 
TO ONLINE LEARNING OF UNIVERSITY 
STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 TIME

VO THI BICH PHUONG; LAM THUY TRANG (CO-AUTHOR)



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 55 of 168

ABSTRACT
Online learning, one of the most life-changing 
innovations, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent 
years. With the lockdowns and social distancing in 
this COVID-19 era, online teaching is booming in an 
unforeseeable way. The swift change from face-to-
face to screen-to-screen lessons has brought about 
significant impacts on both teachers and learners. 
This study examines learners’ perceptions of online 
learning using a survey questionnaire delivered 
online. The participants were 80 students following 
a master’s program at a university in Vietnam. The 
results show that neophobia and technophobia 
are the most dominant psychological challenges 
while internet connectivity and lack of background-
noisefree space are among the most prominent 
factors affecting their learning. Fortunately, the study 
has yielded several promising findings about the 
effectiveness of online learning. This indicates that 
online learning can be an alternative teaching mode if 
careful considerations about instructional techniques 
and lesson planning can be made.

KEYWORDS: Online learning, learners’ perceptions, 
neophobia, technophobia

ONLINE LEARNING  
FOR MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS:  
A LOOK AT THE LEARNER’S PERCEPTIONS

TRAN THI NGOC YEN
Vinh University  yentt.vinhuni@gmail

BIODATA STATEMENT
Trần Thị Ngọc Yến is an Associate Professor 
of Education, Foreign Language Department, 
Vinh University. She received her Ph.D from 
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. 
Her research interests are language education, 
teacher professional development, and multiple 
intelligences theory in higher education. She is 
a member of the University CDIO expert group, 
which has been actively engaged in the curriculum 
development and teacher training activities in the 
Central Region of Vietnam.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 56 of 168

ABSTRACT
Online teaching has been believed to play a vital role in maintaining 
teaching activities and generate various benefits to teaching 
innovation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic time. However, 
there have been a great number of arguments debating whether online 
or offline teaching approaches would be more effective in lesson 
deliveries. This study compares the extent of learner engagement 
while participating in online and offline teaching environments in 
four dimensions namely skills, interaction, emotion, and performance 
through a mixed methods research of 554 participants majoring in 
English language studies at Hoa Sen University. Questionnaires were 
distributed in week 15 (July 2020) of the 2019-2020 academic year, 
in which learners experienced the first seven weeks of online learning 
and the rest with face-to-face teaching methods. In-depth interviews, 
informal dialogues, and observation were still going on until July 
2021. Data was analyzed employing Principal Component Analysis 
and T-tests. The findings showed that the research participants found 
it more efficient when learning offline in all four constructs. While the 
effect was moderate for skill dimension, interaction, emotion, and 
performance were found to have a large influence. The study can be 
beneficial to teachers, educators, and school management boards to 
have a comprehensive insight into the impact of online and offline 
teaching environments on learners’ engagement. 

KEYWORDS: learner engagement, online and offline teaching, online 
and offline learning, comparative analysis, Hoa Sen University.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS  
OF LEARNER ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN 
ONLINE AND OFFLINE LEARNING:  
A CASE STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE 
STUDENTS AT HOA SEN UNIVERSITY

TRAN NGOC TIEN(1); LU VAN TUAN(2); NGUYEN THI TON NU PHUONG LINH(3) 
(1) Hoa Sen University  tien.tranngoc@hoasen.edu.vn
(2) Hoa Sen University  tuan.luvan@hoasen.edu.vn
(2) Hoa Sen University  linh.ngthtonnuphuong@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Ngoc Tien, Ph. D., is a 
university instructor at the 
Department of English/American 
Language and Culture, Hoa Sen 
University, Vietnam. He graduated 
from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific 
University (Japan), Edith Cowan 
University (Australia); and has 
more than 15 years of teaching at 
various levels. He has published 
a couple of papers in Japan, 
America and England and joined 
numerous conferences worldwide. 
His interests of researching 
are educational attainment, job 
satisfaction, learning motivation, 
English language learning and 
teaching.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 57 of 168

ABSTRACT
This longitudinal qualitative case study comprised 
an investigation of the experiences, perceptions, and 
beliefs of five ELT teachers at a Palestinian University 
where government-mandated COVID-19 emergency 
closure forced an institution-wide implementation of 
emergency remote teaching. It is the only research 
coverage to date that encompasses the entire first 
year of work in pandemic emergency conditions as 
viewed from the perspective of instructors working 
in a higher education ELT program. The research 
was framed within an interpretative, constructivist 
paradigm, with data collected by means of semi-
structured interviews and interrogated via thematic 
analysis. Topics of interest included the challenges, 
benefits, drawbacks, and general processes 
associated with elearningas experienced by teachers 
involved in a rapid deployment of online education 
at an institution with no history of offering such 
courses. The results indicate that teachers faced 
significant pedagogy shock along with an immediate 
need to reconsider and reconfigure their roles within 
the teaching space and teacher-student relationship. 
Findings highlight the need for dedicated institutional 
e-learning support infrastructures both hard and soft, 
comprehensive technical training and general digital 
literacy development for teachers and students, 
specialized teacher education in digitally-mediated 
pedagogies, and effective awareness-raising 
campaigns directed at students’ families and other 
community stakeholders.

KEYWORDS: coronateaching, emergency remote 
teaching, e-learning, online learning, Palestine

CORONATEACHING  
IN A PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY:  
CHANGES, CHALLENGES,  
AND NEW CONCEPTIONS

HIDAYAT ABU ELHAWA
Al-Istiqlal University in Jericho, Palestine  hidayaabul@hotmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Hidayat Abu Elhawa is an academic English 
instructor at Al-Istiqlal University in Jericho, 
Palestine, and a PhD TESOL candidate in the 
Department of Languages and Literature at 
University of Nicosia. She teaches 100- level 
courses in the 4 basic skill areas. Her research 
focus is e-learning pedagogies for English 
Language Teaching.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 58 of 168

ABSTRACT
Videogames have come a long way since their 
emergence in the 20th century. They remain, however, 
ostracised from educational discourses. A reason is 
the absence of reliable didactic methodologies that 
ensure effective learning through games. There have 
been attempts to teach historical or other content 
centred topics to students. I argue, however, that games 
are much more effective in strengthening cognitive 
decision-making processes. This assumption is 
based on empirical studies that prove that playing 
strategy games improves strategic thinking. A 
comparable cognitive ability is moral competence. 
According to Georg Lind, moral competence is 
the ability to translate one’s moral principles (non-
violently and without deceit) into action. A skill that 
can be taught and has proven to foster democratic 
and moral behaviour. In my talk, I intend to discuss 
the possibilities of strengthening moral competence 
through videogames with an adaptation of Lind’s 
KDDM (Konstanz Dilemma Discussion Method) 
and the game Papers, Please. The goal is to craft a 
didactic framework in which a learning curve in moral 
competence can be ensured by selecting games 
that provide a suitable degree of moral complexity. 
Through clearly defined goals, well-moderated 
discussions and streamlined reflections, games hold 
the potential to complement contemporary reading 
materials in schools and universities.

KEYWORDS: moral competence; moral complexity; 
game-based learning; game studies; papers please

TEACHING MORAL COMPETENCE THROUGH 
MORAL COMPLEXITY IN VIDEOGAMES: 
PROPOSING A DIDACTIC FRAMEWORK 
BASED ON LIND’S KDDM

BENJAMIN HANUSSEK
Klagenfurt Critical Game Lab, Alpen-Adria University, Austria     benjamin.hanussek@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Representative of the Klagenfurt Critical Game Lab 
at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. Currently 
leading a funded research project on the topic of 
moral complexity in videogames. While the project 
is working towards optimising game development 
approaches, I am also using the insights for a 
didactic framework enabling moral competence 
and ethics to be taught through games.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 59 of 168

ABSTRACT
Considering the emergency of COVID-19, teachers indeed played a 
major role in involving and managing the curriculum and instruction to 
make the educational system workable and feasible for achieving the 
purpose of teaching and learning. Bearing this in mind, this qualitative 
study explored how EFL preservice teachers developed 21st century 
skills by implementing English lessons and interacting with in-service 
teachers and students through field experiences during the COVID-19 
pandemic. 22 Korean preservice teachers participated in this study. 
Data included interviews and artifacts (e.g., practicum reflection notes 
and lesson plans). Qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify 
recurring themes from the collection of the dataset. The findings 
revealed that the preservice teachers capitalized on 21st century 
skills (i.e., communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, 
and technology literacy) during their field experiences. The preservice 
teachers in this study noticed the importance of communication and 
collaboration. They also thought about their lessons and classroom 
management critically and painstakingly. Relatively the evidence 
of creativity was rare, but the preservice teachers were aware of 
being creative and innovative in light of designing lesson plans and 
implementing their own classes during the practicum. The implications 
for research and pedagogy are also discussed in this study.

KEYWORDS: EFL preservice teachers, teacher education, 21st 
century skills, COVID-19, qualitative research

EFL PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ 
DEVELOPMENT OF 21ST CENTURY SKILLS 
THROUGH FIELD EXPERIENCES  
DURING COVID-19

EUNJEONG PARK
Sunchon National University     parkej@scnu.ac.kr

BIODATA STATEMENT
Eunjeong Park is an Assistant 
Professor in the Department of 
English Language Education at 
Sunchon National University. Her 
research interests include teacher 
education, preservice teachers, 
field experiences, mentorship, and 
mixed methods research in higher 
education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 60 of 168

ABSTRACT
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnamese tremendous 
lecturers are assumed to have conducted virtual 
teaching in response to keep track of learning 
progress. This type of teaching seemingly brings 
several benefits to students and teachers. However, 
not all of English instructors show their proficiency 
in applying e-learning platforms. The present 
study will be conducted with an aim to investigate 
the obstacles and chances given to both English 
lecturers when teaching online. A sample of roughly 
100 English lecturers from diverse universities in 
Ho Chi Minh City will be selected with convenience 
and random sampling. The research instruments will 
include online questionnaires and semi-structured 
interviews. After administering questionnaires to gain 
responses and screening data, six lecturers will be 
interviewed to have further ideas exploration. Having 
analysed the piloted data, the preliminary findings 
have revealed that the virtual platforms are beneficial 
to teachers in terms of interaction, flexibility, and 
lesson delivery. They also indicated some problems 
such as application interruptions, and students’ lack 
of enthusiasm. The study will help English lecturers 
and practitioners raise awareness of conducting 
e-learning and offer them some solutions to maximize 
this type of teaching.

KEYWORDS: e-learning; teachers’ perspective

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF 
IMPLEMENTING E LEARNING IN TEACHING 
ENGLISH AT TERTIARY LEVEL FROM 
TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE

PHAM THI NGOAN(1); NGUYEN MINH DUC(2) 
(1)(2) Nguyen Tat Thanh University  phamngoan1990@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
M.A. Pham Thi Ngoan is currently an English 
lecturer at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. She 
completed post-graduate course and obtained MA 
degree in TESOL for professional development last 
year. Besides, she has had five-year experience 
in teaching English at various institutions. Her 
research interests include Teaching Methodology, 
Language Skills, CALL, and Testing and 
Assessment. 

With more than 7 years’ experience in teaching 
English to students of various ages from young 
learners to undergraduate students, Nguyễn Minh 
Đức (M.A.) is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of 
Foreign Languages, Nguyen Tat Thanh University. 
His research interests include motivation, 
learner autonomy, speaking competence and 
technologically related aspects.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 61 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT
Quang Nhat Nguyen is currently the Director of 
HQT Education Ltd., which is based in Ho Chi Minh 
city. He was Head of Academics of The IELTS 
Workshop Ho Chi Minh city and also a lecturer at 
Ho Chi Minh city University of Education. Despite 
being a young researcher, right after graduation, he 
was invited to be a curriculum developer and author 
of several coursebooks for English and IELTS 
training at the University of Technology, Ho Chi 
Minh city. His scope of research interests includes 
Teacher Education, CALL, Sociolinguistics, English 
Language Teaching Methodology, Dogme ELT, and 
Liberal Education.

Linh Nhat Pham is an English teacher of IELTS at 
HQT education Ltd., HCMC. She is also a post-
graduate student of the M.A. TESOL program at 
The University of Social Sciences and Humanities 
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. Her 
current research interests cover English Language 
teaching methodology and CALL.

Hien Nguyen Thi Thu is a lecturer of English at 
Hanoi University, Hanoi. She is currently a post-
graduate student of the Master of TESOL and FLT 
Program at University of Canberra, Australia and 
Hanoi University. Her current research interests 
are English Language Teaching Methodology and 
CALL.

ABSTRACT
In the event of the COVID-19 epidemic, many EFL 
emergency classrooms have been established in 
Vietnam since 2020. However, online education 
in Vietnam is still in its early stages, and there is 
little research on learner psychology in this new 
environment. The impacts of two contemporary 
pedagogical approaches utilizing tasks on EFL 
learners’ L2 motivational self system in an online 
emergency scenario are investigated in this qualitative 
study. Nvivo11’s sentiment and content analysis of 
12 interviews with intermediate English learners of 
an English training center in Ho Chi Minh city prove 
that both task-based and task-supported language 
instruction improve the learner’s L2 motivational 
self system. Besides, six factors contributing to 
high motivation are collaborative tasks, instructor 
scaffolding techniques, learner comfort zone, and 
interactive hybrid learning capabilities. Limited 
schemata, technical issues, pre-task underpreparation, 
physical and cyber-spatial distractions, and uneven 
teacher attention distribution, on the other hand, have 
been found to have negative effects on the learner’s L2 
motivational self system. The authors suggest using 
a hybrid style of teaching with computer-assisted 
online tasks and providing technical scaffolding to 
motivate EFL learners in online task-based emergency 
classes. The findings of the study are intended to aid 
teachers, policymakers, and educational researchers 
in developing future emergency teaching solutions to 
prepare for disease outbreaks or natural disasters.

TASK-BASED APPROACHES AND LEARNERS’ 
L2 MOTIVATIONAL SELF SYSTEM: THE JOY 
AND DESPAIR OF AN EMERGENCY ONLINE 
EFL CLASS IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

QUANG NHAT NGUYEN(1); LINH NHAT PHAM(2); HIEN NGUYEN THI THU(3) 
(1) HQT Education Ltd., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  nhatquang.ed@gmail.com
(2) HQT Educational Ltd., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam nhatlinhpham2017@gmail.com
(3) Hanoi University, Hanoi, Vietnam     hiennnguyen1211@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 62 of 168

STRATERGIES FOR TRANSLATING ENGLISH 
PASSIVE SENTENCES INTO VIETNAMESE

NGUYEN XUAN MY 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam   xuanmy.hp87@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This study examines some most common strategies for the 
Vietnamese translation of English passive voice such as “The 
use of markers ‘được’/‘bị’”, “Change to active”, “Paraphrasing” in 
order to find out the frequency and the rules for the use of those 
strategies by collecting and analyzing the data from the English 
and Vietnamese versions of a novel named “Harry Potter and the 
Sorcerer’s Stone” and a book named “A Brief History of Time”. 

And the findings of this study disapproves the view that Vietnamese 
active sentences are the most common choice for translating 
English passive voice since its results indicate that English It-
clefts or English agentless passive sentences where the agent of 
the action is unclear or indicates a group of people have a high 
tendency of being translated into active structures in Vietnamese, 
while using maker ‘được’ or ‘bị’ and subject-less active sentence 
are the most common ways for translating other kinds of English 
agentless passive sentences into Vietnamese. 

Besides, the results of this research also indicate that the use of 
markers ‘được’/‘bị’ is frequently applied to translate agent-included 
passive sentences but the position of the agent in Vietnamese 
sentences varies according to its features.

KEYWORDS: English passive sentences, translation strategies, 
‘được’/‘bị’, Vietnamese translation, Vietnamese active structures

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Xuan My is a postgraduate 
studying towards a Master’s degree in 
English Studies at Hoa Sen University 
in Viet Nam. He also holds a Master’s 
degree in Teaching Chinese to 
Speakers of Other Languages and has 
been working as a Chinese teacher for 
10 years. His main research interests 
are contrastive linguistics, education 
and translation.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 63 of 168

ABSTRACT
Coursebooks are of vital importance to language 
classes, and it is of great value to select a good 
textbook. Amongst them, the coursebook American 
English File Multipack 3 (AEF3) was chosen and has 
been used at People’s Security University (PSU) for 
five years now. This study was designed to have a 
more critical view on AEF3 that could be helpful in 
identifying features of the book under PSU students’ 
perspective. Due to the scope of the study, only five 
aspects namely Layout and design, Activities, Skills, 
Language type and Subject and content were chosen 
to be investigated. In this study, quantitative method 
was opted to conduct and the data were accumulated 
through evaluation forms. The findings of the study 
revealed that under students’ perspective, although 
there existed certain drawbacks in AEF3, it was still 
evaluated positively. And thus, it is obvious that AEF3 
is an appropriate coursebook for the context of PSU.

KEYWORDS: American English File Multipack 3, 
coursebook, perception, students

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF “AMERICAN 
ENGLISH FILE MULTIPACK 3” – A STUDY AT 
PEOPLE’S SECURITY UNIVERSITY

LE THI THU PHUONG(1); TRAN HOANG ANH(2) 
(1)(2) People’s Security University

BIODATA STATEMENT
Lê Thị Thu Phương, M.A. in English language, has 
been working as a teacher of Faculty of Foreign 
Languages and Informatics at People’s Security 
University since 2012. Her areas of interests are 
material evaluation, testing and English teaching 
methodology.

Trần Hoàng Anh, a post-graduate student at 
People’s Security University, has been a teacher of 
the Faculty of Basic Vocational Tasks at People’s 
Security University. His main interests are theory of 
protecting national security, teaching methodology, 
and research methodology. He is the main author 
of two science research projects at university level 
and 15 articles released on specialized journals 
and international conferences



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 64 of 168

ABSTRACT
In writing evaluation, natural language processing 
tools are increasingly used to both reduce the burden 
of human raters and improve rating efficiency, but 
few tools can effectively evaluate the semantics of 
writing samples. This study looks at open-source 
semantic similarity tools in automated evaluation of 
facts-based writing tasks by ESL learners. Under one 
writing assignment, fifty Japanese university student 
writing samples were collected and compared with 
a gold standard written by a native expert. Five tools 
that had been carefully selected, including InferSent, 
spaCy, DKPro, ADW and SEMILAR, generated the 
semantic similarity scores between student writing 
samples and the expert sample. With the expert 
sample as reference, five teachers also graded the 50 
student samples, the average of which was used as 
the final human grading after an inter-rater reliability 
test was conducted. A Pearson correlation analysis 
was then conducted to see whether the semantic 
similarity scores were able to indicate the semantic 
quality of student samples as suggested by human 
grading. Results show that the correlation from four 
of the five tools was above 0.5, with the highest one, 
Infersent, being 0.8258. This study concludes that 
NLP tools can be integrated into the evaluation of 
semantics and also suggested possible ways to turn 
the semantic similarity scores into actual grades.

KEYWORDS: semantic similarity, automated writing 
evaluation, fact-based writing, InferSent, spacy, 
DKPro, ADW, SEMILAR

AUTOMATED EVALUATION OF SEMANTICS 
IN FACT-BASED WRITING WITH SEMANTIC 
SIMILARITY TOOLS

QIAO WANG
JapanWaseda University     judy.wang@aoni.waseda

BIODATA STATEMENT
WANG Qiao holds an M.A. in translation and 
interpreting studies, an M.A. in second language 
education and a Ph.D. in computer-assisted 
language learning. She is working as a Assistant 
Professor at Waseda University, Japan.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 65 of 168

ABSTRACT
Under game-based language learning (GBLL), an 
increasing number of studies are exploring how games 
can be integrated into language classrooms to better 
serve curriculum goals. In these studies, a common 
theme is the acquisition of receptive knowledge 
such as vocabulary, but few looked at the role games 
can play in promoting productive knowledge such 
as writing or speaking. The study is the second in a 
series of mixed-methods studies on the integration 
of The Sims 4, a life-simulation game, into language 
classrooms. In this study, the researcher explores the 
effect of GBLL on students’ English communicative 
competence from three aspects, interaction, fluency 
and content, in a Japanese university. In class, 
students received instruction from the teacher on 
game language and gameplay skills, played the game 
on their own and presented gameplay stories. The 
presentations were recorded for evaluation. Surveys 
were also administered for students’ perceptions on 
the GBLL classroom. Results showed that no clear 
improvement in communicative competence was 
suggested by quantitative evaluation. Qualitatively 
data, however, indicated that the game afforded 
students interesting events and proper expressions 
in presentations and that the teacher played a vital 
role in ensuring ample interactional opportunities and 
linguistic support. Suggestions for future research in 
classroom-situated GBLL were also proposed.

KEYWORDS: Game-based language learning; 
English communication class; Communicative 
competence; The Sims 4; ACTFL OPI; FLOSEM; 
Interaction; Fluency; Content

THE ROLE OF CLASSROOM-SITUATED 
GAME-BASED LANGUAGE LEARNING IN 
PROMOTING STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATIVE 
COMPETENCE

QIAO WANG
JapanWaseda University     judy.wang@aoni.waseda

BIODATA STATEMENT
WANG Qiao holds an M.A. in translation and 
interpreting studies, an M.A. in second language 
education and a Ph.D. in computer-assisted 
language learning. She is working as a Assistant 
Professor at Waseda University, Japan.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 66 of 168

ABSTRACT
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional teacher-
centered teaching has been replaced with learner-
centered teaching models. The flipped classroom 
model has been considered effective by the 
researchers in the circumstance in which both teachers 
and students are not able to be present in physical 
classrooms because of strict Covid-19 prevention 
regulations; instead, they both teach and study online 
from clipped classroom approach. This paper aims to 
review the usage of lecture videos in flipped classroom 
model in order to clarify what teachers and learners 
need to do to utilize instructional videos effectively in 
online classrooms. There has been an argument that 
the teachers should deploy YouTube videos or they 
should produce their own lecture videos for clipped 
classrooms. The paper also reviews previous studies 
that are related to the utility of lecture videos in flipped 
classroom approach to shed light on lecture videos 
in clipped classrooms. From the literature review on 
using lecture videos in flipped classroom model, the 
paper gives some implications for using instructional 
videos and suggestions for future research on lecture 
videos in clipped classrooms.

KEYWORDS: learner-centered teaching models, 
flipped classroom, lecture videos, implications, and 
online classroom

USING LECTURE VIDEOS  
IN FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL

BUI THI KIM LOAN
Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

BIODATA STATEMENT
Bui Thi Kim Loan has been a lecturer of English 
at Van Lang university, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 
She has taught English skills, ESP, translation, 
academic writing, sociolinguistics and so forth. 
Her research interests are discourse analysis, 
genre analysis, EFL teaching, CALL, CLIL, and SFL.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 67 of 168

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the situation of teaching 
and learning idioms in developing speaking skill for 
freshmen and explored the difficulties encountered by 
the lecturers and students while teaching and learning 
idioms, and the strategies employed while processing 
the idioms at Faculty of English, Thuongmai 
University in Vietnam – a foreign language context. 
It also examined the evaluation of the idiom teaching 
process in six language classes for freshmen and 
provided some suggested solutions to the teaching 
of idioms to increase students’ motivation and 
involvement in learning English idioms particularly 
in developing their speaking skill. The data were 
collected though survey questionnaires and in-depth 
interviews. The analysis revealed that lecturers and 
students at the university achieved effectiveness 
in idioms teaching and learning in speaking skill 
in some ways. Both of them believed that students 
are motivated, confident, and actively participated 
in idioms learning activities in this foreign language 
context. The findings also revealed that students 
demonstrated the process in idiom comprehension as 
well as in idiom production through the evidences in 
the omprehension of idiomatic phrases through their 
textbook and conversations. The results indicated 
significant effects of the context in idiom learning and 
implied that idiom learning should be received more 
attention in EFL learning contexts.

KEYWORDS: Perception, idioms’ teaching and 
learning, speaking skill

STUDENTS’ AND LECTURERS’ PERCEPTIONS 
OF IDIOM TEACHING AND LEARNING IN 
SPEAKING SKILL FOR FRESHMEN AT FOE, 
THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI MY LINH
Thuongmai University in Vietnam     tranmylinh.tmu@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Thi My Linh is a lecturer at English Practice 
Department, Faculty of English, Thuongmai 
University in Vietnam. She received a bachelor’s 
degree in English Language Teaching from 
Hanoi National University of Education and a 
master’s degree from University of Language and 
International Studies. She has been teaching four 
skills for six years. She is interested in English 
Language and English Teaching Methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 68 of 168

ABSTRACT
The COVID 19 pandemic has forced schools, 
Universities to teaching in online learning environments. 
Finding an effective online learning model is crucial 
for online teachers to design, develop, and deliver an 
online course. This research has been conducted to 
analyze the online learning activities through using 
collaborative learning in flipped classroom for the 
students at the college level. Data have been collected 
through an online questionnaire and it was sent to 150 
first year students in the department of electronic and 
electrical engineering attending physics course at 
Cao Thang Technical College, after the online course 
finished. Nine variables have been used to measure 
the effectiveness of collaborative online learning 
with flipped classroom, including learning objective, 
learning task, assessment strategy, course structure, 
resource materials, collaborative online learning tools, 
types of interaction, social and cognitive presence, 
and teaching presence. Cronbach’s Alpha is used to 
evaluate the reliability and internal consistency of the 
associated factors. The exploratory factor analysis is 
used to extract the variables and measure the factor 
loading in this study. The one sample T-test has been 
used to test the hypotheses. The finding revealed that 
implementing online collaborative learning in flipped 
classroom impact on the effectiveness of teaching in 
online learning environments.

KEYWORDS: collaborative online learning, flipped 
classroom, teaching presence, social and cognitive 
presence. 

EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE LEARNING 
THROUGH USING COLLABORATIVE 
LEARNING IN FLIPPED CLASSROOM

NGO VAN THIEN
Cao Thang Technical College

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ngô Văn Thiện is a physics teacher in Department 
of general education at Cao Thang Technical 
College, Ho Chi Minh city. He received his Ph.D.in 
science education from the University of Lyon 2 in 
France. Actually, he also work in cooperation with 
Ho Chi Minh city Univercity of Education, where he 
leads courses and workshop on teaching STEM 
integration. His research focuses on didactic and 
pedagogy.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 69 of 168

ABSTRACT
In 2015, UN members met to discuss the future of 
education. One of the products of that meeting was 
an implementation of Global Citizenship Education 
(GCE) into global education policy (Gaudelli, 2015). 
GCE was integrated into education policy and 
curriculum as a response to the need for students of 
today to be aware of their place in our increasingly 
interconnected global landscape (Chung and Pak, 
2016). English is the modern world’s lingua franca, 
therefore English language classrooms are an ideal 
starting point for GCE integration. GCE in the ESL/EFL 
classroom seeks to expand the view of the English 
language from purely west-centric to a more global 
mindset (Lourenço & Simões, 2021). In this session, 
attendees will look at how GCE integrates into an 
ELL classroom and how it can benefit students both 
academically and socially. Helping students to center 
themselves in the global landscape can aid in the 
creation of self and mitigate some of the identity 
issues that may arise among ELL students (Lopez 
& Musanti, 2019). Attendees will benefit from an 
understanding of GCE objectives, resources to aid 
the integration of GCE themes into current classroom 
practices, and a discussion on current practices 
related to GCE in schools worldwide.

KEYWORDS: Global Citizenship Education, Teacher 
Education, Global Education Pedagogy

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IN THE 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM:  
THEORY AND PRACTICE

ELIZABETH NORMAN
South Korea Gyeonggi-do Institute For Language Education     elizabeth.gifle@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Elizabeth is an instructor and researcher at the 
Gyeonggi-do Institute For Language Education in 
South Korea. Originally from Minnesota she left her 
career as a Language Arts High School teacher in 
2014 when she moved to become an EFL teacher 
in South Korea. Now, she provides professional 
development programs and special lectures for 
English Language teachers at public schools.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 70 of 168

ABSTRACT
Although correctly used computers can support 
transformative learning of the disadvantaged 
communities, many language teachers still cannot 
efficiently use technology. The barriers include 
inadequate teacher training, which calls for rethinking 
teacher development programs and policy planning 
(Mou, 2016). Teachers need to learn first-hand to 
perceive the benefits, which raises skills and positive 
attitudes (Mumtaz, 2000). Although university training 
programs integrate CALL theories into the courses, 
no research has investigated if it is done effectively. 
Studies focus on implementing CALL (Afrin, 2014) 
or technology (Sultana & Haque, 2018) in the EFL 
classrooms without addressing the practice issues 
in teacher preparation. This research scrutinizes the 
efficacy of teaching CALL to Bangladeshi language 
teacher candidates. It explores the pre-and in-service 
teacher perceptions about the gaps between CALL 
learning objectives and outcomes. Data were obtained 
from surveying 100 teachers and teacher candidates 
online. Ten of them were interviewed online using a 
semi-structured form. Results show learning CALL 
often means knowing the terms and theories without 
applications. Lack of hands-on activities, practical 
testing, experts, and technology use are the worst 
barriers. The research calls for widely integrating 
technology into CALL teacher education since the 
respondents’ online teaching-learning experiences 
have developed dynamic CALL insights and expertise.

KEYWORDS: CALL materials, Teacher Education, 
Integrating technology, Success, Failure

INTEGRATING CALL INTO TEACHER 
PREPARATION CURRICULA:  
SUCCESS AND FAILURE

MILI SAHA
Jagannath University, Bangladesh     milisahadoll@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
An Associate Professor of English in Bangladesh, 
Mili Saha, has studied second language education 
in Dhaka and Toronto. She has been conducting 
and publishing research in various contexts, 
including Bangladesh, Bahrain, Canada, and 
the UK. Her research interests include critical 
applied linguistics, language minority issues, and 
marginalized teacher preparation.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 71 of 168

ABSTRACT
Since its emergence in the 1960s, micro-teaching 
has been widely adopted as an effective technique 
in teacher training and development across various 
disciplines, especially in English language teaching. A 
huge body of research focuses on different aspects 
of micro-teaching such as its effectiveness, and 
pre-service and in-service teachers’ perceptions on 
this practice. However, scant literature can be found 
on online micro-teaching, particularly in Vietnam. 
Therefore, this action research is aimed to explore 
Vietnamese students’ perspectives on online micro-
teaching centering on (1) what they learned from 
online micro-teaching, (2) what challenges they faced 
during the practice, and (3) their suggestions on how 
online micro-teaching can be effectively conducted. 
To address those questions, data is collected from 
an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews. 
The participants of the study are approximately 142 
students at the Faculty of English Linguistics and 
Literature, the USSH, VNUHCM. The participants 
have attended English Teaching Methodology and/or 
Teaching Practice courses, and delivered one online 
micro-teaching session at the end of the courses. The 
study is expected to be a stepping stone to further 
research on the implementation of online micro-
teaching as an effectual method of professional 
training and development in English language 
teaching, especially in the fourth industrial revolution.

KEYWORDS: micro-teaching, online micro-teaching, 
teacher education

VIETNAMESE STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES 
ON ONLINE MICRO-TEACHING AS  
A TECHNIQUE IN ENGLISH TEACHER 
EDUCATION IN THE 4.0 ERA

PHAM NGOC KIM TUYEN
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam     pnkimtuyen@hcmussh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tuyen Pham holds a master of Applied Linguistics 
from La Trobe University, Australia, and that of 
TESOL from the USSH, VNUHCM. Throughout her 
15 years of experience, she has taught English 
skills, Public speaking, Translation and Interpreting, 
Intercultural Communication, and English teaching-
related subjects. Her research interests include 
teacher education, technology-assisted (language) 
teaching and learning, leadership in education, and 
research methodology.

 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 72 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT
MA. Nguyen Van Thang
 Workplace: Thanh Dong University (TDU)
 Mobile: 0983116001 
 Email: nguyenvanthang305@gmail.com 
  thangnv@thanhdong.edu.vn

Nguyen Van Thang has been teaching higher 
education for nearly ten years. He is interested in 
technology-based teaching, learners’ motivation, 
learners’ positive psychology, extensive reading, 
cognitive reading strategies, language learning 
strategies.

MA. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha,
 Workplace: Faculty of Foreign Languages, 

University of Economics – Technology 
for Industries (UNETI).

 Mobile: 0921628666 
 Email: nttha.khoann@uneti.edu.vn

Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha has been teaching higher 
education at UNETI for ten years. Her main 
research interests are collaborative learning with 
technology, mobile-assisted language learning 
(MALL), digital game-based learning and language 
learning strategies

ABSTRACT
This action research aims to explore the impacts 
of Mobile–Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on 
freshmen’s vocabulary acquisition as well as their 
perspectives towards this learning approach. Twenty-
six students at Thanh Dong University participated in 
the eight-week intervention in semester 2, academic 
year 2020 – 2021. The researchers employed pre-
test, post-test as well as delayed post-test, attitudinal 
questionnaire and semi-structured interview to 
triangulate the collected data. T-test and Cronbach’s 
alpha coefficient were calculated via SPSS 25 to 
determine the validity and internal consistency 
reliability of the research. The findings indicated that 
the MALL-integrated classrooms not only provided 
a significantly enriched vocabulary achievement 
among participants but also promoted their 
motivation towards the use of MALL to enhance their 
lexical knowledge. Some pedagogical implications 
have been additionally recommended for educators 
in teaching vocabulary and in future research on 
the development of MALL-enhanced framework for 
vocabulary acquisition.

KEYWORDS: Mobile–Assisted Language Learning, 
MALL, vocabulary acquisition, perspectives, 
motivation

THE IMPACTS OF MOBILE-ASSISTED 
LANGUAGE LEARNING (MALL) ON 
FRESHMEN’S VOCABULARY ACQUISITION 
AND THEIR PERSPECTIVES

NGUYEN VAN THANG(1); NGUYEN THI THANH HA(2) 
(1) Thanh Dong University          nguyenvanthang305@gmail.com
(2) University of Economics-Technology for Industries   nttha.khoann@uneti.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 73 of 168

ABSTRACT
This study investigates the semantic change of 
the two words denoting spatial orientation RA – 
VÀO in Vietnamese, in contrast to their translation 
equivalents in English. Originally expressing spatial 
meanings, these words have gradually been used to 
represent abstract concepts. This fact results from the 
semantic change involving orientational metaphors 
and container metaphors. The bilingual data used in 
this study includes 275 contexts of RA, 355 contexts 
of VÀO and their translation equivalents in English, 
which were collected from 50 short stories by 45 
Vietnamese writers and the English translation version 
in the collection “Love after war: contemporary fiction 
from Viet Nam” edited by Wayne Karlin. In addition, this 
study also used data extracted from Vietlex corpus 
and the Corpus of Contemporary American English 
(COCA). The findings show that non-spatial meanings 
of RA – VÀO are systematically derived from spatial 
experiences in the physical world of Vietnamese 
native speakers, and that the major clusters of non-
spatial meanings include (1) getting into and out 
of a situation; (2) appearing and disappearing; (3) 
understanding; (4) supporting and excluding. These 
extended conceptualizations are clearly reflected in 
both Vietnamese and English languages. However, 
the process of encoding non-spatial concepts varies 
across linguistic communities.

KEYWORDS: ra, vào, conceptualization, orientational 
metaphor, container metaphor

THE SEMANTIC CHANGE OF RA – VÀO  
IN VIETNAMESE AND THEIR EQUIVALENTS 
IN ENGLISH: A CORPUS-BASED STUDY

VAN DUONG TRAN
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam     duong.tranvan@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Van Duong is a lecturer in translation studies 
at Hoa Sen University, Viet Nam. He holds a PhD 
in contrastive linguistics from HCMC National 
University, and has more than 20 years in teaching 
translation studies. He is the founder of VietCorpus, 
a web-based platform offering bilingual corpora 
and tools for researchers in contrastive studies 
and professional translators.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 74 of 168

ABSTRACT
Young Learners’ engagement is a key factor 
to determine successful teaching and 
learning. Teachers have to differentiate their 
teaching approach in order to maximize 
students’ motivation. Especially, many 
educators try harder to gain more students’ 
engagement in online learning after the 
school closure affected by the COVID-19 
pandemic. In order to stimulate students’ 
motivation, teachers are required to deploy 
various digital resources on the Internet. 
However, teachers have been facing 
challenges in utilizing relevant and sufficient 
online materials to facilitate and engage 
learners in learning process, which results 
in increasing learning productivity. Thus, 
this article aims to propose some practical 
teaching techniques using digital resources 
to foster engagement of young learners in 
online learning classrooms.

KEYWORDS: digital resources, students’ 
engagements, online learning classroom

UTILIZING DIGITAL RESOURCES TO FOSTER 
YOUNG LEARNERS’ ENGAGEMENTS  
IN ONLINE LEARNING CLASSROOMS

HO THI MY LINH(1); NGUYEN THI BAO KHUYEN(2) 
(1)(2) VUS

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ho Thi My Linh is a doctoral 
candidate in Educational 
Management at Horizon 
University. She has obtained 
her M.A degree in TESOL. 
Currently, she is Associate Dean 
of the Faculty of International 
Languages and Cultures at Hoa 
Sen University. Previously, she 
held the position of Training 
Director at Language corps 

Asia and Training Quality Manager at VUS The English 
Center. She is particularly interested in ESL, EFL teaching 
methodologies, learning approaches or strategies to help 
teachers bring the most engaging and creative learning 
environment to their students.

Nguyen Thi Bao Khuyen, who is working as a Training 
Quality Manager at VUS, is taking a Doctor of Education 

Program and received her 
M.A. degree in TESOL. With 
12-year experience in ELT 
teaching and 4-year expertise 
in academic management, she 
is responsible for improving 
campus teaching quality 
through mentoring teachers, 
holding training workshops 
and contributing to program 
development. She is keen on 

doing research on education trends and digital applications, 
EFL teaching strategies that enhance student engagement 
and maximize academic performance.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 75 of 168

ABSTRACT
Education is no exception to how technological 
innovations have altered every part of life in recent 
years. Indeed, prior to the COVID-19, educators 
and teachers all over the world used technology to 
enhance teaching and learning. For the time being, 
schools in Vietnam are closed due to the pandemic, 
resulting in a considerable shift from face-to-face to 
e-learning with significant educational adjustments. 
Correspondingly, both learning and testing must 
be modified to fit the current COVID-19 outbreak, 
emerging the need to address students’ perceptions 
on the usage of aforementioned issues.

This study was carried out to evaluate how students 
perceived online learning and testing in TOEIC 
preparation courses at a university in HCMC, as this 
issue has grown increasingly impossible to ignore. The 
data for this study, which involved 64 students, was 
collected using mixed methods with the employment 
of quizzes, tests and surveys.

The findings revealed that while online learning 
aided students during the COVID-19 epidemic, it 
was nonetheless ineffective due to distractions 
and technological challenges. Furthermore, some 
students were dissatisfied with their scores, believing 
that they would have scored higher on a paper-
based test. They claimed that they were unfamiliar 
with online testing, which contributed to their poor 
performance. This paper is intended to serve as a 
resource for teachers who are in charge of TOEIC 
online courses as well as a vehicle for further studies.

KEYWORDS: TOEIC preparation courses, online 
learning, online testing

NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS’ 
PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS TOEIC ONLINE 
LEARNING AND TESTING

THI DOAN HOANG(1); THUY LINH PHAN(2); HONG PHUONG LE(3) 
(1)(2)(3) Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities 

BIODATA STATEMENT
We are master’s students in TESOL at Ho Chi Minh 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities. For 
several years, we have been involved in teaching 
English skills and areas to students of various ages 
and levels, gaining valuable teaching expertise. 
Teaching techniques, language assessment, 
language skills and areas, and e-learning are 
among our study interests.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 76 of 168

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, English has been taught as one of the main subject at school. 
Teaching young learners (YL) is not the same as teaching adults because 
children have their own learning styles. Since children enjoy playing, 
having fun and having experience on their own, the learning and teaching 
process should be adapted to their personality characteristics. Song is 
one kind of enjoyable activity for children. The author of this research 
intends to demonstrate that using songs are highly motivated young 
learners in learning English. The purpose of this study is to show how the 
songs could be used successfully to teach children English as a foreign 
or second language (EFL/ESL). First, the rationale for using songs in an 
EFL/ESL classroom will be discussed. Second, the writer shows that 
using songs are highly motivated young learners in learning English. 
Finally, there are some effective techniques that can be offered to teach 
English to YL through the songs and a conclusion will be drawn.

KEYWORDS: EFL, ESL, YL, songs, motivation

USING SONGS ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED 
YOUNG LEARNERS IN LEARNING ENGLISH

PHAM THI THUY TIEN
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam     tien.ptt9477@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 77 of 168

ABSTRACT
Teaching English online during the pandemic calls for 
innovative technological and pedagogical approaches 
to shape a meaning-making practice of learning. Based 
on Task-Based Language Teaching with Technology, 
this “how-to” article offers a practical method for 
integrating Digital Mind Mapping Software (DMMS) 
with Screen Recording Tools (SRTs) to enhance 
students’ online speaking practice. It provides a step-
by-step guide for incorporating CALL technology and 
pedagogy to provide students with meaningful online 
speaking practice. First, it gives a brief overview of 
DMMS and SRTs and how they may help EFL teachers 
offer online speaking courses. Second, a pedagogical 
framework for integrating DMMS with SRTs is 
presented. Third, it includes guidance for developing a 
TBLT-based instruction for remotely teaching speaking 
utilizing the DMMS-SRTs integrated strategy. Still, 
it covers three consecutive stages: pre-task, during-
task, and post-task activities. In the end, we include 
a practical approach (an assessment rubric) to 
evaluating the students-created tasks (e.g., audio and 
video recordings). This article will contribute to the 
plethora of CALL pedagogies, TELT approaches, and 
digital language teacher professional development.

KEYWORDS: DMMS, SRTs, Task-Based Language 
Teaching (TBLT), teaching speaking, online learning.

TEACHING SPEAKING ONLINE USING 
DIGITAL MIND MAPPING SOFTWARE 
(DMMS) AND SCREEN RECORDING TOOL 
(SRT): A PRACTICAL METHOD

ISMAIL ANAS
Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang     ismailanas@pnup.ac.id

BIODATA STATEMENT
I am Ismail Anas of State Polytechnic of Ujung 
Pandang, Indonesia. I am now the team leader of 
the Center for Business English and CALL research. 
I mainly teach ESP courses and do research in 
the area of CALL, ICT, Digital Literacy, MALL, 
ELT methodology, and project-based language 
learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 78 of 168

ABSTRACT
This case study aims at answering the 
two main research questions: (a) What 
are students’ experiences with and 
attitudes towards the implementation 
of audio-visual recording in English 
pronunciation classrooms? and (b) How 
does this technique impact their English 
pronunciation? In order to address these 
two research questions, both quantitative 
and qualitative data were collected after 
the implementation of the technique from 
80 freshmen of a state university in the 
South of Vietnam. Descriptive analysis 
along with thematic content analysis of 
the collected data were categorized into 
three critical areas consisting of students’ 
experiences with the technique, their 
attitudes towards the technique, and 
impacts of the technique. The findings 
showed that students had very positive 
attitudes towards this implementation. 
Particularly, this technique has helped the 
students improve their pronunciation within 
the parameter of intelligibility. Based on the 
research results, possible implications have 
been discussed for instructing phonetics 
and phonology as well as for further studies 
on the important topic of how to enhance 
students’ pronunciation in the EFL context.

KEYWORDS: Audio-visual recording, 
Pronunciation, Intelligibility, 
Implementation

STUDENTS’ RESPONSES TO THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL 
RECORDING IN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION 
CLASSROOMS

HONG T.T.VO(1); THI ANH TUYET LY(2) 
(1) Can Tho University   vtthong@ctu.edu.vn
(2) Can Tho University   ltatuyet@ctu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms. Hong Thi Tuyet Vo has 
been teaching English as a 
foreign language at Can Tho 
university, Vietnam since 
2012. She has been attending 
and presenting at different 
conferences such as Second 
Language Research Forum 
(SLRF), American Association 
for Applied Linguistics 
(AAAL), MIDTESOL, VUS, and 

CamTESOL. Her main research interests are Sociolinguistics, 
Advanced Pronunciation, Second Language Writing, Corpus 
Linguistics, SLA, Language Teaching and Technology, EAP 
and ESP.

Ms. Tuyet Thi Anh Ly is a 
lecturer of Cantho University 
in Vietnam with 7-year English 
teaching experience. She 
has been participating in 
many conferences such as 
CamTESOL, VUS. Currently, she 
is working on the fields related 
to Phonetics and Phonology, 
World Englishes, SLA, Writing, 
ESP and EAP.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 79 of 168

The potential relevance of neuroscience to education 
is gaining attention from scholars and educators in 
recent years. As stated by Tokuhama-Espinosa (2021), 
the professionalization of great teachers involves 
not only the content and pedagogical knowledge 
but also the ability to leverage technology based on 
the understanding of brain efficiency. In this sense, 
the current paper attempts to bring some principles 
emerging from neuroscientific findings into the 
context of language learning and teaching, particularly 
the development of listening skills. The paper begins 
by presenting some nuggets of neuroscientific 
knowledge related to language learning, which opens 
a novel perspective of conceptualizing the process 
of listening comprehension. It will then go on to 
a proposal of a brain-based listening technique in 
addition to some pedagogic implications.

KEYWORDS: listening comprehension; 
neuroscience; language learning.

A NEUROSCIENTIFIC APPROACH 
TO UNDERSTANDING LISTENING 
COMPREHENSION IN EFL CONTEXTS

VY LUU THI MAI
Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance     vyzebu@gmail.com

ABSTRACT



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 80 of 168

ABSTRACT
In recent years, tours of cultural festivals in Vietnam 
have been on a rise thanks to the increasing demands 
from foreign visitors, which requires high-quality 
English versions of cultural festival texts for tour 
guidance and tourism promotion, contributing to a 
positive image for Vietnam. However, such texts are 
burdened with a large number of culture-specific items 
that are not easily translated from Vietnamese into to 
English. This paper aims at exploring culture-specific 
terms in cultural festivals, identifying their categories, 
and then applying appropriate techniques to translate 
them from Vietnamese into English. Using the SLD 
MultiTerm software, the researchers collected the 
data from the texts about 100 most popular festivals 
organized in the three regions of Vietnam all year 
round. The research results are a list of Vietnamese-
English culture-specific terms, interpretation of their 
meanings and translations; and they all serve as a 
useful resource for tourism and translation courses 
at universities.

KEYWORDS: cultural festival, culture-specific item, 
translation, tourism, text

TRANSLATING CULTURE-SPECIFIC ITEMS 
IN VIETNAM’S CULTURAL FESTIVAL TEXTS 
INTO ENGLISH

NGUYEN THI NHU NGOC(1); LE THI NGOC ANH(2);  TRAN CAO BOI NGOC(3);  
NGUYEN ANH QUAN(4);  VAN THI NHA TRUC(5) 

(1) USSH, VNUHCM   nhungoc@hcmussh.edu.vn
(2) USSH, VNUHCM   lethingocanh@hcmussh.edu.vn
(3) USSH, VNUHCM   boingoc@hcmussh.edu.vn
(4) USSH, VNUHCM   nguyenanhquan@hcmussh.edu.vn
(5) USSH, VNUHCM   vanthinhatruc@hcmussh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyễn Thị Như Ngọc, Ph.D. is currently Vice-
dean of the Faculty of English Linguistics and 
Literature (EF) and Chair of the Department of 
Translation and Interpreting, and whose areas 
of interest are Translation Studies, Comparative 
Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication; Văn 
Thị Nhã Trúc, MA. is currently a lecturer of the 
Department of American and British Culture and 
Literature at the EF, and whose areas of interest 
are Business Culture, English literature, and 
Intercultural Communication; Nguyễn Anh Quân, 
MA. is currently a lecturer and holds a position of 
Director of the Center for International Education, 
and whose areas of interest are TESOL, ICT in 
language teaching, and internationalization at 
higher education; Lê Thị Ngọc Ánh, MA. is currently 
a lecturer of the Department of Translation and 
Interpreting at the EF, and whose areas of interest 
are translation, applied linguistics, language 
teaching and education; and Trần Cao Bội Ngọc, 
Ph.D. is currently a lecturer of the Department of 
Australian Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, and 
whose areas of interest are anthropology, cultural 
studies, and English language teaching



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 81 of 168

ABSTRACT
In order to achieve the highest result in employing 
the lexical items, EFL learners are expected to 
memorize such vocabulary and exploit them 
in producing communicative value. However, a 
considerable amount of EFL learners finds the 
process of memorizing the meanings of numerous 
English words at a time merely torturous. In order to 
promote a fresh choice of learning technique to young 
learners, the present research is not only conducting 
an experiment but also identifying the attitudes of 
young learners on the administration of Storytelling 
as a vocabulary memorizing method. With the view 
to fulfilling the aims of the research, an experiment 
will be conducted on two groups of young learners 
(Experimental group and Controlled group). The 
posttest administered on both groups showed that 
the Experimental group outperformed the Controlled 
group in term of memorizing words’ meaning. The 
researcher further investigated Experimental group’s 
attitudes towards the technique and finally concluded 
that the technique of Storytelling when perform by 
learners themselves not only support their long-term 
retention of Vocabulary but further increased their 
motivation and independence in learning as well. 

KEYWORDS: Storytelling, young learners, vocabulary 
memorization, meanings, learners’ attitudes

A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS  
OF STORYTELLING AS A MEMORIZING 
TECHNIQUE FOR ENGLISH VOCABULARY  
ON YOUNG LEARNERS

NGUYEN THI HUONG LAN(1); NGUYEN THI HOANG LAN(2) 
(1)(2) Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City - University of Social Sciences and Humanities  

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Lan is a post-graduate 
student at the University Of Social Sciences And 
Humanities. She has had more than four years 
experiencing teaching in various educational 
environments and she is towards the graduation 
of her master course in TESOL. She is fascinated 
by psycholinguistics and advanced teaching 
methodology.

Taking after her sister, Ms. Nguuyen Thi Hoang Lan 
shares the similar educational background and 
professional traits. However, her deep enthusiasm 
in English language itself has differentiated 
herself. Now, she is working hard in order to reach 
the finish line of the M.A. course with butterfly 
results.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 82 of 168

ABSTRACT
Emergency remote teaching (ERT) in response to school closures 
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has largely been discussed in 
light of the challenges for learners and teachers in public schools, 
particularly higher education institutions, while very little has been 
found on how teachers at language schools adapt to this transition. 

This qualitative study aims to explore the perspective of English 
language teachers of language schools on what constitutes an 
effective e-learning environment during social distancing periods 
in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. In-depth interviews with 15 teachers 
of different levels of experience were conducted using a holistic 
e-learning framework consisting of eight dimensions: institutional, 
management, technological, interface design, pedagogical, ethical, 
resource support and evaluation. In general, results show that the vast 
majority were sympathetic with their employers during hard times, 
yet they experienced significant difficulties in adapting content to the 
technological platform chosen by the school, diversifying student 
engagement strategies and conducting assessment.

The findings also highlight how language schools chose to manage 
administrative tasks (such as online attendance checking) and 
academic-related matters (training and observation) proved to be 
an important factor that could determine the effectiveness of the 
lessons as well as reducing stress for teachers in terms of their ERT 
experience.

The study proposes insightful implications for stakeholders interested 
in ERT in similar contexts. 

KEYWORDS: e-learning, emergency remote teaching, Viet Nam, 
language schools, ELT teachers

PERSPECTIVE OF TEACHERS ON 
E-LEARNING AT LANGUAGE SCHOOLS 
DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN VIET NAM

PHAM HO HAI YEN
Hoa Sen University   yen.phh10545@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Pham Ho Hai Yen is an English 
teacher with 3 years of experience 
in Academic English and General 
English. She is currently pursuing 
her master’s degree in English 
Linguistics at Hoa Sen University 
while teaching full-time at YOLA, 
HCMC. She has also been teaching 
English online for disadvantaged 
students for EFTIN – a non-profit 
English learning project for 2 years. 
Her research interests include 
Computer-assisted language 
learning (CALL), classroom 
engagement and online teaching.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 83 of 168

ABSTRACT
Pronunciation competence has been considered an 
important factor contributing to the success of foreign 
language learning as well as real-life communication. 
Language learners possessing effective pronunciation 
strategies are believed to be able to boost their 
pronunciation ability. However, numerous EFL learners 
seem to encounter assorted difficulties in adopting 
pronunciation learning strategies that best fit them. 
This study explores the most common pronunciation 
strategies employed by English Language majors at 
Hoa Sen University. It also investigates the strategies 
making statistically significant contribution to the 
prediction of participants’ pronunciation capability. 
Data was collected from 375 learners at HSU through 
survey questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and group 
discussions and was analyzed utilizing multiple 
regression for quantitative data and grounded theory 
techniques for qualitative one. The findings showed 
that exposing themselves to real-life English via the 
media and technological devices, looking up and 
practicing pronouncing new words to prepare for a 
talk, and avoiding using unfamiliar words are methods 
commonly applied by the participants. Additionally, 
using words in contexts, visualizing words, imitating 
speakers’ mouth movements, rehearsing the talk, 
noticing the pronunciation mistakes, and seeking help 
from native speakers are found to be the variables that 
significantly contribute to the learners’ pronunciation 
ability.

KEYWORDS: Pronunciation practicing strategies, 
pronunciation competence, EFL learners.

THE IMPACT OF PRONUNCIATION 
PRACTICING STRATEGIES  
ON PRONUNCIATION COMPETENCE  
OF VIETNAMESE EFL LEARNERS

NGO THANH(1); TRAN NGOC TIEN(2);  BIEN MAI(3); PHAN NGOC UYEN(4) 
(1) Hoa Sen University   thanh.ngothithanh@hoasen.edu.vn
(2) Hoa Sen University   tien.tranngoc@hoasen.edu.vn
(3) Hoa Sen University   mai.bienthithanh@hoasen.edu.vn
(4) Hoa Sen University   uyen.pn1139@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Tran Ngoc Tien is currently the Director of the 
English Language Program at Hoa Sen University, 
Vietnam. He has nearly 20 years of teaching and 
conducting scientific researches in the fields of 
education, culture and language teaching and 
learning. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tien holds two master’s 
degrees (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University 
(APU), Japan, and Edith Cowan University, 
Australia) and a PhD degree of Ritsumeikan 
Asia Pacific University (APU). In his professional 
life, Dr. Tran Ngoc Tien has gained numerous 
achievements including Japanese Government’s 
Monbukagakusho (MEXT) scholarship for both 
master’s and doctoral programs. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tien 
has published a number of articles in Japan, UK, 
US, and participated in a number of conferences 
worldwide.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 84 of 168

ABSTRACT
The advancement of technological tools has brought about a significant 
change in the area of education worldwide. In the past few years, 
teaching and learning are not limited to only traditional class lectures, 
textbooks or handbooks, various technological tools are incorporated 
to complement the learning of the lessons. The strategic combination 
of conventional learning methods with online technologies, known as 
blended learning, has become influential in such a way that it introduces 
educators, teachers and students to the ‘new normal’ situation for better 
teaching and learning experiences. The study aims to explore teachers’ 
and students’ perceptions about the strengths and limitations of blended 
learning in tertiary education. It also investigates the way in which 
blended learning approach can be evaluated in a classroom context. 
The research was conducted in the department of English of a public 
university. Data were collected from the students and teachers through a 
survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. About 90 students 
responded to the survey and 15 teachers were interviewed. The findings 
demonstrate that the best learning outcomes can be achieved through 
the successful adoption of blended approach. The study also analyzes 
some of the complications, provides recommendations and future 
directions regarding blended learning.

KEYWORDS: blended learning; new normal; online technologies.

EFFECTIVENESS OF BLENDED LEARNING:  
A CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

ZARIN TASNIM
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology   tasnim-eng@sust.edu



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 85 of 168

ABSTRACT
Intonation, a feature of pronunciation which embarks on how an utterance 
is produced with respect to the notion of accent, stress and the rising/
falling pitch, has always been considered troublesome to learners of the 
second language owing to its connection to personal emotion. For other 
feature of pronunciation such as that of an individual sound or word, 
drill method which requires students to repeatedly pronounce the words 
seems effective. Nonetheless, it is virtually unreasonable to expect that 
the ability to properly intonate can be shaped using similar approach, for 
intonation involves the person’s feeling at the moment the utterance is 
produced. Recently, it has drawn great attention from the academia to 
the investigation of the potential solution. In contribution to the existing 
research, this paper is to shed light on the impact of shadowing technique 
with the aid of spoken text features by Google Translation tool on removing 
learner’s flat tone as well as achieving basic English intonation in text, 
provided that the tool is adopted intensively throughout a pre-designed 
training course. In the study, a pretest-posttest method is employed in 
one same sample, with pre-scheduled experimental period being the 
control group and post-training being the treatment group. After 6 weeks 
of intensive training program following a detailed syllabus, the posttest 
results, which are computerized using Speech Analyzer, indicates that 
the participants benefit from the training in terms of intonation in text as 
there is a positive difference in scores achieved by the treatment group, 
benchmarked against the control group. Besides, the implementation of 
spoken texts in Google Translation tool and Speech Analyzer software 
will be further discussed in this study.

KEYWORDS: intonation, intonation in text, spoken texts, Google 
Translate, shadowing technique.

IMPROVING EFL STUDENTS’ INTONATION  
IN TEXT USING SHADOWING TECHNIQUE 
WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPOKEN 
TEXTS VIA GOOGLE TRANSLATE TOOL

NHI LE P.(1); LINH VU H.M.(2);  NHAT TRAN M.(3) 
(1)(2)(3) Hoa Sen Univeristy, Vietnam  nhi.lp14923@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 86 of 168

ABSTRACT
Teaching and learning online has become not only 
popular but also obligatory in the current time of the 
expansion of the coronavirus pandemic all over the 
world. This fact requires all educational policymakers 
and school administrators to apply various kinds of 
online assessments. It is obvious that teaching and 
testing must be closely consistent. Therefore, both 
teachers and learners have to get used to that online 
process, particularly, online assessments. In such a 
situation, this study carried out two questionnaires 
for 28 teachers and 230 students in different schools 
in Ho Chi Minh City – Viet Nam, to answer two main 
research questions: (i) What are the difficulties and 
their solutions in online assessment; and (ii) What are 
the criteria to choose appropriate online assessment 
tools. The findings of this study may contribute to the 
theory of using technology in language teaching and 
suggest practical criteria to choose suitable tools for 
classroom management in distance learning or online 
learning.

KEYWORDS: online assessment tools, language 
teaching, online learning.

CRITERIA TO CHOOSE ONLINE ASSESSMENT 
TOOLS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

TRAN THI MINH PHUONG
USSH-VNU- HCMC, Vietnam  minhphuongtrn@hcmussh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Thi Minh Phuong is a fulltime lecturer at 
the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities 
(USSH), Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh 
City (VNU-HCMC). She obtained her Master Degree 
and Doctoral Degree in Comparative Linguistics 
from USSH-HCMC-VNU and Master Degree in 
TESOL from Victoria University - Australia. Her 
recent interests are Testing and Assessment, 
Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, 
Using Technology in Language Teaching.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 87 of 168

ABSTRACT
For numerous years, the incorporation of technology 
into the curriculum has transformed language 
instruction. When there is a move towards E-learning 
during the COVID-19 epidemic, integrating technical 
advancements into teaching has become more and 
more crucial. Due to recent school closures, teachers 
have been providing virtual classrooms to students 
so that they can continue their education. Digital 
game-based learning is one of the approaches that 
teachers can employ to reinforce online education 
and engage learners, particularly younger ones. 
Nonetheless, teachers believe applying digital game-
based learning for young learners in a new learning 
platform to be a difficult undertaking. The aim of the 
current research is to look into the challenges that 
teachers encounter when using digital game-based 
learning in online classrooms. The data was acquired 
by distributing questionnaires to 32 teachers who 
teach online programs at various language centers 
and institutions in Ho Chi Minh City. Five of them 
then shared in-depth thoughts regarding the study 
through an interview. The findings showed that the 
implementation of digital game-based learning into 
virtual classrooms has been hampered by technical 
issues and inconsistencies in Internet connectivity. 
Furthermore, classroom management skills and 
experience also influenced the efficacy of the digital 
game-based learning approach. Teachers would be 
given practical advice on how to address these issues. 

KEYWORDS: Digital game-based learning, DGBL, 
difficulties, E-learning, online teaching, virtual 
classroom

TEACHERS’ DIFFICULTIES IN APPLYING 
DIGITAL GAME-BASED LEARNING  
IN A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

THI DOAN HOANG(1); THUY LINH PHAN(2); THUY LINH PHAN(2) 
Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities  

BIODATA STATEMENT
We are master’s students in TESOL at Ho Chi Minh 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities. For 
several years, we have been teaching English skills 
and areas to students of various ages and levels, 
gaining valuable teaching expertise. Teaching 
techniques, language assessment, language skills 
and areas, and E-learning are among our study 
interests.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 88 of 168

ABSTRACT
Topic “Developing Vietnamese listening - speaking 
skills for Chinese pupils in the first grade in District 5, 
Ho Chi Minh City during the Covid 19 pandemic period” 
is an important topic that deserves to be researched 
for education innovation towards competency 
development in Vietnam today. In this article, we use 
the method of surveying, listing results of listening 
- speaking skills of Chinese pupils in the first grade, 
who are living in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Next, we 
enumerate, describe, analyze and synthesize results, 
cultural conditions and characteristics expressed in 
these pupils’ ability in listening - speaking Vietnamese. 
Since then, we offer appropriate teaching and learning 
methods for these pupils with specific suitable 
content to improve their Vietnamese competency 
during the Covid 19 pandemic period in Vietnam.

KEYWORDS: Vietnamese, listening-speaking skills, 
Chinese pupils in the first grade, Chinese in District 
5 of Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

DEVELOPING VIETNAMESE LISTENING - 
SPEAKING SKILLS FOR CHINESE PUPILS  
IN THE FIRST GRADE IN DISTRICT 5,  
HO CHI MINH CITY DURING THE COVID 19 
PANDEMIC PERIOD

TRAN THI KIM TUYEN
Sai Gon University  ktuyensgu@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Thi Kim Tuyen is a lecturer at Sai Gon 
University, Vietnam. She earned her Master 
and Ph.D in linguistics years ago. Her research 
interests are problems with semantics, language 
characteristics, and language competency 
development.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 89 of 168

ABSTRACT
COVID-19 pandemic has been causing severe 
influences on every field, especially education. 
Almost all schools and universities have been 
changing traditional learning into E-learning as a 
solution for continuity of academic year during the 
epidemic. However, the perceptions, the experience 
or the adaptation of the learners in e-learning are 
the issues which teachers and educators concern in 
order to improve the quality of teaching and learning 
online. As a result, the research was designed to 
determine changes in students’ perceptions and 
experience of E-learning at Hoa Sen University. The 
study was conducted in two phases, March 2019 
(before the covid pandemic) and July 2020 (after the 
first covid pandemic). Notably, 214 participants were 
involved in the study. Data were collected via online 
questionnaires and then analyzed by both quantitative 
and qualitative methods. Research results showed 
that students had more positive attitudes towards 
learning Elearning although there were some minor 
unsatisfactory issues regarding the experience. 
Also, a few suggestions were made for teachers and 
educators to improve the effectiveness of online 
teaching during the mass covid outbreak.

KEYWORDS: perceptions, experience, EFL students, 
E-learning.

CHANGES IN STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE  
AND PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS E-LEARNING 
AT HOA SEN UNIVERSITY  
DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

TRAN QUANG HAI(1); HOANG TO THU DUNG(2) 
(1)(2) Hoa Sen Univeristy, Vietnam   hai.tranquang@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Quang Hai is 
currently a lecturer 
of English at Hoa Sen 
University, Vietnam. 
His accumulated 
experience from 
working at various 
e d u c a t i o n a l 
institutions has 
equipped him with 
ample confidence 

and skills in language teaching. His interests 
are Virtual Communities and Teaching Learning 
Practices.

Hoang To Thu Dung 
is currently an 
English lecturer at 
Hoa Sen University. 
She has over 15 
years in teaching 
at universities. She 
earned her MA in 
TESOL at Victoria 
University in 2011. 
She also got BA in 

Finance and Banking in University of Economics 
Ho Chi Minh City. Her academic areas of interest 
include TESOL methodology, Business English, 
e-learning and psychology. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 90 of 168

ABSTRACT
Negation structures are a universal field in the study 
of languages. There have been many studies on the 
errors of negation structures in terms of grammar. 
However, we find that there are few studies analyzing 
errors on semantic and pragmatic aspects. The 
purpose of this study was to investigate the errors 
that EFL students often make in understanding the 
English negation structures as well as find out the 
causes of these errors. Notably, 220 students from 
four universities in Ho Chi Minh City participated 
in the survey study. Data were collected via online 
questionnaires and then analyzed by both quantitative 
and qualitative methods. Findings showed that EFL 
students made different mistakes in identifying and 
using negation structures in semantic and pragmatic 
situations. Besides, several recommendations are 
made regarding the teaching and learning of these 
structures in EFL classrooms.

KEYWORDS: Negation structures, error analysis, EFL 
students.

ANALYSIS OF EFL STUDENTS’ MISTAKES 
TOWARDS NEGATION STRUCTURES  
IN ENGLISH

NGUYEN THUY NUONG(1); TRAN QUANG HAI(2) 
(1) University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University
(2) Hoa Sen Univeristy, Vietnam  hai.tranquang@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Thuy Nuong is currently a Linguistics 
lecturer and PhD’s student at University of Social 
Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National 
University Ho Chi Minh City. She has about 10 
years experiences in teaching Vietnamese, 
and Linguistics. Her interests are Theoretical 
linguistics, Syntax, Vietnamese syntax, Vietnamese 
morphology; Semantics and Pragmatics, and 
Applied linguistics.

Tran Quang Hai is currently a lectin er of English 
at Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. His accumulated 
experience from working at various educational 
institutions has equipped him with ample 
confidence and skills in language teaching. His 
interests are Virtual Communities and Teaching 
Learning Practices. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 91 of 168

ABSTRACT
Thanks to Covid-19 pandemic, EFL learners have 
changed their ways of learning writing skills from 
traditional offline classroom to online ones. The learners 
at Van Lang university faced some challenges in the 
process of taking online writing courses via Microsoft 
Teams. The study aims to investigate the challenges 
that EFL learners at Van Lang university faced when 
they learned how to write some kinds of essays such 
as expository, argumentative, and compare/contrast 
essay in English online via Microsoft Teams. There 
were 101 second-year students from two classes in 
the study who took midterm tests and turned in their 
essay assignments for the course of 10 weeks. The 
findings revealed that they had some problems with 
social interaction with their teachers and classmates, 
and they also had some technical problems related to 
how to submit their assignments and google forms 
appropriately. The results of the study suggest some 
implications for teaching writing skills to EFL learners 
online through Microsoft Teams.

KEYWORDS: Writing skills, EFL learners, Microsoft 
Teams, online, and social interaction.

THE CHALLENGES OF LEARNING EFL 
WRITING VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS

BUI THI KIM LOAN
Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  loan.btk@vlu.edu.vn; buithikimloanot@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Bui Thi Kim Loan has been a lecturer of English 
at Van Lang university, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 
She has taught English skills, ESP, translation, 
academic writing, sociolinguistics and so forth. 
Her research interests are discourse analysis, 
genre analysis, EFL teaching, CALL, CLIL, and SFL. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 92 of 168

ABSTRACT
With the importance of oral communication skills and digital 
literacy skills for 21st century learners, there is an increasing 
tendency to incorporate technology in language learning and 
teaching. In this trend, PechaKucha Presentation, a unique, 
fast- paced format of giving presentations, has recently 
been advocated for its benefits in developing learners’ oral 
communication skill in various contexts (Angelina, 2019; 
Coskun, 2017; Mabuan, 2017).

This paper presents a study that explores seven international 
students’ speaking and listening experiences with PKP 
activities while completing the English for Academic Purposes 
(EAP) program in a US university. The study adopted a 
phenomenological design with semi-structured interviews, 
artifacts, and observations, utilizing Colaizzi’s (1978) data 
analysis framework to provide a comprehensive description of 
the participants’ speaking and listening experiences.

Major findings from the study revealed that (1) the EAP students 
experienced a connection between emotions and English-
speaking skills; (2) these participants’ speaking and listening 
experiences with PK presenting includes the participants’ 
descriptions of their cognitive skill development, preferences, 
and metacognitive awareness; and (3) participants perceived 
audience as an important factor in presentation decisions.

The paper concludes with five most practical teaching 
strategies emerged from the findings of this study. Future 
research implications are also discussed.

KEYWORDS: PechaKucha Presentation, oral communication, 
phenomenology, EAP, ESL, speaking, listening.

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION  
OF EAP INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ 
SPEAKING AND LISTENING EXPERIENCE 
WITH PECHAKUCHA PRESENTATIONS

VAN THI HONG LE
Tay Nguyen University     lthvan@ttn.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Van Thi Hong Le is a seasoned 
English lecturer of Tay Nguyen University, 
Vietnam. She has been actively involved 
in national and international TESOL 
organizations. Her research interests 
involve Strength-based Teaching, 
Curriculum Design, Translation and 
Interpretation, Oral Communication, 
Instructional Technology, and Second/ 
Foreign Language Teacher Education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 93 of 168

ABSTRACT
The outbreak of Covid-19 has forced the educational 
institutions to initiate online teaching to maintain the 
process of students learning at all levels. This paper 
focuses on the online education at Saigon University, 
Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam during which the local 
government has been mandating social distancing in 
most of the regions. This paper aims to investigate 
the students’ attitudes on using online learning 
tools which are comprised of learning management 
systems (Moodle and digital support for core 
materials) via virtual classrooms (Google meet). 
A survey questionnaire was designed to evaluate 
attitudes towards using the above online teaching 
and learning package from 312 participants who are 
non-English major undergraduates having taken part 
in General English courses at Saigon University in July, 
2021. The results indicate that a majority of students 
show favorable attitudes towards online education; in 
the meantime, health and social issues also concern 
their learning process. Some recommendations are 
also offered for improving the process efficiency of 
online education at Saigon University. Since the study 
focused on non-English major college students, it is 
hoped to have particular relevance to other institutions 
of higher education.

KEYWORDS: attitudes, COVID-19 pandemic, higher 
education, non-English major students, online 
education, Saigon University.

ONLINE EDUCATION  
AT SAIGON UNIVERSITY  
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:  
A SURVEY ON NON-ENGLISH MAJOR 
STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES

TRAN THE PHI(1); NGUYEN TRINH TO ANH(2) 
Saigon University

BIODATA STATEMENT
1. Mr. Tran The Phi (Ph.D):
 � Dean, Foreign Languages Faculty, Saigon 

University, Vietnam
 � Skills taught: English linguistics, Teaching 

Methodology, Reading and writing skills, 
Research writing skill

 � Research interests: English teaching 
methodology and Cognitive Linguistics, 
especially Cognitive Semantics

 � 20 years’ experience in teaching general 
English and teaching ESP to undergraduates 
and postgraduates.

2. Ms. Nguyen Trinh To Anh (M.A.)
 � English lecturer, Foreign Languages Faculty, 

Saigon University, Vietnam
 � Skills taught: General English and English for 

Specific Purposes (ESP)
 � Research interests: teaching methodology 

for EFL and ESP, online teaching and blended 
learning

 � 7 years’ experience in teaching general English 
to undergraduates.

 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 94 of 168

ABSTRACT
In Vietnamese, negation operators such as “đâu”, 
“mà” “gì” “nào”, etc. and their combinations can give 
rise to two opposite meanings in denial, question and 
negation structures. However, previous studies on 
these operators in Vietnamese mainly focused on two 
aspects of pragmatics and semantics; almost none 
of them mentioned the element of metalinguistic 
function. Therefore, this study aimed to differentiate 
the metalinguistic function of negation operators 
in their description, truth-condition, truth-function 
capacity, resolving the ambiguity in NEG structures 
(NEG raises), denial structures, semantic/pragmatic 
notions in Vietnamese negative or denial sentences. 
Based on the available theoretical framework along 
with the related corpus survey, the research results 
showed that the features of metalinguistic negation 
(MN) and MN’s speech-act in Vietnamese were 
thoroughly explained.

KEYWORDS: Metalinguistic negation, negation 
operator, Vietnamese negative sentence, 
Vietnamese denial sentence.

A CASE STUDY OF METALINGUISTIC 
NEGATION OPERATORS IN VIETNAMESE

NGUYEN THUY NUONG
University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University -HCM City

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Thuy Nuong is currently a Linguistics 
lecturer and PhD’s student at University of Social 
Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National 
University Ho Chi Minh City. She has about 10 
years experiences in teaching Vietnamese, 
and Linguistics. Her interests are Theoretical 
linguistics, Syntax, Vietnamese syntax, Vietnamese 
morphology; Semantics and Pragmatics, and 
Applied linguistics.

 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 95 of 168

ABSTRACT
Today, thanks to the rapid development of technology, 
teaching is more diverse than ever, including online 
teaching. In the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, 
online teaching has been widely deployed, especially 
at the higher education level. To contribute to 
improving the training quality of this form of teaching, 
we conduct an analysis of student’s willingness 
to participate in online learning. The sociological 
investigation method was carried out through an 
online survey of Hue University students. The survey 
results show that the level of interest in this form of 
learning is not high (accounting for 16% of the survey 
samples) and students’ commitment to this activity 
is very low (1% of the sample) . At the same time, 
different groups of student in terms of academic 
ability, majors… have different level of readiness to 
learn online. Form the survey results we can predict 
that current online teaching activities are unlikely to 
be highly effective. Simultaneously, higher education 
institutions in general and lecturers, in particular need 
to pay attention to solutions to improve students’ 
learning interest and commitment when implementing 
online teaching.

KEYWORDS: online learning, learning willingness, 
learning commitment and interest

AN ANALYSIS ON THE WILLINGNESS OF 
STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE 
LEARNING AT HUE UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN HA QUYNH NHU(1); PHAM DO VAN TRUNG(2); NGUYEN HA QUYNH GIAO(3) 
(1) Hue University
(2) Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (HCMUE)
(3) Sai Gon University

BIODATA STATEMENT
*Nguyen Ha Quynh Nhu is a lecturer of English. 
Master of English Teaching Methodology in 
2004 at Hue University. She has been teaching at 
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes, College 
of Foreign Language, Hue University. Her research 
interest is on ELT Methodology.

** Pham Do Van Trung is a lecturer of Geography 
at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education 
(HCMUE). He received a doctor’s degree in 
Geography from HCMUE, Viet Nam. He is interested 
in social studies and education.

*** Nguyen Ha Quynh Giao is a lecturer of 
Geography. She works at Faculty of Social Science 
Pedagogy, Sai Gon University, Viet Nam. She am 
a geography doctor. Her major is socio-economic 
geography and has been teaching for 15 years. 
She is very interested in social studies, tourism, 
urbanization and education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 96 of 168

ABSTRACT
This research paper aims to determine 
the effect of advertisements as prompts 
for oral proficiency workshop of pre-
service teachers using the pretest-posttest 
quasiexperimental design. The participants 
of this study were thirty (30) sophomore 
preservice teachers of West Visayas State 
University who were match-paired and 
equally divided into two groups: Group 
A underwent the workshop with TV Ads 
as prompts while Group B underwent the 
same workshop with Print Ads as prompts, 
both using validated workshop plans. In 
conducting the study, the researchers 
designed a workshop integrating 
advertisements as prompts and various 
activities to facilitate language learning 
and development. The statistical tools used 
to compare and analyze the participants’ 
oral proficiency scores were mean, 
standard deviation, Mann-whitney U test for 
independent samples, and the Wilcoxon-
signed ranks test. The results found out 
that the use of advertisements-both TV Ads 
and Prints Ads-as prompts in the workshop 
was effective for it significantly improved 
the two groups’ proficiency scores with the 
group given the TV Ads as prompts having 
the higher mean score.

MORE THAN JUST ADS:  
PROMPTS FOR ORAL PROFICIENCY 
WORKSHOP OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS

ESPERVAL CEZHAR H. CADIAO(1); GLYSA MARIE REGIDOR(2);  
NHESSA MAR CATALOCTOCAN(3); RONITH DIANNE COO(4); IVY SABANDAL(5) 

(1) University of St. La Salle Bacolod, Philippines
(2) Senior High School, Philippines
(3)(4) Junior High School, Philippines

BIODATA STATEMENT
Esperval Cezhar H. Cadiao is a student taking Doctor of 
Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at the University of St. La 
Salle Bacolod, Philippines. For the time being, he works as 
a private English teacher of students and professionals. His 
research interests are English grammar, Language Teaching, 
and Applied Linguistics.

Glysa Marie Regidor is an English teacher at the Department 
of Education in the Philippines. She teaches Language and 
Literature to Senior High School students. Her research 
interests are Language Planning and Policy, Language, and 
Literature.

Nhessa Mar Cataloctocan is an English teacher at the 
Department of Education in the Philippines. She teaches 
English to Junior High School students. She also writes 
modules for writing and speaking classes. Her research 
interests are language teaching and language assessment.

Ronith Dianne Coo is an English teacher at the Department 
of Education in the Philippines. She teaches English to Junior 
High School students. She also mentors young campus 
journalists. She is a trainer for writing and journalism. Her 
research interests are language skills, journalism, and 
educational technology.

Ivy Sabandal is an English teacher at the Department of 
Education in the Philippines. She teaches English to Grade 7 
students. She focuses on reading and writing. Her research 
interests are reading assessment, language skills, and 
pedagogy on teaching writing.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 97 of 168

ABSTRACT
English is the language of the world that is used most extensively. By 
Learning and Speaking English well, we can understand knowledge and 
information around the world. The purpose of this study is to determine 
the students’ anxiety, attitude and their motivation in learning English 
based on different aspects. Environment is considered a complex set 
of social, cultural, political, geographical and biological, conditions 
that surrounds an individual and determines his/her performance. The 
purpose of this paper is to study the influence of the different factors on 
English learning. These factors can help English learners to study English 
better and improve their English in every field. Samples for this research 
comprise students from the Saudi Arabian Colleges. The findings of this 
study showed that the Saudi students have a moderate level of anxiety in 
learning English and are motivated towards learning English in order to 
compete with the world. They want to know the rules and the techniques 
that can make them a better learner but there are certain faults that 
hamper them. So, in order to improve the attitude and motivation among 
students we should certain measures in teaching English as a Second 
Language.

KEYWORDS: anxiety, attitude, motivation, environment, physical, family, 
social, society, emotional, mental.

FACTORS AFFECTING ATTITUDE  
AND MOTIVATION OF SAUDI ARABIC 
STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH  
AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

TAWHIDA AKHTER
Department of English; College of Sciences and Language Sajjir;

Shaqra University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia   lthvan@ttn.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 98 of 168

ABSTRACT
Online learning has increasingly become popular in 
nearly all levels of educational systems in Vietnam 
and other countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. 
Previous studies indicated students showed a lack 
of interest, and confidence to interact with a teacher 
and peers in an online English classroom. However, 
few studies have been conducted to investigate how 
to increase student talk time in the online English 
classroom. Therefore, the present study aims to find 
out students’ problems in the online classroom and 
suggest effective activities to maximize student talk 
time. One hundred twenty first-year English non-major 
students taking a 12-week online course at the HCMC 
University of Information Technology participated 
in this study. The study collected and will analyze 
quantitative data from the questionnaires through 
SPSS 25.0 software and qualitative data from the 
interview with ten students through thematic analysis. 
The results of the study will be discussed after the 
process of data analysis and recommendations will 
be listed.

KEYWORDS: activities, students’ problems, student 
talk time

ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE STUDENT TALK 
TIME IN THE ONLINE ENGLISH CLASSROOM

NGUYEN TAN LOI
HCMC Open University in Vietnam   nguyentanloi2802@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Tan Loi obtained Master of Arts degree in 
TESOL at HCMC Open University in Vietnam and 
has had teaching experiences in higher education 
for over 3 years. He is particularly interested in 
teaching methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 99 of 168

ABSTRACT
In order to standardize students’ English ability, Hoa 
Sen University sets an English-language graduation 
criterion at the B1 level on the Common European 
Framework of Reference (CEFR) for non-English 
major students. Among the standardized tests, APTIS 
is selected at Hoa Sen University because the exam 
is developed by British Council experts in language 
testing and underpinned by the latest research 
in assessment. However, achieving satisfactory 
scores on APTIS tests before graduation is always a 
challenge for students. Within the limit of the research 
paper, the article aimed to find out the problems that 
students often encounter when performing two skills 
of listening and reading. The participants were 80 
non-English major students participating in the APTIS 
preparation courses in the summer semester of 2021. 
Two online questionnaires were conducted, the first 
was after the pre-test and the second immediately 
after the post-test. Data were analysed to find average 
value, percentage, and standard deviation. The results 
indicated although the students had problems with 
the APTIS pre-test at a high level in every area, the 
figures decreased markedly after the post-test. 
Besides, students also thought that the courses 
helped them improve vocabulary, grammar and build 
up confidence.

KEYWORDS: non-English major students, problems, 
APTIS listening, APTIS reading.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO NON-ENGLISH 
MAJOR STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS  
IN TAKING APTIS LISTENING AND READING

TRAN QUANG HAI
Hoa Sen Univeristy, Vietnam   hai.tranquang@hoasen.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Quang Hai is currently a lectin er of English 
at Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. His accumulated 
experience from working at various educational 
institutions has equipped him with ample 
confidence and skills in language teaching. His 
interests are Virtual Communities and Teaching 
Learning Practices.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 100 of 168

ABSTRACT
University of education in general and geography 
education branch in particular, are facing great 
challenges. Content-oriented education has been 
gradually replacing by competency-oriented 
education. Therefore, developing the competency of 
geography education students is the fundamental 
requirement in the mission of improving the quality 
of training.

In the context of the industrial revolution 4.0, data 
sources from the internet make the curriculum open, 
flexible, and up-to-update. So the internet data–bassed 
tasks are very useful in geography teaching and 
learning. To proactively stimulate thinking activities, 
these tasks have a variety of cognitive levels. Each 
task includes a problem situation. We have designed 
cognitive tasks on topics: economic development 
resources, migration, hydropower, transportation,...

These tasks were experimented with in teaching the 
socio-economic geography of Viet Nam part 1, at 
faculty of geography, Ho Chi Minh City university of 
pedagogy. The students that took part in the experiment 
gave their feedback via questionnaire, discussion, and 
a semi-structured interview. The majority of students 
highly agreed on the effectiveness of the cognitive 
tasks and they intend to design and apply these same 
types of tasks in teaching geography in the future.

KEYWORDS: competency, cognitive task, geography 
education student, internet data, problem situation.

IMPROVING THE COMPETENCY  
OF GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION STUDENTS 
THROUGH USING INTERNET DATA-BASED 
COGNITIVE TASKS

PHAM DO VAN TRUNG(1); NGUYEN HA QUYNH GIAO(2); NGUYEN HA QUYNH NHU(3) 
(1) Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (HCMUE), Vietnam   
(2) Sai Gon University, Vietnam
(2) Hue University

BIODATA STATEMENT
* Pham Do Van Trung is a lecturer of Geography 
at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education 
(HCMUE). He received a doctor’s degree in 
Geography from HCMUE, Viet Nam. He is interested 
in social studies and education.

** Nguyen Ha Quynh Giao is a lecturer of 
Geography. She works at Faculty of Social Science 
Pedagogy, Sai Gon University, Viet Nam. She am 
a geography doctor. Her major is socio-economic 
geography and has been teaching for 15 years. 
She is very interested in social studies, tourism, 
urbanization and education.

***Nguyen Ha Quynh Nhu is a lecturer of English. 
Master of English Teaching Methodology in 
2004 at Hue University. She has been teaching at 
Faculty of English for Specific Purposes, College 
of Foreign Language, Hue University. Her research 
interest is on ELT Methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 101 of 168

ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted educational dynamics worldwide, 
with pervasive isolation, online learning, and changed communication 
patterns. The unexpected shift in teaching and learning mode has 
rendered students in great challenge of maintaining motivation during 
this turbulent time, leading to reported increasing dropout rate in many 
Higher Education institutions. Taking cognizance of this, this study aimed 
to investigate the constructs of resilience, motivation,and demotivation, 
and explore their structural relationships among students adopting 
online distance learning. A total of 345 undergraduates at a Vietnam’s 
university participated in an online questionnaire survey. The collected 
data were analyzed by means of Factor Analysis and Structural Equation 
Modeling analysis (SEM). Results of the study revealed five independent 
resilience factors (metacognitive adaptation, perseverance, optimism, 
communicative efficacy, and life satisfaction), four motivation factors 
(instrumental motivation, familial support, teacher support, and ideal L2 
self), and five demotivation factors (unsupportive teachers, unsupportive 
parents, perceived stress, unsupportive learning environment, and lack of 
peer support). As regards the structural relationships, the direct impact of 
resilience on motivation factors was stronger than demotivation factors, 
especially for metacognitive adaptation and perseverance. The findings 
indicated that building resilience is significant in sustaining motivation, 
yet it may be not enough to prevent demotivation among learners in this 
turbulent time.

KEYWORDS: resilience, motivation, demotivation, Higher Education, 
Covid-19

RESILIENCE, MOTIVATION,  
AND DEMOTIVATION IN ONLINE LEARNING 
DURING TURBULENT TIME:  
A CASE STUDY AMONG EFL UNIVERSITY 
STUDENTS IN VIETNAM

TRANG PHAM
Van Lang University     trang.ptt@vlu.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 102 of 168

ABSTRACT
This research aims at investigating teachers’ 
exploitation of textbook images in English language 
teaching as well as their training experiences of 
textbook image exploitation. This is a mixed method 
study that uses three main instruments including 
survey questionnaire, interview and classroom 
observation to collect data from 276 English language 
teachers who are currently teaching English in different 
public schools in Vietnam. It was discovered that even 
though teachers highly valued textbook images, they 
did not seem to fully realize the instructive impacts 
of the resource, which may result from their lack of 
training in visual literacy instruction. This explains 
why textbook images seemed to be employed purely 
to teach vocabulary in the pre-teaching stage of the 
lesson, and mostly ideational meaning was employed 
while interpersonal and textual meanings were 
neglected.

KEYWORDS: visual literacy, textbook images, 
English language teaching

DEPLOYING TEXTBOOK IMAGES  
IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

NGUYEN THI THUONG
VNU University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Thi Thuong (M.A) is currently teaching 
English language in VNU University of Languages 
and International Studies, Vietnam. Her research 
interests include syllabus design, teaching material 
development and teacher training.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 103 of 168

ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has called for a shift in the 
teaching and learning landscape from the conventional 
classes towards e-learning. This propels the use 
of a range of online learning and distance learning 
platforms massively, notably MS Teams, Zoom US, 
and Google Classroom. However, the fact that the 
aforementioned require monetary subscription to 
unlock their full potential proves detrimental to the 
accessibility to education during the pandemic, i.e., 
not all students and/ or educational institutions have 
the available means. This paper thus seeks to affirm 
the capability of Discord as an alternative online 
learning platform that is not only efficient in its own 
right, but also comes at no expense. To this end, a 
handful of English teachers who had been teaching 
online via either of the three platforms above were 
offered to switch to Discord for a fixed amount of 
time. They received instructions and support from the 
research team concerning the platform along the way, 
and were asked to participate in a survey afterwards. 
With the use of SPSS for statistical data analysis, 
the paper pointed out that Discord achieved a high 
compatibility level for both parties in use, namely the 
teachers and the students.

KEYWORDS: e-learning, distance learning, online 
learning, conferencing software, Discord.

TEACHERS’ FEEDBACK ON USING DISCORD 
AS AN ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM

UONG TRAN GIA TRI(1); NGUYEN DUY KHOI(2); NGUYEN HUU NHON(3) 
(1) University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University HCMC   uongtrangiatri@gmail.com
(2) University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University HCMC 
(3) HCMC Open University

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tri Tran Gia Uong 
is a M.A. student in 
the TESOL program 
by HCMUSSH and 
the co-founder of 
C-Plus English – an 
educational project 
based in HCMC whose 
target demographic 
is teenagers wishing 
to learn academic 

English. As a technophile himself, he loves 
exploring meaningful applications of technology 
into his teaching.

Khoi Duy Nguyen 
is an aspiring 
M.A. in TESOL 
program student at 
HCMUSSH as well 
as a core teacher 
at IPP Education 
and Language Link 
Vietnam, both of 
which specialize in 
teaching for the IELTS 

certificate. As a veteran educator, he is famous for 
his unorthodox approach to English pedagogy.

Nhon Huu Nguyen is currently participating in the 
M.A. program organized by the Open University. 
Apart from his professional development, he is 
concurrently working at WESET English center, 
addressing his learners’ needs in terms of IELTS 
and honing his teaching quality. His main interests 
are primarily concerned with ELT.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 104 of 168

ABSTRACT
Although previous studies have examined the impact 
of self and peer assessment on second language 
students’ writing development, there has been little 
discussion on issues regarding students anxiety with 
grading in self and peer-assessment activities. By 
interviewing four English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) 
writing teachers and surveying eighty-four EFL learners 
of a university in Vietnam, the mixed-method study 
found that students had a low level of anxiety when 
evaluating their works and their peers. The findings 
also highlighted that the implementation of self and 
peer assessment contributed substantial benefits for 
students’ language learning but it is particularly more 
effective when used to give and receive feedback, 
compared to give and receive grades. Both teachers 
and students believe that students are not objective 
enough when grading themselves and others. On 
the basis of the findings, the study suggested that 
providing detailed rubrics and training students to 
assess writing tasks are necessary to reduce students’ 
anxiety and improve the accuracy and reliability of 
self and peer assessment.

KEYWORDS: Self and peer assessment, Anxiety, 
Grading

THE IMPACT OF GRADING ANXIETY ON EFL 
STUDENTS’ SELF AND PEER ASSESSMENT: 
THE CASE OF VIETNAM

TRANG PHAN
Van Lang University, Vietnam     thuytrangdhv@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Phan Thi Thuy Trang, lecturer in TESOL, Foreign 
Languages Faculty, Van Lang University, has been 
working at Van Lang University since 2019 as 
a lecturer of the Faculty of Foreign Languages. 
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from 
Vinh University and a master’s degree in TESOL 
from University of Huddersfield, England. She is 
interested in testing, evaluation and assessment 
and they remain as her key research areas.

Phone: 098 200 2346



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 105 of 168

ABSTRACT
This research uses narrative inquiry approach to 
explore the teaching and assessment practice of 
lecturers working in one university in the northern 
part of Vietnam. To collect data, the research has 
adapted the Tree of Life activity (Ncube, 2006) as a 
narrative frame enabling the teachers to reflect on and 
share their stories about their assessment practice 
as well as the world in which they live and work. 
The theoretical framework is grounded on socio-
constructivism, Dewey’s notion of experience, and 
Clandinin & Connelly’s (1990) three-dimensional space 
of narrative inquiry while the conceptual framework is 
based on Xu & Brown’s (2016) framework of teacher 
assessment literacy in practice and Looney et al.’s 
(2017) reconceptualization of teacher assessment 
identity. This in-progress report presents the findings 
and discussion of emerged themes based on the 
preliminary data analysis conducted on the narratives 
of one out of five participants. The findings underscore 
the dynamic nature of language teacher identities 
including their assessment identities, highlight the 
role the working context plays in shaping these 
identities, and illustrate how teacher assessment 
identities influence their assessment practice.

KEYWORDS: teacher assessment identity, narrative 
inquiry, socio-constructivism

CONSTRUCTING TEACHER ASSESSMENT 
IDENTITY THROUGH NARRATIVES OF 
UNIVERSITY EFL TEACHERS IN VIETNAM

THI BICH NGUYEN DAO
Hanoi National Unviversity of Education     nguyendb@hnue.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dao Thi Bich Nguyen is a lecturer at the Faculty 
of English, Hanoi National University of Education, 
Vietnam. She is currently doing her PhD at Hanoi 
University. Her research interests include language 
testing and assessment, language teacher identity 
and teacher assessment identity.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 106 of 168

ABSTRACT
The shift from ‘content focus to learner focus’ allows 
the teachers to include meaningful activities in their 
class which creates better learning solutions. The 
present study seeks to identify ways to advance a 
culture of learning continuum in higher education as 
an innovative teaching strategy with the appropriate 
use of a blended learning approach helping the 
teachers to design teaching and learning activities 
and the students to progress along the continuum. 
The paper describes a conceptual framework and the 
implementation of the learning continuum of a skill-
based paper in a blended mode. The paper discusses 
an array of technological solutions, resources and 
assessment methods, relevant for the course and 
the student’s specific context. The conceptual 
framework is tested in a skill-based paper ‘Written 
Communication and Analysis’ in an MBA Programme 
in Odisha in the first year of their study involving 
instruction in both offline and online mode. The paper 
assesses the student’s experience and perception on 
the blended learning approach from the results drawn 
from an online survey. Research findings suggest 
that the implementation of the learning continuum 
in a blended mode enables the creation of active 
learning environments and the student’s development 
in their writing skills. The results from the survey 
point towards exploring the present status of blended 
learning in higher education in India.

KEYWORDS: Learning, Continuum, Blended 
Learning, Written Communication Skill

LEARNING CONTINUUM IN A BLENDED 
MODE: A CASE OF A SKILL-BASED COURSE

PRAJNA PANI(1); ANUBHA RAY(2) 
(1) Centurion University of Technology and Management   drprajnapani@gmail.com
(2) Birla Global University           anubha.ray@bgu.ac.in

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Anubha Ray has been disseminating her 
knowledge to graduate & post-graduate students 
for the last 25 years, serving under different 
universities in Odisha, India. She is currently 
engaged as an Associate Professor & Area Head of 
English & Business Communication at Birla Global 
University, Bhubaneswar. Besides being an active 
researcher in the discipline of Communication, 
American Literature, Gender, Translation Studies 
and Postcolonial studies, she has been an active 
ELT practitioner. She has guided doctoral students 
in the areas of ELT and Business Communication. 
She has published research papers in many 
reputed journals of national and international 
repute. Dr. Ray is the author of the book “The 
Women in the Novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald: Voice 
Unheard” available on Amazon and edited a book 
with the title “ Language, Literature & Diversity”.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 107 of 168

ABSTRACT
Collocation is ‘an important organizing principle in 
the vocabulary of any language’ (McCarthy, 1990:12). 
The study was intended to examine the effect of 
concordancing and scaffolding provided by teachers in 
developing learners’ knowledge of lexical collocations. 
Quasi-experimental research design was adopted to 
assess two comparable groups of English learners’ 
knowledge of lexical collocations in three aspects: 
(1) identifying (mis) collocations, (2) recognizing 
collocational patterns from suggested options, and 
(3) providing collocational patterns of their own 
choice. Regarding the students’ ability to identify (mis) 
collocations and to recognize collocational patterns, 
the study revealed that concordancing significantly 
improved their score while teacher’s scaffolding 
without concordancing had no considerable impact. 
Concerning the students’ ability to provide their own 
collocations, both concordancing and scaffolding 
were found to have a significant effect on the students’ 
performance. The study therefore discusses the 
importance of introducing a concordancer to promote 
learners’ independence in learning collocations. 
Scaffolding is also argued to be equally important 
especially when a concordancer is first introduced 
to students. Concordancing should be considered as 
a long-term task for learners in their development of 
collocation knowledge while scaffolding is temporary 
in its nature. Both concordancing and scaffolding 
can therefore be regarded as co-supporters in 
helping learners eventually take charge of learning 
collocations by themselves.

KEYWORDS: collocation, concordancing, scaffolding

LEARNING LEXICAL COLLOCATIONS 
WITH CONCORDANCING AND TEACHER’S 
SCAFFOLDING

LE THANH HA
Hanoi National University of Education, Vietnam   halt@hnue.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Le Thanh Ha is a lecturer, a teacher trainer, 
and educational researcher at Hanoi National 
University of Education, Vietnam. She obtained her 
MA degrees in English Linguistics and in TEFL. Her 
interests include Teacher Education, CALL, and 
Second Language Acquisition.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 108 of 168

ABSTRACT
There are remarkable breakthroughs in ICTs which deliver abuntdant 
opportunities to educational stakeholders, especically those in the 
English learning and teaching (ELT) in order to enhance the profesional 
development as well as the second lanaguge acquisition. However, the 
drastic digital emergence requires English teachers to adopt and adapt 
to intergrate into the real classroom practices. Yet, these technological 
advances also shift the English teachers’ roles in several areas of the 
world. The current study aims to examine students’ perspectives on the 
roles of EFL teachers in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in the ICT time. 
There are 1250 respondents from highchools and secondary schools in 
the study. The quantitative research is employed. This paper completes 
by discussing the roles of English teachers from students’ viewpoints 
and providing suggestions for pedagogical implications for the EFL 
instruction in the ASEAN region.

KEYWORDS: ICT, ELT, EFL, teachers’ roles, ASEAN

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION  
IN THE DIGITAL AGE: THE ROLES OF 
EFL TEACHERS FROM STUDENTS’ 
PERSPECTIVES: A CASE STUDY FROM 
INDONESIA,THAILAND, AND VIETNAM

PHAN THI KIM THAO(1); MAI VAN KET(2); MULYATY(3);  
PATLADA WONGYOTHA(4); PAYUPOL SUTHATHOTHON(5) 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 109 of 168

ABSTRACT
This prior-study aimed to using online micro-game based language 
learning materials enhanced vocational college students’ ESP 
English learning performances. The research methodology applied 
mix ture approach including quality and quantity. There are four 
vocational college students that majored in nursing as research 
participants. The research data would collect and analyse from 
(1) the pre and post-test of ESP English. (2) the semi-structured 
student online answering feedback sheet of ESP English (3) the 
semi- structured interviewing of ESP English expert teacher. The 
research results were as following: First, the results of the post-
test which was better than pre-test, it meant students used online 
micro-game based language learning materials could affect their 
ESP English learning achievement performance becoming better 
than before. Second, the results of the semi- structured student 
online answering feedback sheet, it shown most of students could 
use the online micro game based language learning materials to 
increase their motivation and confidence to answer the questions 
correctly by receiving “Game Points”. Especially, students also 
could spend less responding time to answer questions effectively 
under time limiting situation. Third, the results of semi-structured 
expert teachers’ interviewing, it shown most of expert teachers 
thought these online materials could facilitate students’ESP 
English meta-cognitive learning performances effectively.

KEYWORDS: micro-gamebased, vocational college students, 
learning material, Game Points, ESP English

PRIOR-STUDY ON USING ON LINEMICRO-
GAME BASED LANGUAGE LEARNING 
MATERIAL SENHANCED VOCATIONAL 
COLLEGE STUDENTS’ESP ENGLISH 
LEARNING PERFORMANCES

CHENG-YU TSAI
Doctoral student, Doctoral Program, Foresight Educational Leadership and Technology Management,Department of education and 

futures design,Tamkang University, New Taipei City

Lecturer, Department of Applied Foreign Languages, Chien Hsin University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan   puth1212@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
I am Tsai Cheng-Yu from Taiwan 
(R.O.C). My affiliation is the Doctoral 
student in the Doctoral Program, 
Foresight Educational Leadership 
and Technology Management, in the 
Tamkang UniversityandI am alsoa 
college Englishlecturer in the Chien 
Hsin University. My majorprofessions 
are 1. ESP, 2. CALLand 3. Education 
Technology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 110 of 168

ABSTRACT
Revision after each lesson plays an essential role 
in enhancing learners’ English level although it is 
sometimes neglected by students at tertiary education 
level. Acknowledging learners’ difficulty in reviewing 
major learning points and their low expectation in 
classes of writing skill, I decided to apply a technique 
called “summary cards” to assist students grasp the 
main points and logically connect their lessons for 
the whole picture of the subject. The act also aims at 
helping review for the final exam when students have 
to deal with a huge amount of knowledge in order to 
meet the requirements. Furthermore, a small act of 
the “summary card” was utilized to assist students 
to set their learning goals and gain their expectation 
and motivation, which was supposed to help improve 
both their level of writing and their attitudes towards 
learning writing skill.

After a 10-week course using “summary cards”, a 
class of 36 freshmen at a university showed positive 
attitudes towards the new measure introduced. It is 
possible in the future that they apply this new measure 
in other courses which require them to memorize 
various learning points.

KEYWORDS: Self-review, Learning expectation.

HELPING LANGUAGE LEARNERS  
SELF-REVIEW LEARNING POINTS  
AND GAIN LEARNING EXPECTATION

 LE THI TRUNG DINH
Van Lang University   stephanie.22391@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Le Thi Trung Dinh, M.A., is currently a lecturer 
in Foreign Language Department of Van Lang 
University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She has 
7-year experience in teaching language skills for 
students and adults. Her main research interests 
involve teaching language skills, culture and 
language, linguistics and learners’ motivation. She 
can be contacted via email dinh.ltt@vlu.edu.vn.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 111 of 168

ABSTRACT
Employability is one of many personal outcomes of 
university education in Vietnam, and so the ability 
to compose a curriculum vitae (CV) in the English 
language is a desired outcome for business-majored 
students. Such writing process frequently occurs 
outside of a formal learning setting, few attempts to 
study the phenomenon has been made. Through the 
lens of the activity system, the paper analyses the 
influence of six components in a CV writing process 
from a social-constructivist approach. A mixed-
method approach was adopted with a 5-likert survey 
with openended questions and semi-structured 
interviews. Quantitative data from 184 participants 
reveals that students were mostly influenced by 
various digital artefacts (e.g. online dictionary, 
online courses) and situated online communities 
of learning. Qualitative results also indicate the 
prominent challenges relating syntax and lexical use 
as one of the conflicting factors and a certain level of 
autonomy as a facilitating factor while they managed 
to overcome these complications. The paper also 
suggests how curriculum of business English could 
be adapted to support language learners in real-life 
employment situations.

KEYWORDS: self-regulated learning, writing, learner 
autonomy, English for Specific Purposes

USING ACTIVITY THEORY TO UNDERSTAND 
STUDENTS’ OPPORTUNITIES AND 
CHALLENGES IN A CURRICULUM VITAE 
WRITING PROCESS

LE THANH HA(1); VU PHUONG HONG NGOC(2) 
(1) Foreign Trade University, Hochiminh Campus   lethanhha.cs2@ftu.edu.vn
(1) Foreign Trade University, Hochiminh Campus   vuphuonghongngoc.cs2@ftu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Lê Thanh Hà (M.ed)
Mobile: 094 889 5666
Ha Thanh, Le has shown great commitment in the 
field of English language teaching and education 
with a master in education in University of Hull, 
UK. Ha is an English lecturer at Foreign Trade 
University, Hochiminh Campus. Her interest 
includes technology-infused learning, task-based 
language teaching, and students’ motivation and 
engagement.

Vũ Phương Hồng Ngọc (M.ed in TESOL)

Mobile: 093 603 0280
Ngoc Vu holds a Master degree of Education 
majoring in TESOL, and she’s currently teaching 
English at Foreign Trade University – Ho Chi 
Minh City Campus. Her areas of interest include: 
IT application in foreign language teaching, 
intercultural communication, task-based learning 
and teaching.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 112 of 168

ABSTRACT
Mobile learning (M-learning) appears as the 
significant breakthrough of technological 
revolution 4.0. Among the sharp development 
of modern technology, it has been seen 
that the exponential expansion of mobile 
devices accompanied their smart functions 
to support learners’ learning everywhere and 
every time. Thus, mobile-assisted language 
learning (MALL) has been believed to serve 
learners’ English knowledge. Although learning 
through mobile devices is expected to apply 
appropriately to teaching and learning, 
students’ attitudes towards using mobile 
devices for learning under wireless networks 
need to be assessed seriously. This writing is to 
present EFL learners’ behaviors and awareness 
on the use of mobile devices in English learning 
at a University in Vietnam through a survey on 
100 university EFL students by a questionnaire 
including 13 English-Vietnamese statements 
within 20 minutes. The survey lasted two 
weeks in the first semester of the school year 
2019-2020. The quantitative approach was 
used to collect data which were analyzed 
by SPSS version 20. The findings on the one 
hand showed that students have positive 
attitudes towards using mobile technology 
in English learning. On the other hand, mobile 
learning applications in the future at the current 
University were able to be accepted firmly. 

KEYWORDS: attitudes, mobile learning, mobile 
devices, MALL, EFL students.

EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE 
EASE OF USE MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO 
LEARN ENGLISH AT A UNIVERSITY  
IN VIETNAM

NGUYEN NGOC VU(1); VO THUY LINH(2) 
(1) HoaSen University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   vu.nguyenngoc@hoasen.edu.vn
(2) SaiGon University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   vtlinh@sgu.edu.vn 

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Ngoc Vu is vice 
president of Hoa Sen 
University and chairman 
of STESOL founded by 
Association of Vietnam 
Universities and Colleges. 
With training experience 
from more than 25 countries, 
his main expertise is building 
digital transformation 
competency and providing 

consultation service to higher education institutions 
and businesses across Vietnam. He won Vietnam 
Technology Innovation Award in 2012 and got recognized 
as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Master Trainer in 
2014. His research interests include Computer Assisted 
Language Learning, Cognitive Linguistics, Educational 
Technology, and ELT Methodology.

Vo Thuy Linh works as an 
English teacher in Sai Gon 
University, Ho Chi Minh city, 
Vietnam. She is currently 
a Master of TESOL and 
is participating higher 
education for doctorate 
program at University of 
Foreign Languages, Hue 
University. Her research 
interests are teaching 

English pronunciation and using technologies in teaching 
languages, especially, mobile learning which she is 
investigating for her docteral thesis. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 113 of 168

ABSTRACT
Among the breakthrough of modern technology 
4.0, mobile devices have been seen as convenient 
tools accompanied their smart functions to support 
learners’ learning wherever and whenever. With 
support from mobile-assisted language learning 
(MALL), English knowledge has been expected to 
be acquired well. This paper was to describe the 
experimental of EFL learners’ pronunciation learning 
to enhance their pronunciation via mobile devices in 
a wireless environment. One hundred university EFL 
students were chosen as the experimental group and 
the same numbers of others were grouped as the 
control one. Two groups were experienced pre and 
post-test that gave the experimental results through 
the scores compared by SPSS to find how different 
the two groups are. Later, the quantitative approach 
was utilized to collect data from the questionnaire 
with 10 English-Vietnamese statements within 15 
minutes was completed by the experimental group 
to obtain the participants’ attitudes and evaluation 
about mobile learning. Research findings revealed 
that EFL students’ pronunciation was significantly 
improved after experimental on wireless mobile 
devices. Moreover, the learners held constructive 
assessments as well as positive attitudes towards 
using mobile technology in their pronunciation 
learning. Mobile learning applications was strongly 
approval from users’ perceptions to practice. 

KEYWORDS: pronunciation, attitudes, mobile 
learning, MALL, EFL students.

IMPACT OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN EFL 
STUDENTS’ PRONUNCIATION LEARNING 
AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM: FROM 
PERCEPTION TO PRACTICE

VO VAN LOC(1); VO THUY LINH(2) 
(1)(2) SaiGon University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   vtlinh@sgu.edu.vn 

BIODATA STATEMENT
Vo Thuy Linh works as an English teacher in 
Sai Gon University, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. She 
is currently a Master of TESOL and is participating 
higher education for doctorate program at 
University of Foreign Languages, Hue University. 
Her research interests are teaching English 
pronunciation and using technologies in teaching 
languages, especially, mobile learning which she is 
investigating for her docteral thesis.

ORCid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5837-9696

 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 114 of 168

ABSTRACT
Vietnam’s higher education has experienced 
considerable changes due to the effects of COVID-19 
pandemic. When schools are closed, online classes 
become the inevitable mode of teaching and 
Information Technology shows its indispensable 
roles. In response to significant challenges, not only 
do teachers have to upgrade themselves with new 
teaching forms and techniques, but students also 
need to adapt to a new remote learning environment. 
Classes occur outside the classroom and only via 
a computer screen, which means many difficulties 
faced by the teachers in giving good lectures and 
promoting students’ active learning. Different tactics 
have been used to deal with these arising problems, 
and they have brought both positive and negative 
results. This study is aimed to investigate strategies 
that English teachers at Thuongmai University have 
been employing to improve students’ autonomy in their 
online courses and the results they have achieved. 
To collect data for the study, five English teachers 
and fifty first-year non-English major students in 
Thuongmai University are invited as participants 
while questionnaires and interviews are used as main 
data collection tools. 

KEYWORDS: online classes, Thuongmai University, 
students’ autonomy, strategies.

PROMOTING STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY IN 
ONLINE CLASSES: A STUDY ON FIRST-
YEAR NON-ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS IN 
THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY

PHAM THI TUAN 
Thuongmai University   tuan.pt@tmu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Pham Thi Tuan is currently an English teacher at 
English Faculty, Thuongmai University, Vietnam. 
She has been teaching for 7 years, and she has 
been in charge of courses of General English, 
English Linguistics and English Culture. Her 
students include both English majors and non-
English ones. Her research interests are English 
Language Teaching and English Theories.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 115 of 168

ABSTRACT
Because of the wide specialization demanded by 
our job markets, crossdisciplinarity is growing more 
and more important. Language teaching, therefore, 
has to conform to what the society demands from 
professional occupations: a crossdisciplinary role 
with a result-oriented focus to keep up with the fact 
that leading sciences nowadays proceed by solving 
complex problems cutting across disciplines. 
Moreover, there are permanently language barriers 
and cognitive differences between languages, 
cultures and disciplines which have caused 
difficulties for learners and teachers. Thus, we 
suggest using techniques, principles and models of 
cognitive linguistics to handle the problems within 
cross-disciplinary contexts because in cognitive 
linguistics, a linguistic term does not exist exclusively 
from its syntagmatic or paradigmatic relations with 
others, but also culture-based and conventionalized 
background knowledge. Cognitive linguistics has 
integrated linguistic, psychological, philosophical, 
neurological, computer science, anthropological and 
historical advances. Therefore, a cognitive approach 
provides suitable theoretical techniques to the 
teaching practice. From the research, we have gained 
four principles for language teaching and applications 
in teaching vocabulary, teaching prepositions and 
teaching clauses. This approach combines traditional 
methods with modern ones as problem solving, case 
study, etc. which aims at high practicality, maximum 
time savings but the most effective and practical 
applications. 

KEYWORDS: cross-disciplinary, integrated, language 
teaching, cognitive linguistics, cognitive approach.

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY  
LANGUAGE TEACHING

NGUYEN HOANG PHUONG 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University – Hochiminh City   ling.dr.phuong@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Hoang Phuong, PhD. is a lecturer at 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 
Vietnam National University – Hochiminh City, 
Vietnam. My majors for teaching and research are 
linguistics, English, Vietnamese for foreigners. I’ve 
been teaching for many universities in Vietnam 
and a visiting lecturer at Chungwoon University, 
Korea.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 116 of 168

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to get feedback from teachers about the 
“Friends Plus” – an English textbook compiled under the General 
Education Program 2018 of the Vietnam Ministry of Education and 
Training. The “Friends Plus” is introduced to 6th-grade students from 
the school year 2021-2022. The participants of the study consisted of 
25 English teachers, they have thoroughly researched the curriculum 
and have undergone 5 professional training sessions from Oxford 
University Press and 1 training session on book introduction from Viet 
Nam Education Publishing House Limited Company. Through the survey, 
the teachers will have feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the 
book, from which the material’s developers will continue to modify and 
improve other English textbooks for students from grade 7 to grade 12. 
Overall, the results of the study indicated that teachers’ evaluations of 
textbooks were very positive. However, there are still some points that 
need to be made to improve the quality of the material. 

KEYWORDS: evaluation, “Friends Plus”, English Textbook, General 
Education Program 2018

THE EVALUATION OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 
“FRIENDS PLUS” FROM TEACHERS’ 
PERSPECTIVES

AUTHOR 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 117 of 168

ABSTRACT
The implementation of peer assessment has spurred 
a notable interest among scholars in the field of 
language education and academic writing in particular. 
Peer assessment provides the opportunities for 
learners to review the products of their mates and 
reflect to improve the personal language performance. 
Teaching writing has long been considered to require 
the complexity of cognitive and critical development 
from learners to tackle a range of barriers for both 
learners and teachers such as time constraint, the large 
class size, and the lack of personalisation on learners’ 
progress. The current context of Covid-19 pandemic 
has fostered the need for online peer assessment in 
teaching writing to elevate the intensity of acquisition 
and mitigate the apparent limitation of online learning 
for such productive skill. This paper attempts to 
investigate the learners’ perspective towards the 
chances and challenges of online peer assessment 
in writing classes of private centers. The study is 
conducted on 50 intermediate learners at a private 
center in Vietnam via the questionnaire and semi-
structured interview. The findings of the study reveals 
that learners showed positive attitudes towards 
online peer assessment in writing for convenience, 
personal reflection, peer discussion, autonomy, and 
critical analysis but they had to deal with certain 
challenges such as personal inability to conduct the 
peer review, the subjectivity in assessment, and the 
lack of appropriate recommendation. 

KEYWORDS: online peer assessment; reflection; 
autonomy; writing performance.

LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVES TOWARDS 
ONLINE PEER ASSESSMENT IN ACADEMIC 
WRITING: CHANCE AND CHALLENGE

TRI MINH NGUYEN(1); NGUYEN KIM PHUONG(2) 
The V Language; Saigon ISB Banking University   tringuyen.eling@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Main author: Tri Minh 
Nguyen is currently 
an Academic Director 
at The V Language 
and he is also a 
co-founder of PTG 
TESOL. He studies 
Master of Education 
at Edith Cowan 
University, Australia. 
He is also a lecturer of 

English at Saigon ISB, Banking University of Ho Chi 
Minh city. His research interests cover translation 
and interpretation, intercultural communication, 
and discourse analysis.

Co-author: Phuong 
Kim Nguyen is 
currently a lecturer of 
English at Saigon ISB, 
Banking University of 
Ho Chi Minh City and 
English Department, 
Open University. 
She earned her 
Master’s Degree in 
TESOL at University 

of Huddersfield with Distinction. Her research 
interests cover assessment, intercultural 
communication and teaching methodology. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 118 of 168

ABSTRACT
Internet self-efficacy and self-regulation/autonomy 
have proven to play important roles in online 
learning, especially during the compulsory closure 
of educational institutions due to COVID-19 all over 
the world. This study was conducted in an attempt 
to explore the inter-relationships among three 
constructs: Internet self-efficacy, online self-regulation 
and interaction during the emergency online learning 
amid COVID-19 in Vietnam. A partial least squares 
structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis 
was used to mine the data collected from over two 
thousand undergraduate students at a Vietnamese 
university. Research results indicated that Internet 
self-efficacy was a good predictor of learner autonomy 
while learner-content, learner-instructor and learner-
learner interactions had mediating effects on learner 
self-regulation. The study findings also revealed that 
there were significant differences between learners 
of language and non-language major, between those 
with prior online learning experience and those without 
in the relationships among the aforementioned 
constructs. However, gender did not have any impact 
on the relationships. The study findings provide new 
insights and useful implications for teachers and 
students in promoting learners’ Internet self-efficacy, 
online self-regulation and interaction in the context of 
oriental cultures where students tend to rely on their 
teachers in both traditional and online learning.  

KEYWORDS: Self-efficacy, Self-regulation, online 
interaction, PLS-SEM, COVID-19, Vietnam

EXPLORING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN 
LEARNERS’ INTERNET SELF-EFFICACY, 
ONLINE SELF-REGULATION AND 
INTERACTION DURING ONLINE LEARNING 
AMID COVID-19 IN VIETNAM

THACH PHAM(1); PHUONG LAI(2); VINH NGUYEN(3) 
(1)(2)(3) Hanoi University   thachpn@hanu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Thach Pham is the Chairman of the Board of 
Trustees, Hanoi University, Vietnam. He has nearly 
30 years of teaching English at different levels of 
study and in different environments: in class, online, 
on television and radio. Thach Pham completed 
his PhD at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia 
early 2015. His strong interests are in using 
technologies for English language teaching and 
learning, university governance, educational 
knowledge management, educational material 
development and teacher training.

Ms. Phuong Hoai is a lecturer of the Faculty of 
Management and Tourism, Hanoi University, 
Vietnam. Ms. Phuong Hoai holds a master degree 
in finance and control, and is teaching data 
analysis, statistics and finance. Her research 
interests and experiences are in corporate finance, 
behavioral finance and university autonomy. 

Dr. Vinh Nguyen is a senior lecturer in Applied 
Linguistics and TESOL in the English Department, 
Hanoi University, Vietnam. His current research 
interests focus on ICT/CALL, blended language 
learning, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 
language learner autonomy, curriculum 
development, language teacher education, and 
intercultural communication.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 119 of 168

ABSTRACT
The primary forms of English language used in Britain 
have been complemented by many new Englishes such as 
American English, Canadian English, Singaporean English, 
etc. for centuries. In today’s globalized world, which young 
generations are more eager for learning English than ever, 
such learners’ desires for mastering language four skills 
make instructors be in need of gaining in-depth knowledge of 
language variations so that they are able to provide support 
for their learners’ language acquisition and development. 
In this context, scientific research papers on language 
variations and their impacts are on demand for developing 
in the quantity. This investigation aims to determine how 17 
food idioms, categorized into 10 groups, carry differences 
between British English and American English and how 
idiomatic variants influence English Language Teaching 
(ELT) at a university.

According to our findings, although this group of idioms 
presented the lexical distinctions, their meanings remained 
unchanged, which resulted in no influences upon teachers’ 
instruction and students’ learning outcomes. Moreover, 
differentiating these variants relied on the learners’ 
awareness of the differences between the two Englishes 
and instructing idioms was affected by the other factors 
encompassing learners’ language proficiency, instructional 
materials, teachers’ perspectives toward teaching idioms 
and teaching approaches to idioms. For later research, 
this study should be considered its applications in EFL 
classrooms and should be duplicated in some larger scales 
or with different linguistic units.

KEYWORDS: effects, language variations, idiomatic 
variants, English Language Teaching, food idioms.

EFFECTS OF LANGUAGE VARIATIONS ON 
ELT: A SURVEY ON ENGLISH FOOD IDIOMS 
IN TERTIARY EDUCATION

NGUYEN HONG NHUNG 
Saigon University

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Hong Nhung obtained a B.A degree 
in ELT at Saigon University and began 
teaching English in 2019. She has written 
undergraduate’ scientific research papers 
and had a few experiences of participating 
conferences in ELT and linguistics. Her 
keen research interests cover learner 
autonomy, language learning strategies, and 
comparative linguistics. Recently, she has 
intended to register a master’s program on 
ELT at HCMC Open University.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 120 of 168

ABSTRACT
Online learning has received a great deal of educators 
and students’ attention recently. It is widely considered 
a great option for students who cannot have access 
to traditional classroom for any reason. Online 
education is also one of the best solutions in today’s 
situation when Covid19 epidemic has created a big 
challenge for teachers and students to find alternative 
platforms of education. Online learning applications 
has also attracted a lot of interest as tools to 
promote the effectiveness of online education. This 
library-based paper presents the results of literature 
review on the effect of two popular online learning 
applications, namely Socrative (launched in 2010) 
and Kahoot! (launched in 2013) which have been 
widely used to support students’ revising process 
and formative assessment. The main results of this 
research reveal positive effects of the two game-based 
learning platforms on learning outcomes, classroom 
environment, interactions between students and 
teachers and interactions among students. However, 
there are also studies suggesting little effect of the 
two learning applications. This paper will be of great 
benefit for teachers and students who are looking 
for effective learning applications and how they 
correspond with learning and teaching principles. 

KEYWORDS: online learning, learning applications, 
game-based learning, Kahoo, Socrative

TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE LEARNING
THI QUYNH TRANG DANG 

International School, Vietnam National University   trangdq@isvnu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Lecturer of English at International School, 
Vietnam National University, Hanoi



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 121 of 168

ABSTRACT
Teaching research paper writing has never been 
an easy job. Helping the students understand the 
research process, conduct the study and finally 
produce a report requires careful lesson planning, 
effective delivery of lessons, and critical evaluation of 
teaching performance so that the course quality can 
be improved and better learning outcomes achieved. 
The pandemic has mandated the use of technology 
in all aspects of teaching and learning. Yet, there is 
a need to examine the efficacy of technological tools 
in teaching writing in the absence of face-to-face 
interaction. The researcher has delivered a research 
paper writing course online to two batches of students. 
They were both second-year English major students 
at a university in Ho Chi Minh city. In this study, she 
evaluated the course implementation including the use 
of educational technology by examining documents 
such as course outlines, course information on the 
school LMS, students’ collaborative work via Google 
Docs, their submissions of assignments and their 
personal reflections on taking the course. Findings 
reveal that learners need to be better trained in using 
the tools for learning, and online collaborative work 
should be planned in more detail and monitored more 
closely. Findings also show several benefits that the 
use of technology has brought to both the teacher 
and learners. 

KEYWORDS: Research paper writing; Educational 
technology; Teaching Writing, Online writing course

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING 
WRITING: EVALUATION OF AN ONLINE 
RESEARCH PAPER WRITING COURSE

DAO NGUYEN ANH DUC 
Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   ducdna@buh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Duc Dao has been teaching English for more 
than fifteen years and is currently a lecturer at 
Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 
She earned her Ph.D. from the University of 
Nottingham, Malaysia campus. She also holds 
an MA in TESOL Studies from the University 
of Queensland, Australia, and an MBA from 
Bolton University, UK. Her research interests are 
pronunciation, phonetics, phonology, and teaching 
methodology. She has presented papers at local 
and international conferences and published in a 
journal as well as several conference proceedings.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 122 of 168

ABSTRACT
English public signs represent development and 
welcome of Vietnam to visitors around the world. 
However, the Vietnamese-English public sign 
translation currently has many drawbacks, one of 
which is a lack of cultural and pragmatic factors to be 
taken into account. In order to improve the practice, a 
comparison of American English and Vietnamese use 
in public signs has been made, applying the framework 
of a pragmatic set by Sharifian (2017), which supports 
the idea that the public signs are realizations (practs) 
of the pragmemes underlying the situational contexts 
associated with some certain speech acts that can 
be precisely interpreted based on some pragmatic 
cultural schemas such as DIRECTING, PROMPTING, 
and COMPELLING. With the help of the street 
view tool on google maps, a corpus of 800 English 
public signs (in the US) and 800 Vietnamese ones 
is created for further corpus-based, metadiscourse, 
and contrastive analyses. The results show that both 
American English and Vietnamese pragmatic cultural 
schemas activate the same speech acts manifested 
in public signs. The differences are notified in the 
pragmemes related to territory indication, restriction, 
reminding, warning, command, and prohibition; also 
in the formulation and enactment of the practs. 
Many applications to translation of public signs from 
Vietnamese into English are also suggested. 

KEYWORDS: Public signs; Cultural schemas; 
Pragmatics; American English; Vietnamese; 
Translation

AMERICAN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE USE 
IN PUBLIC SIGNS: A PRAGMATIC CULTURAL 
COMPARISON AND TRANSLATION

LINH NGOC TRUONG PHAM 
HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam   truonglinhpham101@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Linh Ngoc Truong Pham is a PhD student in 
the Faculty of Linguistics at Vietnam National 
University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social 
Sciences and Humanities. He majors in TESOL. 
His research interests include cultural linguistics, 
English language teaching, Vietnamese-English 
contrastive analysis and translation. He has 
published several papers in English vocabulary 
teaching, translation, stylistics, and culture.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 123 of 168

ABSTRACT
Through the years, investigations into 
difficulties in English listening and listening 
strategies have been the subject of many 
researchers. Most of studies have pointed 
out the common listening difficulties and 
the use of listening strategies for listening 
comprehension. Focusing on the same 
subject with a different perspective, this 
research aimed at discovering English 
majors’ difficulties in listening and the use of 
listening strategies to cope with difficulties 
at Mien Dong University of Technology. A 
total of ninety eight freshmen participated 
in answering the questionnaire and five 
students responded the semi-structure 
interview questions. The data gained from 
the questionnaire were analyzed by SPSS 
software in terms of descriptive statistic. 
The findings show that English majors had 
to deal with many difficulties in listening 
such as the difficulties related to the listener, 
the content of the dialogue, the speaker, 
the physical setting and the linguistic 
factors. Besides that the frequency of using 
listening strategies was relatively high. The 
cognitive listening strategies were used 
more frequently than metacognitive and 
socio-affective strategies. Based on the 
findings, some implications were made to 
contribute to the administrations, teachers 
and students at Mien Dong University of 
Technology. 

KEYWORDS: online peer assessment; 
reflection; autonomy; writing performance.

ENGLISH MAJORS’ ENGLISH LISTENING 
DIFFICULTIES AND USE OF STRATEGIES AT 
MIEN DONG UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

NGUYEN DINH NHU HA(1); NGUYEN QUANG MINH(2); LE THI THUY TRANG(3) 
(1) Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education   handn.ncs@hcmute.edu.vn
(2) Ho Chi Minh City Immigration Office
(3) Ho Chi Minh City Open University

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen Dinh Nhu Ha is Ph.D. candidate at Ho Chi Minh City 
University of Technology and Education. He is a lecturer of 
English at Mien Dong University of Technology, Vietnam. 
His research interests include language teaching method, 
e-learning, educational technology, business English, 
English for specific purposes.

Le Thi Thuy Trang is a sophomore student at Ho Chi Minh 
City Open University. Her research interests include business 
English, English language skills and educational technology.

Nguyen Quang Minh is an immigration officer at Ho Chi 
Minh City Immigration Office. His research interests include 
English language skills and English for specific purposes.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 124 of 168

ABSTRACT
Teaching English speaking skills is a challenge for 
teachers in non-native English speaking countries. In 
reality, language learners often neglect to join English 
speaking activities. Moreover, they tend to focus on 
grammar, not meaning. To deal with this problem, 
English teachers can take advantage of task-based 
approach (TBA) for their speaking classes. In fact, 
TBA is considered a useful approach to help student 
improve speaking skills effectively. It is also called 
the learner-centered approach which emphasizes the 
roles of learners’ roles during the learning process. 
Therefore, this paper aims to introduce theoretical 
basis of TBA, the roles of teachers and learners in 
TBA, and Willis’s (1996) TBA model. Furthermore, 
the example of implementing a task-based speaking 
lessons is well-illustrated in this paper. Besides that 
some recommendations for further research of 
implementing TBA are presented in the conclusion. 

KEYWORDS: English speaking skills, task-based 
approach, teaching English, TBA model

IMPLEMENTING TASK-BASED APPROACH: 
A SOLUTION FOR TEACHING ENGLISH 
SPEAKING SKILLS

NGUYEN DINH NHU HA(1); NGUYEN LOC(2); TRAN TUYEN(3) 
(1) Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education   handn.ncs@hcmute.edu.vn
(2) Ba Ria-Vung Tau University
(3) Institute of Technological Education

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen Dinh Nhu Ha is Ph.D. candidate at Ho Chi 
Minh City University of Technology and Education. 
He is a lecturer of English at Mien Dong University 
of Technology, Vietnam. His research interests 
include language teaching method, e-learning, 
educational technology, business English, English 
for specific purposes.

Nguyen Loc is a professor in education. He is 
currently a principal of Ba Ria-Vung Tau University.

Tran Tuyen is a doctor in education. He is currently 
a lecturer at Institute of Technological Education.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 125 of 168

ABSTRACT
It is true that education is one of the fields affected by 
the spread of COVID-19. To adapt to the circumstance, 
many countries, including Vietnam, has implemented 
online learning at a national scale to every level 
of education. In the context of teaching English at 
university, the implementation’s efficacy remains 
debatable since it may intensify the challenges 
which are already problematic in traditional English 
schooling. Among those arduous problems, student 
engagement is the focus of this qualitative study. 
Specifically, the paper examines how Vietnamese 
non-English major undergraduates perceive the 
influence of e-learning on their engagement in 
studying the language. Regarding the literature, online 
learning with its benefits and shortcomings is firstly 
reviewed, which is followed by the scrutiny of student 
engagement in general and in English learning. The 
review is then concluded by inspecting several 
relevant studies.

To collect data, focus group interview is applied, which 
is also considered a gap of this study since the groups 
of interviewees only come from one university in Ho 
Chi Minh city. The findings are expected to provide 
more insights into the degree of student engagement 
in English online learning in higher education, thus call 
for more effort to be exerted in seeking appropriate 
strategies to promote Vietnamese EFL graduates’ 
engagement in their e-learning.

KEYWORDS: perceptions, EFL, tertiary, e-learning, 
learning engagement, COVID-19 pandemic

PERCEPTIONS OF EFL TERTIARY STUDENTS 
TOWARDS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN 
E-LEARNING AND LEARNING ENGAGEMENT 
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

NGO DUC HUY 
Ho Chi Minh city University of Food Industry, Vietnam

BIODATA STATEMENT
My name is Ngo Duc Huy and I am a lecturer at Ho 
Chi Minh city University of Food Industry, Vietnam. I 
teach English as a major and a subject. I received a 
master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Curtin 
University, Australia in 2020. I have an interest in 
investigating student motivation and engagement 
in English learning. I have recently had my first 
study regarding the same subject published by the 
Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied 
Linguistics.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 126 of 168

ABSTRACT
With the development of tourism in Vietnam as one 
of the world’s top destinations in recent years, food 
providers prefer to use bilingual menus, especially 
Vietnamese-English ones as a useful tool for foreign 
customers to gain a better understanding of the 
national cuisine. However, there exist translation 
errors, which has caused several negative impacts on 
the customers. Therefore, identifying the translation 
errors and causes is quite helpful in promoting 
Vietnam’s tourism, considering the status quo of 
the country’s ongoing cultural integration within the 
context of the coronavirus pandemic. This paper 
collected the food names from online Vietnamese-
English menus from 100 restaurants in Ho Chi Minh 
City on Foody, one of the most original and well-
received food review apps in Vietnam, and analyzed the 
collected data using both qualitative and quantitative 
research methods. The results indicated that there 
were 4 major error categories related terminology, 
syntax, semantics, and pragmatics with 11 different 
error subtypes based on a hybrid error-analysis model 
developed from those popular in translation currently 
used in the world; and revealed possible causes for 
these errors from different levels including linguistic 
inaccuracy, amateurism and irresponsibility. The 
findings may be used as a reference for translation 
training in Vietnam. 

KEYWORDS: food, bilingual menu, translation error, 
Vietnamese-English translation, tourism

AN ANALYSIS ON TRANSLATION ERRORS IN 
ONLINE VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH MENUS

NGUYEN THI NHU NGỌC(1); NGUYEN LE MINH PHUONG(2); LE ANH KHOA(3);  
PHAM ĐANG KHOA(4); TRAN THANH THANH LAM(5) 

University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University   nhungoc@hcmussh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Nguyen Thi Nhu Ngoc is currently Vice-dean 
and Chair of the Department of Translation and 
Interpreting at the Faculty of English Linguistics 
& Literature, USSH, VNUHCM. Her main research 
interests are Translation Studies, Comparative 
Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication. 
Her research group includes four senior English-
major students, Nguyen Le Minh Phương, Le Anh 
Khoa, Pham Dang Khoa, and Tran Thanh Lam, who 
are highly inquisitive students with more than 3 
years of tutoring English to both young and adult 
students. They all have great love for translation 
research and desire to contribute to the translation 
quality in Vietnam with a contemporary sensibility 
and critical mindset.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 127 of 168

ABSTRACT
In today’s world where the trade of commercials is 
opened between many countries from all over the world 
has been on the continuous development from time to 
time, which leads to the vital play of communication 
between people and people from other countries 
causing so many problems in understanding to each 
other. So, the important roles of translation have been 
available more and more specifically and initially, and the 
demands that requested to satisfy the need in a number 
of translators and interpreters is more increasingly and 
more well-trained. This demands the high intellectual 
levels in every translator in order to overcome a various 
number of language barrier problems as well as to solve 
as many problems appearing in all types of document 
as possible. And one of the most difficult challenges 
according to many translators, in the case of doing the 
translation between two contrary languages, especially 
to transfer some unable-to-translate words, which means 
untranslatable words – so-called untranslatability. And 
this is the reason for our paper. 

KEYWORDS: untranslatability, cultural untranslatability, 
linguistic untranslatability

THE UNTRANSLATABILITY  
IN TRANSLATING FROM ENGLISH TO 
VIETNAMESE AND VICE VERSA

NGUYEN THI THANH TRANG(1); NGUYEN DUY(2) 
(1) Nguyen Tat Thanh University   ntthanhtrang@ntt.edu.vn
(2) Nguyen Tat Thanh University   duynguyen2797@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT

Nguyen Duy
Year of birth: 1997
Email: duynguyen2797@gmail.com
Mobile: +84 902 60 40 61
Years of experience: English teacher: more 
than 6 years
Translator: more than 3 years
Major: Translation and Interpretation
Education: Nguyen Tat Thanh University – K17

Nguyen Thi Thanh Trang
Year of birth: 1964
Email: ntthanhtrang@ntt.edu.vn
Mobile: +84 902 60 40 61
Major: Teacher of Translation and Interpretation 
Faculty of Nguyen Tat Thanh University



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 128 of 168

ABSTRACT
This study intends to develop and design a web for English 
learning for students at School of Foreign Languages, Thai 
Nguyen University (SFL-TNU). This design-based research 
focuses on two problems, namely (1) the concept of a 
website design which is expected to be suitable for use as a 
medium for learning English Excursion Project in the current 
pandemic era, and (2) the effectiveness of the website that 
is developed as a digital literacy source that can be used as 
a medium for further study. The research method used in 
this research is design-based research (DBR) with research 
stages that include design process, design development, 
evaluation, and design revision. Data collection techniques 
were carried out by interview and document study. The 
results show that the website design developed is relevant 
to the needs and online-based student learning methods 
needed during the current Covid-19 pandemic. 

KEYWORDS: website, digital literacy, English learning

WIX WEB-BASED ENGLISH LEARNING 
MEDIA TO SUPPORT TEACHING  
IN THE PANDEMIC ERA

PHAM VIET NGOC(1); PHAM THU TRANG(2) 
School of Foreign Languages, Thai Nguyen University

BIODATA STATEMENT
Pham Viet Ngoc is currently teaching 
Project-based subjects and Technology 
ineducation at School of Foreign Languages, 
Thai Nguyen University. His major research 
is on applying technology in learning and 
teaching English.

Pham Thu Trang is now teaching information 
and technology subject at School of Foreign 
Languages, Thai Nguyen University. Her 
major interest in research is the application 
of technology in learning English.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 129 of 168

ABSTRACT
Teenagers around the world have been 
considered as ‘digital natives’ who 
are grown up under the influence of 
modern technologies including mobile 
devices, however, their intention to use 
the devices for language learning is still 
under a lot of discussions. This study 
was conducted in an attempt to explore 
factors that influenced Vietnamese 
teenagers’ intention to learn English 
through mobile devices and how they 
(the devices) could enhance learners’ 
language skills. Using the extended 
technology acceptance model (UTAUT) 
as the theoretical framework, the study 
analyzed data from 617 school and 
university students residing in the north, 
central and south of Vietnam. The study 
results revealed that attitudes toward 
use were (ATT) the most important 
factor affecting teenagers’ intention 
but facilitating condition (FC) and effort 
expectancy (EE) did not correlate with 
the intention. Learners’ gender and prior 
online learning experience also had an 
impact on the intention. Besides, mobile 
devices were more useful for learning 
listening, reading and speaking than 
writing. The study findings offer useful 
implications for teachers and designers 
of mobile applications to foster mobile 
English language learning for Vietnamese 
teenaged learners. 

KEYWORDS: Teenager, intention, mobile 
devices, UTAUT, Vietnam

FACTORS INFLUENCING  
VIETNAMESE TEEANGERS’ INTENTION  
TO USE MOBILE DEVICES  
FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

HOANG QUY(1); PHAM NGOC THACH(2); DANG DINH QUAN(3); NGUYEN XUAN THANG(4) 
Hanoi University  hoangquy@hanu.edu.vn     thachpn@hanu.edu.vn     quandd.vnip@gmail.com      nxthang@hanu.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Quy Hoang is a lecturer at English Department, Hanoi University 
and is currently in charge of the English Teaching Methodology 
Division. She received her M.A in Tesol International at Monash 
University in 2012. With more than 10 years of teaching 
experience at different levels of study and with learners of all 
ages, her research interests are mainly in English language 
teaching methodologies, teacher training and material 
development.

Thach Pham is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hanoi 
University, Vietnam. He has nearly 30 years of teaching English 
at different levels of study and in different environments: in 
class, online, on television and radio. Thach Pham completed his 
PhD at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia early 2015. His 
strong interests are in using technologies for English language 
teaching and learning, university governance, educational 
knowledge management, educational material development 
and teacher training.

Quan Dang is a lecturer at the Faculty of Information Technology, 
Hanoi University, Vietnam. He has many years of experience in 
teaching software engineering, software requirements analysis 
and software quality assurance and works as an independent 
software developer. Quan Dang has a Master’s Degree in 
Computer Science. His current research interests include email 
management, neural network and software engineering.

Thang Nguyen is Dean of Faculty of Information Technology, 
Hanoi University, Vietnam. He received his Ph.D. in Information 
Technology from the University of Kassel in 2015. Thang 
Nguyen has over 15 years of teaching Computer Sciences 
and Information Technology subjects at different levels. His 
research interests span the fields of software engineering, 
artificial intelligence and blended learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 130 of 168

ABSTRACT
To enhance teaching and learning quality in the classroom, learners 
should not only attend the class but also participate in the class actively. 
However, if the former is not ensured, it is impossible for the latter 
to happen. Class attendance has been considered one of the most 
important factors deciding students’ academic success. However, the 
rate of absenteeism remains high in many universities in Vietnam. This 
study was carried out to identify the reasons why students skip class 
and examine the influences of the university’s policy of absenteeism 
on students’ attendance. In order to collect data, interviews and 
questionnaires were conducted on more than 300 Hoa Sen University 
students majoring in English Language Studies. The results indicate 
that student absenteeism resulted from student-related factors, teacher-
related factors, university-related factors and external factors at different 
levels. Some specific factors such as extreme weather, pandemic, course 
content, and inconsistency between assessment and learning seem to 
be prominent causes. The results point to the conclusion that it is very 
important to have proper guidelines and policy from university about 
class attendance. 

KEYWORDS: class attendance, absenteeism, academic success

AN INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING 
STUDENTS’ CLASS ATTENDANCE

NGUYEN THI TON NU PHUONG LINH(1); NGUYEN THI MINH ANH(2);  
NGUYEN HUNG DUY(3) 

Hoa Sen University  linh.ngthtonnuphuong@hoasen.edu.vn     anh.ntm0720@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn     

      duy.nh4954@sinhvien.hoasen.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 131 of 168

ABSTRACT
Oral presentations can be employed as an effective 
tool to improve students’ communicative competence. 
Once the oral presentation is guided and organized, 
it will give the students a learning experience and 
teach them an important skill which will be beneficial 
in all their education subjects and later in their future 
careers. However, there have been limitations with 
EFL students’ engagements due to the inadequate 
probability to present during English lessons. 
This presentation states the rationale about oral 
presentation enhancements for EFL students in an 
English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) program at 
a technical university in Vietnam. It then emphasizes 
occupational blended learning as a particular way to 
improve EOP students’ oral presentation skills which 
has been implemented in a ten-week English course 
for engineering students.

This study exploited a qualitative research design 
with data from focus-group interviews of 27 third-year 
students of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics 
Engineering. The findings revealed the positive 
perspectives from the technical students about the 
benefits of their oral presentation implementation 
for their English levels and presentation skills as 
well as the factors they experienced during their oral 
presentations in terms of preparation, organization, 
delivery, manners and audience–presenter 
interactions. With regard to this pedagogical 
development, it is hoped that this can be helpful 
for teachers in motivating and enhancing students’ 
presentation skills in EOP classrooms.

KEYWORDS: oral presentations, EOP, students’ 
perspectives, presentation skills, blended learning

ENHANCING EFL STUDENTS’ ORAL 
PRESENTATION SKILLS THROUGH BLENDED 
LEARNING IN ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL 
PURPOSES CLASSROOMS

HOANG NGOC TUE(1);  LE DUC HANH(2) 
Hanoi University of Industry   leduchanh.haui@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dr. Hoang Ngoc Tue 
is the Dean of the 
Faculty of Foreign 
Languages, Hanoi 
University of Industry, 
Vietnam. He has 
been working as 
an English teacher 
and an educational 
administrator for 
more than 15 years. 

He has conducted many studies and projects to 
improve the quality of English language education 
at tertiary level. He received his Doctor of Education 
degree from Queensland University of Technology, 
Australia in 2015. His research interests include 
ICT in education, blended learning, English for 
Occupational Purposes, and Teacher Professional 
Development.

Ms. Le Duc Hanh 
has been working as 
an English lecturer 
at Faculty of Foreign 
Languages, Hanoi 
University of Industry, 
Vietnam since 2007. 
She currently works 
as a team leader 
of designing EAP 
blended materials. 

She also takes responsibilities of designing, 
teaching EOP blended program for technical 
students. Her areas of professional interest 
include EMI and blended learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 132 of 168

ABSTRACT
The massive school closures worldwide due to the 
Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in a surge of remote 
teaching. This study investigated teachers’ practices 
and perceptions on teaching English remotely to 
primary school students in the school lockdowns in 
Vietnam. A mixed methods design was employed to 
collect data from different primary public schools in 
Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. 
Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted 
and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 
50 teachers. The selected participants were those 
who practiced at least one form of remote teaching 
activities, either asynchronous or synchronous. 
The findings show that Zoom, Zalo and YouTube 
were three most popular platforms teachers used. 
Numerous challenges also emerged such as more 
workload, more stress, technical issues, students’ 
lack of learning devices, the requirement for parent’s 
assistance, more interactions and hands-on activities. 
Despite the obstacles, the majority of teachers 
showed their positive attitudes towards remote 
teaching. They learned new ICT tools and pedagogies 
and intended to continue using this approach after 
the pandemic. In order to improve the effectiveness 
of remote teaching, such suggestions as creativity 
and flexibility in designing lessons, parents’ support, 
teacher’s training and upgraded ICT infrastructure are 
recommended.

KEYWORDS: remote teaching, perceptions, 
challenges, primary school teachers, pandemic

REMOTE TEACHING AMID THE COVID-19 
PANDEMIC IN VIETNAM:  
PRIMARY SCHOOL EFL  
TEACHERS’ PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS

DAU THI THANH LUY 
SEAMEO Regional Training Center in Vietnam   dttluy@vnseameo.org

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms. Dau Thi Thanh Luy is working as an academic 
officer at SEAMEO Regional Training Center in 
Vietnam. Her responsibilities include designing 
English training curriculum for young learners, 
tests and extra learning activities. Besides, she 
has been teaching English for more than ten years. 
She received an MA degree in Applied Linguistics 
from Curtin University, Australia in 2014. Her 
research interest is engaging young learners with 
educational games and technology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 133 of 168

ABSTRACT
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a concept that is gaining a following 
worldwide as a cost-effective means for schools, hamstrung by limited 
funding, to provide modern-day education for students. Today, students 
are surrounded by device usage and likely have access to several 
different devices within their household. However, when students enter 
the confines of an educational space, they can often be forced to holt this 
device use and return to more traditional means of education. The current 
paper shows the results of a survey into the opinions and perceptions of 
parents of Japanese K1-3 students’ use of technology, specifically the 
application of BYOD at this level. This survey was conducted at a private 
kindergarten in Japan and was administered to 100 parents of K1-3 
students. Results of this survey showed that even at this age, students 
have access to and use a variety of devices within the home environment 
under the guidance of parents. In addition, device time usage varied 
significantly by household, with some children allowed to use devices for 
over 90 minutes per day. However, when asked if they would accept BYOD 
at the K1-3 level, the answers were overwhelmingly negative. The results 
of this survey show that while BYOD was considered to be acceptable if 
not necessary from the higher grades of elementary school, the idea of 
sending a K1-3 child to kindergarten with their own device is still a step 
too far for the parents of kindergarten students in Japan.

KEYWORDS: BYOD, K1-12, Japan

BYOD: THE OPINIONS AND PERCEPTIONS 
OF PARENTS IN JAPAN

JEREMY WHITE 
Ritsumeikan University   whitejeremy@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 134 of 168

ABSTRACT
Game Jams are ever rising in popularity with people from a wide variety of 
economic, social, and cultural backgrounds participating in these events. 
The number of game jams are also increasing, with the 2019 Global Game 
Jam alone attracting 47,006 registered participants in 113 countries who 
made 9,010 games over the 48-hour game-making period. With the influx 
of people to the game jam environment, the current study redefines what 
a game jam is to consider the range of fields it now encompasses, such 
as foreign language learning. Using a 37-question survey and a mixed-
method approach to analysis, the researcher investigated how the themes 
of game creation event, accelerated and constrained, opportunistic, and 
publicly sharing the end results had shifted from the previous 2015 
definition. In addition, unlike the 2015 definition, the latest definition 
considers the opinions of game jam participants and administrators 
rather than forming a definition from academic publications. Results of 
this 40-person research study showed that the idea of a game jam has 
developed to one that is less connected to the commercial gaming world 
and more associated with learning skills, such as languages, social skills, 
and leadership through game jams.

KEYWORDS: Game Jams, Definition, Foreign language learning, Social 
skills, Leadership

MOVING TOWARDS A 2020S  
GAME JAM DEFINITION

JEREMY WHITE 
Ritsumeikan University   whitejeremy@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 135 of 168

ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic, which occurred from the end of 2019 to the 
present, has had a global and profound impact on all countries, and 
still maintained much complicated in Vietnam. Education and training 
activities are therefore among the most severely impacted since 
traditional classrooms have been suddenly switched to online platforms 
without prior complete preparation. Using a qualitative analysis method 
combined with data and statistics synthesis, the article analyzes the 
current situation of higher education, the impact of covid-19 on education 
and training activities, as well as the use of educational platforms 
based on scientific and technological achievements in the industrial 
revolution 4.0 in order to see the need for a vital transformation of the 
educationtraining mode in the current context in Vietnam. It is then 
suggested that E-learning is such an appropriate teaching and learning 
tool in the context of training high quality labor forces to meet the demand 
of the society.

KEYWORDS: Covid-19, Technology Revolution 4.0, Higher education, 
Methods, Technology platforms.

INNOVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION - 
TRAINING APRROACHES UNDER COVID-19 
AND THE REVOLUTION OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY 4.0

AUTHOR  



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 136 of 168

ABSTRACT
As the increasing demands in exchanging information among various 
countries around the world, the role of translation has therefore become 
vital in ensuring the effects intended by source language (SL) texts are 
totally preserved in target language (TL) texts (Newmark, 1988; Munday, 
2016). Especially in the literary translation field in Vietnam, a product 
from a foreign language can be translated by various translators who are 
both professional and amateur, causing different effects among readers. 
The question is that, how we can grasp the tendencies of translate modal 
verb “can” and its alternatives in specific situations into Vietnamese and 
vice versa without causing ambiguities or negative effects on target 
readers.

As I observed, “can” and its English alternative modal verbs like “could”, 
“may” or “might” are usually translated into Vietnamese under a general 
word: “có thể”. However, as Thomson and Martinet (1986), Alexander 
(1990) and Eastwood (1994) suggested, these kinds of words did express 
not only the subject’s ability or probability of happening of an event but 
also other meaning such as permission or general characteristics. This 
is the reason why I decided to conduct the research with the which 
translation data which is combined from the source of 30 popular English 
books and their translation versions in Vietnamese language, making a 
set of about 150,000 pairs of sentence in to investigate how modal verb 
“can” and other modal verbs are translated in Vietnamese with some 
basic statistics analyzed from the given data.

KEYWORDS: translation trends, English modal verbs, corpus-based 
study, Vietnamese translation, analysis.

ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATION TRENDS 
OF MODAL VERB “CAN” AND ITS 
ALTERNATIVES IN VIETNAMESE BASED ON 
CORPUS-BASED STUDY

NGUYEN HUYNH C.  
Hoa Sen Univeristy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam       huynhcongnguyen95@gmail.com



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 137 of 168

ABSTRACT
The trend of higher education institutions to become 
multidisciplinary universities has become popular, Ho Chi 
Minh City Banking University is no exception. Although 
initially oriented as a southern spearhead unit for training in 
finance and banking, BUH quickly recognized the needs and 
career opportunities for fields and careers not only in the 
banking sector, banks and financial institutions. Therefore, 
the university has opened new majors taught in universities 
in the Social Sciences and humanities. The Faculty of 
Foreign Languages was established to train human 
resources who are good at foreign languages for the finance 
and banking industries and at the same time capable of 
working in many other industries and fields. The Faculty of 
Foreign Languages at the school, which is taught with this 
orientation, has trained thousands of successful students in 
a variety of employment positions. However, teaching and 
learning English in a university that is dominant and famous 
for finance banking presents many challenges. From these 
difficulties, many opportunities have been opened for both 
learners and teachers at the faculty and the school. This 
study aims to analyze the professional and career-oriented 
difficulties that lecturers and students of the Faculty of 
Foreign Languages are facing. At the same time, by directly 
surveying and interviewing teachers and students as well 
as the school’s management team, the researcher analyzes 
opportunities for personal and professional development.

KEYWORDS: English-major, ELT, tertiary education, 
multidisciplinary university

TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH AS 
A MAJOR IN A BUSINESS AND FINANCE-
ORIENTED UNIVERSITY:  
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

NGUYEN OANH 
Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City   oanhnh@buh.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Phạm Thị Hồng Ân has a Master degree 
in Teaching English to Speakers of Other 
Languages (TESOL), HCM-USSH, Vietnam 
National University. She is currently a Ph.D 
student in the Department of Literary Theory, 
Faculty of Literature, HCM-USSH, Vietnam 
National University. Her interest lies in British 
and American Literature and Culture, and 
Education (TESOL included). Her domain of 
study includes TESOL, Critical Approaches 
to Literature, and their implications and 
applications in teaching and learning English 
as a foreign language.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 138 of 168

ABSTRACT
This study appli ed m ulti functional English l earning p latform to 
English as a foreign language ESP course The objective was to 
investigate whether this platform would promote stu dents’ learning 
motivation and enhance language and content learning based on 
students’ perception and teachers’ feedback. Participants were 
junior students and English instructors from Department of Fiber and 
Composite Material at a university in Taiwan. The instrument of online 
survey was implement ed to probe students’ perceptions toward the 
effectiveness of learning via the learning platform. Semi structured I 
nterviews from both students and teachers were collected to disclose 
the reflections of the current project and overall learning and teaching 
experience. Results from quantitative data analysis revealed that 
most of the students perceive the learning platform to be helpful 
to raise their learning motivation. Yet the discrepancy appeared 
in the effectiveness of learning via the platform as only students 
with intermediate English level showed rather positive attitude on 
the effectiveness of vocabulary learning and the improvement of 
speaking ability. Qualitative data analysis revealed that students 
preferred learning under multimodal presentation rather than lecturing 
and students level of language proficiency could be the factor that 
inference how students ranked the effectiveness of learning via this 
learning platform. I nterview s from teachers indicated some potential 
problems of using this learning platform such as the problematic 
feedback to students’ spea king based on the in built voice recognition 
analyzer and the problem of cheating to complete assigned tasks 
online with advanced technology. Based on the research findings, 
suggestions and pedagogical implications were offered to language 
teachers and education technology designers to facilitate ESP 
instruction .

KEYWORDS: English Learning Platform; ESP; Online Learning; 
Students Perception

THE APPLICATION OF MULTI FUNCTIONAL 
ENGLISH LEARNING PLATFORM TO ESP 
COURSE FEEDBACK S FROM STUDENTS 
AND TEACHERS

CHIEH MIN JASON YANG 
Feng Chia University, Taiwan

BIODATA STATEMENT
Chieh min Jason Yang (楊捷閔) 
is an assistant professor at Feng 
Chia University, Taiwan. He has 
been a coordinator of Workplace 
English for years and assists 
to develop new ESP curriculum 
to meet students’ needs . His 
research interests are CALL, ESP, 
corpus linguisti cs and reading 
research.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 139 of 168

ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted language teaching and 
testing services, as well as human resource functions, impacting 
both educational institutions and businesses of all sizes with no 
clear end in sight. This report describes the validation and correlation 
of a digital English language assessment (DELA) with the TOEIC® 
Listening and Reading Test. The DELA solves a problem of practice 
for human resource management  practitioners, English language 
teaching services, and educational institutions: how to efficiently 
assess English language abilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and 
beyond. The DELA began as a solution in the context of Vietnam that 
can be utilized globally. A total of 78 participants completed the DELA 
from April 7-20, 2021; ANOVA two-factor data analysis was performed. 
Results show a strong overall correlation with the TOEIC® Listening 
and Reading Test (Pearson r=0.76) and strong internal consistency 
(KR-20=0.96). The report concludes with recommendations for global 
usage grounded in critical language testing and implications for 
future research.

KEYWORDS: quantitative analysis, digital language assessment, 
English for the workplace, critical language testing

A VALIDATION REPORT FOR A DIGITAL 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT: 
CORRELATIONS WITH THE TOEIC® 
LISTENING AND READING TEST

BRADLEY EUGENE OPATZ JR. 
American College of Education, USA   bradley.opatz2404@my.ace.edu

BIODATA STATEMENT
Bradley Opatz is Head of Education 
at OOOLAB and a doctoral student 
in Second Language Acquisition 
at the American College of 
Education. He is an independent 
consultant specializing in digital 
language learning. He developed 
an internationally certified EFL/
soft skills curriculum for K-12 
Vietnamese learners. His research 
interests include culturally 
responsive EFL pedagogy and 
digital education and assessment.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 140 of 168

ABSTRACT
Rob Waring (CamTESOL, 2019) presented that if a student reads 
extensively in English 02 minutes a day (5 days a week), it will take 
him/her 20.7 years to master the language. If the student, on the 
other hand, reads in English (extensively) 20 minutes a day (5 days 
a week), the journey to mastery takes only 2 years. This implies 
the importance of Extensive Reading, especially for schools’ and 
universities’ language programs. This sharing session aims to review 
ER program procedures, reading session organization and reading 
activities that the presenters conducted at American Center (U.S. 
Consulate General, HCMC). These are take-away tips for participants 
(strongly recommended to language teachers/lecturers, program 
managers and language learners) as compulsory add-ons to school 
language programs, language teaching and learning. Real reading 
session captures will inspire English learners and make them feel 
‘learning English’ is a ‘can-do’ task. The sharing session also opens 
to discussion of how to proceed with ER online, especially in this 
pandemic of COVID-19.

KEYWORDS: Extensive Reading, Interactive reading activities, Online 
reading programs

A REFLECTION OF EXTENSIVE READING 
PROGRAM AT AMERICAN CENTER, U.S. 
CONSULATE GENERAL, HCM CITY

HO VUONG(1); LU TUAN(2) 
(1) University of Education, HCMC   ht.xuanvuong@gmail.com
(2) Hoa Sen University      tuan.luvan@hoasen.edu.vn



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 141 of 168

ABSTRACT
L2 vocabulary learning seems to be one of the biggest 
challenges for many language major students as 
lexical knowledge involves productive understanding 
of its many components including the form, meaning, 
and application of the terms (Nation, 2001). It is 
therefore necessary to find appropriate language 
education tactics and instruments for the successful 
and efficient acquisition of this aspect of the L2. 
Among advancements in the field of educational 
technology, Quizlet was invented with the hope that 
learners can effectively acquire L2 vocabulary in the 
absence of the teacher. In this study, the researchers 
want to figure out if Quizlet is helpful in assisting 
students in learning English vocabulary. They would 
also like to identify the difficulties which learners 
may encounter when using the application for their 
self-study. A quantitative survey was conducted on 
100 English major freshmen and sophomores at a 
university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results reveal 
that Quizlet plays an active role in facilitating self-
study of English vocabulary. A remarkable finding 
is the application seems to provide an entertaining 
learning environment, which in turn enhances learning 
motivation. Besides, a couple of limitations of the app, 
namely distracting ads and limited mobile learning 
functionality, have also been identified.

KEYWORDS: Quizlet, autonomous learning, English 
vocabulary

QUIZLET AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING 
AUTONOMOUS LEARNING OF ENGLISH 
VOCABULARY

THUY NGUYEN(1); TRI NGUYEN(2); XUAN LE(3); HOANG MAI(4); KHANH NGUYEN(5) 
Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   nguyenthanhthuy12001@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Thuy Nguyen, Tri Nguyen, Xuan Le, Hoang Mai 
and Khanh Nguyen are all second-year English 
major students at Banking University. This paper 
is developed from the outcome of their group 
project completed as a requirement of the course 
of Writing 4: Research Paper Writing.

Duc Dao has been teaching English for more than 
fifteen years and is currently a lecturer at Banking 
University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She earned 
her Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, 
Malaysia campus. She also holds an MA in 
TESOL Studies from the University of Queensland, 
Australia, and an MBA from Bolton University, 
UK. Her research interests are pronunciation, 
phonetics, phonology, and teaching methodology. 
She was the supervisor of this group of students in 
their project and then worked with them to improve 
the paper prepared for the conference.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 142 of 168

ABSTRACT
With the worldwide spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, 
since last year, most of the education and training 
programs in Vietnam have urgently had to be switched 
to blended or even online mode. To cope up with 
this, many schools and universities there have found 
ways to start their online courses quickly but they 
soon face many challenges of managing effective 
online programs including managing technology, 
managing teachers, managing students, and most 
importantly evaluating and ensuring quality. This 
reality has raised a number of quality concerns since 
teaching and learning in Vietnam have relied heavily 
on traditional face-toface classes for ages and have 
never experienced such an abrupt change before. 
Nevertheless, there has been little research into this 
issue, especially into school practices of quality 
assurance for English courses in Vietnam. To further 
explore the problem, this research investigates 
current practices of quality assurance for online 
English classes at various universities in Vietnam 
amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, this paper 
also seeks possible solutions to improve the quality 
assurance practices for online English courses in 
Vietnam’s context.

KEYWORDS: quality assurance, English, online, 
Vietnam, Covid-19

QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR ONLINE 
ENGLISH COURSES AMID THE COVID-19 
PANDEMIC: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

VO HUYNH THANH 
University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University   thanhvohuynh92@gmail.com

BIODATA STATEMENT
Vo Huynh Thanh is current a lecturer of English at 
the faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 
VNU-HCM. He holds a master’s degree of TESOL. 
He has been teaching English at university since 
2015. His research interests include intercultural 
communication in language teaching, language 
acquisition, and computer-assisted language 
learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 143 of 168

ABSTRACT
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led our lives to the so-
called “new normal” status with numerous changes 
since the beginning of 2020. Schools all across the 
world have been closed down and education has 
changed dramatically, with the rise of e-learning, 
whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on 
digital platforms. In Vietnam, online teaching and 
learning have been adopted in all levels of education 
and this form of education is probably a great solution 
to help teachers and students to keep up with their 
study programs which are normally conducted in the 
traditional classrooms. Beside numerous advantages 
that online education has brought up, it is a challenge 
for both teachers and students when working online. 
How to motivate and facilitate students’ engagement 
in online classroom activities is likely the most 
asked question in an English as a second or foreign 
language class. This study aims at finding the answer 
to the above question. The study was conducted with 
a group of 35 second year students in their speaking 
class. Groupwork discussions, project-based 
assignments, interactive feedback from peers and 
the instructor were some activities that have helped 
facilitate students’ interactions and involvement in an 
online class.

KEYWORDS: quality assurance, English, online, 
online education, students’ engagement, online 
activities

“MODERATE MESSINESS SEEMS TO BE 
GOOD FOR PEOPLE.” WHAT DO YOU THINK?: 
ACTIVITIES FACILITATING STUDENTS’ 
ENGAGEMENT IN AN ONLINE CLASS

VU THI HONG VAN 
HCMC University of Education   vanvth@hcmue.edu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms Van Vu is a lecturer at HCMC University of 
Education. She interests in teaching ESP, teacher 
training and sociolinguistic issues. She has been 
teaching English for students of International 
Studies and English for Tourism and Hotel 
students.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 144 of 168

ABSTRACT
Pronunciation is an aspect of language learning that should be 
instructed explicitly, for learners having proper pronunciation 
can be fully understood when having a conversation. 
However, teaching pronunciation is probably a challenge for 
many teachers mainly because they can deliver the theory 
of the pronunciation aspects but easily fail to have students 
practice them effectively. Among the new methods of 
teaching pronunciation, which are trialed in many classes, 
shadowing technique is widely used because of its benefits. 
For this reason, this paper emphasizes on the application of 
shadowing technique as a way of teaching pronunciation in 
a specific learning environment and the perceptions of the 
learners of this teaching method. The research participants 
are four college students whose language proficiency level is 
pre-intermediate. They were offered an overall pronunciation 
instruction section before practicing the shadowing activity. 
The data of the research were collected via three data collection 
tools that are observation of the teacher, learners’ journals 
and semi-structured interview. Overall, the participants show 
their satisfaction with the shadowing technique as an activity 
to develop their pronunciation, especially their intonation. 
Besides, there are some aspects of pronunciation cannot be 
fully improved after the shadowing practice, which need taking 
into consideration. The research’s finding might be of great 
benefit to the teachers who wants to enhance the student’s 
pronunciation.

KEYWORDS: shadowing technique, teaching pronunciation, 
pronunciation aspects, ELT

SHADOWING TECHNIQUE AS  
A METHOD OF PRONUNCIATION TEACHING

BUI HOAI HUONG 
International School – Vietnam National University   huongbh@isvnu.vn

BIODATA STATEMENT
Full name: Bui Hoai Huong
Job position: Lecturer
Institution: International School – 
Vietnam National University
Country: Vietnam
Skills taught: Reading, Listening, Writing, 
Speaking
Research interest: ELT
Experience: 4 years teaching students at 
different ages



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 145 of 168

COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN EFL READING 
CLASSES AT LAM DONG ETHNIC MINORITY 
BOARDING SCHOOL

NGUYEN THI HOAI HUONG(1); NGUYEN TAT THANG(2);  
TRAN TIN NGHI(3); NGUYEN PHAN NHAT NGUYEN(4) 

(1) Lam Dong Ethnic Minority Boarding School, Dalat, Vietnam   nguyenthihoaihuong3384@gmail.com
(2)(4) Dalat University, Dalat, Vietnam 
(3) Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam 

ABSTRACT
In teaching reading, teachers might place emphasis 
on Cooperative Learning as an effective instructional 
method in which students of all levels might work 
together in small groups to achieve a common goal. This 
study aims at investigating the effects of cooperative 
learning with respect to Vietnamese learners of English 
in reading comprehension at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority 
Boarding school, and investigating students’ attitudes 
towards cooperative learning. A quasi-experiment 
was conducted over a period of eight weeks. Sixty-one 
ethnic minority students in Grade 11 at Lam Dong Ethnic 
Minority Boarding school were invited to participate in 
the study. There were two groups: one as control group, 
and the other as experimental group. For the control 
group, lecture-based teaching was used, while for the 
experimental group, cooperative learning was employed. 
After analyzing, another standardized post-test was 
conducted. Later, an Independent sample t-test and 
paired sample t-test were conducted to examine whether 
there were significant inter- and intra-group differences 
in reading comprehension. The results showed that the 
students in the experimental group achieved a more 
remarkable improvement than their counterparts with 
respect to English reading performance. The findings 
also revealed that the students in the experimental group 
expressed highly positive attitudes towards the use of 
cooperative learning in EFL reading classes. Further 
research could be carried to analyze the effect of other 
cooperative learning techniques on teaching English as a 
foreign language.

KEYWORDS: cooperative learning, reading 
performance, attitude, foreign language, ethnic minority

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Thi Hoai Huong is currently a teacher of 
English language at Lam Dong Ethnic Minority 
Boarding school, Vietnam. Her interests 
cover areas English language skills, teacher 
professional development and instructional 
design model.

Nguyen Tat Thang is a lecturer of English at 
Dalat University, Vietnam. He received the title 
of Associate Professor in linguistics in 2017. 
His interests are semantics, SLA, and socio-
linguistics.

Tran Tin Nghi is a lecturer of English at Ho Chi 
Minh City University of Food Industry, Ho Chi 
Minh City, Vietnam. His interests cover areas of 
English language, linguistics, and TESOL.

Nguyen Phan Nhat Nguyen is a lecturer of 
English at Dalat University, Vietnam. She 
completed her master’s degree in 2021. Her 
interests are TESOL, SLA and CLIL.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 146 of 168

ROLE OF COOPERATIVES AND 
PARTICIPATION OF THEIR MEMBERS IN 
AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT MARKETING: 
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM ETHIOPIA

ESHETU TEFERA BEKELE 
Tongmyong University, Department of Distribution Management, Busan, South Korea 

ABSTRACT
Today, in an era where many people feel powerless 
to change their lives, cooperatives represent strong, 
vibrant, and viable economic alternatives. Cooperatives 
are formed to meet peoples’ mutual needs. They are 
based on the powerful idea that together, a group of 
people can achieve goals that none of them could 
achieve alone. This research paper aims to analyze the 
role of cooperatives in agricultural output marketing, 
promoting linkages, and to examine factors influencing 
the level of members’ participation. The cooperatives 
under investigation have played a significant role in 
output marketing and promoting value-adding linkages 
with different stakeholders. Results of the Tobit model 
revealed that: farm size, years of membership, amount 
of improved seed used, output produced, and members’ 
perception in cooperatives price for agricultural outputs 
were significantly and positively related to the level of 
participation. Lack of equal opportunity of members in 
passing decisions, inefficient cooperatives’ employees, 
and incompetent management committee members are 
found to be the major constraints that hinder cooperatives 
to properly deliver agricultural output marketing services. 
To this end, Government, NGOs, and other stakeholders 
need to give emphasis to improve the organizational and 
institutional capacity of cooperatives.

KEYWORDS: Agricultural cooperatives, Cooperatives 
marketing, Linkage, Management capacity, 
Stakeholders, Market participation

BIODATA STATEMENT
My name is Eshetu Tefera Bekele (Ph.D.) and 
I am an Assistant Professor at Tongmyong 
University, Department of Distribution 
Management, Busan, South Korea.

I have been working for the last 15 years in 
academic institutions (in Ethiopia and Korea), 
and served as a lecturer, researcher, and 
engaged in community development activities. 
I have published 3 scientific papers and 
other 2 research-related books. I am eager to 
participate in your respective conference to 
share my experience and learn from others.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 147 of 168

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS 
AND CHALLENGES OF ONLINE TEACHING 
AND LEARNING DURING COVID-19 
PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY

PHAM DANG TRAM ANH 
Danang University of Medical Technlogy and Pharmacy   anhpham@dhktyduocdn.edu.vn

ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the 
economy, social life, and educational facilities and 
services around the world (Cakin, & Kulekci Akyavuz, 
2021; Farooq et al., 2020). Like many other countries, 
educational institutions in Vietnam have been forced to 
shift their courses from a face-to-face approach to online 
classes to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The 
objectives of this study were to investigate teachers and 
students’ perceptions of online teaching and learning 
as well as to identify challenges of online teaching and 
learning they confronted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The study took a quantitative approach, using an online 
questionnaire on google forms to collect data from 
512 teachers and undergraduate students at Danang 
University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy 
in Danang, Vietnam. The data were analyzed using 
descriptive statistics. The results revealed that the 
participants perceived online teaching and learning 
as being useful and time-saving. However, the study 
exposed some challenges the teachers and students 
encountered, such as unreliable internet connections, 
slow e-learning platforms and services, a lack of 
information and communication technology skills, and 
distractions. Based on the findings, some implications 
on online teaching and learning have been put forward.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19 pandemic, online teaching 
and learning, teachers and students’ perceptions and 
challenges

BIODATA STATEMENT
Pham Dang Tram Anh is a PhD in TESOL. She is 
currently Dean of Fundamental Sciences Faculty 
and Head of Foreign Languages Department at 
Danang University of Medical Technlogy and 
Pharmacy, Danang, Vietnam. She has been 
an EFL teacher in higher education for over 
20 years. Her current research interests cover 
Technology in langauge teaching and learning, 
Teaching language skills, ESP curriculum 
and material development, CALL. Her recent 
publications include technology application in 
language teaching and learning, digital literacy.

Department of Foreign Languages 
Faculty of Fundamental Sciences
Danang University of Medical Technlogy and 
Pharmacy
99 Hung Vuong, Danang, Vietnam
Mobile: +84 0905111697



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 148 of 168

HOW TO DRAW TREE DIGRAMS VIA NINE 
HOW TO DRAW TREE DIGRAMS VIA NINE 
SENTENCE PATTERNS

TRUONG VAN ANH(1); VO THUY THANH THAO(2) 
Sai Gon University   tvanh@sgu.edu.vn

ABSTRACT
Current books on English syntax present tree drawing in details; as a 
result, students feel confused  in order to study it. Based on traditional 
grammar and modern functional grammar, we have systematized all 
sentences into nine patterns for students to master English syntax. 
Those who can acquire how to draw tree diagrams for these patterns can 
tree-diagamatize any English sentence. To some extent, our supervised 
students can feel confident to study English syntax, in general, as well as 
tree drawing, in particular.

KEYWORDS: Syntax, sentence pattern, sentence element, tree drawing



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 149 of 168

THE IMPORTANT ROLES OF LEARNING 
PRONUNCIATION IN THE INTEGRATION ERA

NGUYEN TRUONG GIA MINH 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam   giaminhnguyentruong@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, English becomes an important part of our life. As we 
can see, in this integration era, this language has supported people 
in all sides of our career, for example, working, negotiating with 
partners, and promoting our products to the international market. 
However, it is not enough if we have good use of grammar and 
vocabulary. If we are fluent in grammar, language, listening, reading, 
and writing but still make pronunciation mistakes, it means we still 
face off failure in our job.

My research findings pointed out that many Vietnamese people 
are stuck in pronunciation when they speak English. It means that 
they can express their ideas clearly. However, some who do not 
have a good condition to learn English at a young age or interact 
with foreigners would easily make mistakes. It happens to not only 
students but also teachers. The errors may be about the stressing, 
misspelling, etc. Consequently, they may affect the performance 
of students when they speak. If the students continue to go on this 
way, the listeners will not understand what they said and from that, 
there will be a lot of misunderstandings in their interaction.

By researching the importance of learning pronunciation skills, 
in this article, we will learn more about some common mistakes 
that students can make when they speak English. Besides, we also 
know more about the importance of pronouncing English correctly 
and finally, there will be some suggestions for both students and 
teachers to improve their English pronunciation.

At the end of this article, the result of the methodology will show 
the percentage of the common mistakes appearing in the speaking 
performance of the sophomore from the University of Economics 
and Finance and their ability to applying the rule of pronunciation 
in reality speech. From that, we can find a good solution to improve 
the students’ pronunciation in order to serve their future career.

KEYWORDS: pronunciation skill, integration era, sophomore, 
teachers, stressing rules

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Truong Gia Minh is a 
journalist at Nguoi Lao Dong 
Newspaper and is currently studying 
for a Master of English Language at 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. She had 
1 year of experience in working as a 
teacher assistant of English Only Day 
–An activity for students of University 
of Economics and Finance (UEF) to 
improve their English pronunciation. 
Her academic interest areas are 
about teaching and training English 
speaking and writing skills for 
university students.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 150 of 168

SOME COMMON WAYS FOR STUDENTS 
TO IMPROVE PRONUNCIATION DURING 
COVID-19 PANDEMIC

NGUYEN TRUONG GIA MINH 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam   giaminhnguyentruong@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
We cannot deny that pronunciation skill plays an essential role in our 
lives in this integration era. If we have good pronunciation, we can 
have a  chance to get a good job. However, as I researched  before,  
many  Vietnamese  people  nowadays  are  stuck  in  pronunciation  
when speaking English. It means that students can still express 
their ideas about particular issues. Still, their worst accents may 
make the listeners misunderstand essential information because 
they could not wholly hear what students have said. Therefore, this 
study aims to research learning and to teach English via analyzing 
some related scientific articles. Besides, we also found  a  way  
to  learn  pronunciation  online  effectively  when  the  Covid-19  
pandemic  still occurs everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City, which can 
help students still protect their health and gain new knowledge at 
the same time. On the other hand, we also found some helpful 
exercises that can help students practice pronunciation by 
themselves after class.

KEYWORDS: pronunciation skill, integration era, online learning, 
teachers, Covid-19pandemic

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Truong Gia Minh is a 
journalist at Nguoi Lao Dong 
Newspaper and is currently studying 
for a Master of English Language at 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam. She had 
1 year of experience in working as a 
teacher assistant of English Only Day 
–An activity for students of University 
of Economics and Finance (UEF) to 
improve their English pronunciation. 
Her academic interest areas are 
about teaching and training English 
speaking and writing skills for 
university students.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 151 of 168

THE CONTRAST OF THE ERGATIVITY 
BETWEEN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

NGUYEN GIA HUNG LAM(1); NGUYEN MANH CUONG(2) 
(1) Saigon University   giahung1514@gmail.com
(2) Saigon University   cuongnguyen3900@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Ergativity is a recognizable term among language 
cultures in the world, yet it has remained a slippery notion 
in Vietnamese grammar. The most general concept 
of ergativity is that the object of a transitive clause or 
patient (P) could be in the position of the subject of an 
intransitive clause (S), without including the transitive 
subject or agent (A). This study aims at contrasting the 
features of ergativity in English and Vietnamese to show 
the resemblances and dissimilarities between them, 
based on the primitive model appearing in almost all 
languages: S, A, and P, which has been employed in many 
previous works regarding ergativity. One fundamental 
finding is that Vietnamese adopts a fairly similar ergative-
absolutive alignment to that of English. However, there 
is a noticeable disagreement between the ergativity of 
Vietnamese and English in the changes of verbs. Since 
Vietnamese is a non-inflectional language, its verbs do 
not change their form in any situation. The research 
provides a deeper insight into the ergativity pattern of 
Vietnamese - an Austroasiatic language, opening up new 
potentials for more studies into the teaching as well as 
the application of ergativity.

KEYWORDS: ergativity, ergativity in English, ergativity in 
Vietnamese, ergative verbs, inflection

BIODATA STATEMENT
Gia-Hung Lam-Nguyen and Manh-Cuong 
Nguyen are seniors at the Department of 
Foreign Languages at Saigon University, 
majoring in English Linguistics. They have 
been doing their research on contrasting the 
ergativity in English and Vietnamese after being 
inspired by their supervisor, Mr Van-Anh Truong. 
This Conference will be the best place for them 
to study and enhance their research.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 152 of 168

STRATERGIES FOR TRANSLATING ENGLISH 
PASSIVE SENTENCES INTO VIETNAMESE

NGUYEN XUAN MY 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam   xuanmy.hp87@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This study examines some most common strategies for the 
Vietnamese translation of English passive voice such as “The 
use of markers ‘được’/‘bị’”, “Change to active”, “Paraphrasing” in 
order to find out the frequency and the rules for the use of those 
strategies by collecting and analyzing the data from the English 
and Vietnamese versions of a novel named “Harry Potter and the 
Sorcerer’s Stone” and a book named “A Brief History of Time”. 

And the findings of this study disapproves the view that Vietnamese 
active sentences are the most common choice for translating 
English passive voice since its results indicate that English It-
clefts or English agentless passive sentences where the agent of 
the action is unclear or indicates a group of people have a high 
tendency of being translated into active structures in Vietnamese, 
while using maker ‘được’ or ‘bị’ and subject-less active sentence 
are the most common ways for translating other kinds of English 
agentless passive sentences into Vietnamese. 

Besides, the results of this research also indicate that the use of 
markers ‘được’/‘bị’ is frequently applied to translate agent-included 
passive sentences but the position of the agent in Vietnamese 
sentences varies according to its features.

KEYWORDS: English passive sentences, translation strategies, 
‘được’/‘bị’, Vietnamese translation, Vietnamese active structures

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Xuan My is a postgraduate 
studying towards a Master’s degree in 
English Studies at Hoa Sen University 
in Viet Nam. He also holds a Master’s 
degree in Teaching Chinese to 
Speakers of Other Languages and has 
been working as a Chinese teacher for 
10 years. His main research interests 
are contrastive linguistics, education 
and translation.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 153 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT
Nguyen Huu Chanh began his 
professional career when he 
earned his Bachelor degree in 
TESOL at Can Tho University. 
He is about to finish his MA 
course in English Language 
Studies, concentrating on 
Translation Studies, from 
Hoa Sen University. His 
research interests are English 
morphology, Translation, 

Vietnamese and foreign literature, contrastive analysis, and 
teaching methodologies.

Nguyen Tuan Kiet is an 
English teacher who always 
motivates students in the 
different age groups to learn 
English effectively. Nguyen 
has obtained his BA degree 
in English linguistics and 
literature in University of Social 
Sciences and Humanities, VNU-
HCM. His research interests are 
contrastive syntax, translation 

and interpretation, teaching methodologies, English medium 
instruction, translanguaging and blended learning. 

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF  
USING RHETORICAL DEVICES  
IN TRANSLATION PROCESS

NGUYEN HUU CHANH(1); NGUYEN TUAN KIET(2) 
Hoa Sen University   nguyenhuuchanh06@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
In Viet Nam, more and more translators 
have been utilizing the rhetorical devices 
to express the figurative meanings in the 
translated texts. This paper scopes with two 
types of figures of speech, namely simile and 
metaphor which are creatively used in Canh 
dong bat tan by Nguyen Ngoc Tu and the 
translated version Endless Field by Duong 
Hung and Jason Picard . With the aim at 
making comparisons in the literary devices 
in Vietnamese and English translation 
equivalents, the study has investigated 
more than 101 English sentences and 109 
Vietnamese ones in both texts. From the 
analysis, the finding showed that (1) the 
Vietnamese and English equivalent text 
share similar viewpoints to use simile 
and metaphor in the text. (2) there are a 
variety of words in simile and repetition 
while the Vietnamese version concerns 
with the metaphor. (3) the usefulness of 
alliteration, assonance and consonance 
to create an attractiveness of a story.  It is 
hoped that these findings make a significant 
contribution to enhance the translation 
quality, especially in both translator’s training 
and further translation education.

KEYWORDS: rhetorical devices, translation, 
metaphor, repetition



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 154 of 168

AN ANALYSIS OF NEGATIVE VERBS AND 
THEIR EQUIVALENTS: A CASE STUDY OF 
THE CALL OF THE WILD AND ONE OF ITS 
VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS

TRAN LUU HOANG NGỌC VAN TRANG 
Hoa Sen University, Vietmam   vantrang.tlhn@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Negative verbs in English, including combinations between 
the copular verb ‘be’, auxiliaries, and modal verbs and the 
negative ‘not’, are regularly translated into Vietnamese 
as ‘không’. This is entirely true, but not all. In different 
types of texts and specific contexts, especially in literary 
one, equivalents of negative verbs are quite diverse and 
distinctive.  

This study aims to analyze the Vietnamese equivalent 
diversity of negative verbs detached from the classic 
literary work – The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903) 
and the translation Tiếng gọi của Hoang dã by Lâm Hoài 
and Võ Quang (2019). Based on text analysis method and 
conducting a process of splitting, filtering, and inspecting 
source and target texts, ‘không’ and its variants are 
identified as common equivalent patterns; some brief and 
thorough descriptions for variants are specified. Particularly, 
uncommon equivalents which are omission, positive 
transformations and other structural, lexical transformations 
have been investigated for conceivably affecting factors of 
equivalent selections by translators. The obtained results 
are a modest part contributing to the vast work of building 
an English-Vietnamese corpus. 

The matter plausibly seems to be only concerning translation 
issues, yet the study has indicated the significance of text 
analysis for consuming meanings in source language and 
expressing in target language – both require sufficient 
understanding of the two languages.

KEYWORDS: equivalent, negation, negative verbs, English-
Vietnamese translation.

BIODATA STATEMENT
Tran Luu Hoang Ngoc Van Trang is a full-
time consultant for visa application service 
at ISEE Academy for over five years and 
a student of the M.A. program in English 
Language Studies at Hoa Sen University, 
Viet Nam. Her major research areas are 
methods and techniques of English-
Vietnamese translation and interpreting.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 155 of 168

USING TASK- BASED APPROACH TO 
IMPROVE THE 9TH GRADERS’ SPEAKING 
SKILLS AT VIET ANH SCHOOL  
IN HO CHI MINH CITY

PHAM NGUYEN BAO NGOC(1); TRUONG VAN ANH(2) 
(1) Department of Education and Training, HCMC
(2) Sai Gon University 

ABSTRACT
This research seeks to identify the effectiveness of 
task-based approach on speaking ability as well as the 
attitudes of the students towards the implementation. 
During the study, the researcher carried out action 
research design at classes of grade nine with the 
participation of two hundred and ten students and the 
assistance of five teachers as examiners and observers 
at Viet Anh Lower Secondary School. This research used 
an integrated mixed-method design in which quantitative 
data were collected from a speaking test and qualitative 
data were collected from interview, observation checklist 
and questionnaire. The results of the study showed a 
significant impact of task-based approach on students’ 
speaking skills; additionally, in speaking lessons, 
students were found to have a higher level of motivation, 
interest, confidence, creativity and collaborative learning 
skills. Based on the findings, this study recommends 
that task-based approach be applied to the teaching of 
English as a foreign language.

KEYWORDS: action research, qualitative, quantitative, 
speaking skill, task-based approach

BIODATA STATEMENT
As a teacher and a specialist at the Department 
of Education and Training in Phu Nhuan 
District, he has taught experimental classes, 
cooridinated, designed, and managed the 
educational activities of teaching and learning 
English in his home district. Besides, he has 
compiled and co-compiled many books in 
English, published by a variety of publishing 
houses such as Oxford University Press, 
Vietnam Educational Publishing House, etc.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 156 of 168

BIODATA STATEMENT
As a teacher and a specialist at the 
Department of Education and Training 
in Phu Nhuan District, he has taught 
experimental classes, cooridinated, 
designed, and managed the educational 
activities of teaching and learning English in 
his home district. Besides, he has compiled 
and co-compiled many books in English, 
published by a variety of publishing houses 
such as Oxford University Press, Vietnam 
Educational Publishing House, etc.

KEYWORDS: academic 
performance, social medium, 
Facebook, digital transformation, 
language skills, writing skills

LITERATURE REVIEW
 � The effectiveness of utilizing 

Facebook in enhancing the 
interaction as well as academic 
performance of university 
students.

 � The impact of incorporating 
Facebook discussion and 
peer assessment online on 
improving the writing skill of 
students.

 � Students’ attitude and 
perceptions towards utilizing 
Facebook as a teaching and 
learning tool in EFL classroom.

 � Instructors’ points of view on 
their social use of Facebook in 
educational context.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING FACEBOOK 
TO ENHANCE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ 
PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH

DO QUOC KHANH 
Ho Chi Minh City Industry And Trade College, Vietnam   dqk.btant@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Regarding this investigation’s 
scope, I have gathered twenty-
seven related studies which is 
carried out in Taiwan, Turkey, 
South Korea, Saudi Arabia, 
Japan, Thailand, the UK, the 
USA, Malaysia, Iran, Jordan and 
Indonesia. Five out of twenty-
seven studies address the 
effectiveness of using Facebook 
for enhancing the interaction as 
well as academic performance of 
university students. Moreover, the 
impact of incorporating Facebook 
discussion and peer assessment 
online on improving the writing 
skill of students are also reflected. 
Additionally, some of the studies 
I have gathered provide insights 
into ESL and EFL students’ 
attitudes and perceptions towards 
the incorporation of Facebook into 
the teaching and learning process. 
Besides, a proportion of the studies 
reveal the belief and viewpoints 
of instructors on the use of 
Facebook in educational settings. 
While the majority of the articles 
recognize the positive impact that 
Facebook has on students’ writing 
competence, some articles also 
point out the potential challenges 
in implementing Facebook into 
various teaching and learning 
circumstances. This in-depth 
synthesis of relevant studies 

aims to provide English language 
professors with a profound 
knowledge of practical and creative 
ways to employ the most popular 
social networking site in improving 
students’ interaction in particular 
and academic performance 
in general. Thanks to this, any 
given instructor may figure out 
the resemblance and divergence 
between the educational setting of 
the instructors in the studies and 
that of their own; consequently, 
they can make necessary 
refinement and modification 
constantly in order to create an 
adequate learning environment for 
their students since when it comes 
to Facebook-integrated teaching, a 
one-size fit-all technique does not 
exist.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 157 of 168

HOW TO AVOID USING INFORMAL 
LANGUAGE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

NGUYEN THI QUYNH NGAN 
Sai Gon University 

ABSTRACT
To improve the academic essay writing skill of students 
at the Department of Foreign Languages at Sai Gon 
University, the application of formal language is inevitable. 
With all of those who are familiar with the use of non-
standard English, they definitely struggle with maintaining 
formality in academic contexts. The primary aim of this 
study was to determine whether the sophomores can 
differentiate the appropriate use of formal and informal 
language. A survey was conducted based on academic 
disciplines in essay writing course, moreover, formal and 
informal English was collected and used as illustrative 
examples for a language checklist for academic and 
casual English which was related to three main aspects 
– lexical resources; grammatical structures; spelling, 
punctuation, and capitalization. Results indicated that 
the students who had experienced violating formality 
in essay coursework were totally able to enhance their 
skills by the top five effective techniques. The analysis of 
findings which come from this study will assist students 
with navigating the proper perception towards upgrading 
formality in their academic writing skills.

KEYWORDS: formal English, informal English, writing skill

BIODATA STATEMENT
Having written a university thesis with excellent 
points, Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Ngan graduated 
from Sai Gon Univerity with an honorable 
degree. She has been teaching English in some 
centers and has won her great prestigue as 
an EFL teacher. Her aim is further study at a 
university or an institute. Taking part in this 
conference may enhance her future study.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 158 of 168

EXAMINING THE VIETNAMESE ‘SẼ’ AND 
ITS ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS IN THE 
VIETNAMESE NOVEL: “NỖI BUỒN CHIẾN 
TRANH” AND ITS TRANSLATED TEXT IN 
ENGLISH: “THE SORROW OF WAR”

NGUYEN TRUNG HUY 
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam   huy.nt1405@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
As Viet Nam is gaining international recognition in recent years, the need 
to introduce the Vietnamese language, its culture and literatures also 
increases, which is particularly relevant to the field of Translation Studies. 

This study would like to explore the possible equivalents of the Vietnamese 
‘sẽ’ when translated into English such as ‘will’, ‘would’ or others types, 
and attempts to categorize the frequency of each type of equivalents 
discovered by analyzes the data collected from the Vietnamese novel: 
“Nỗi buồn chiến tranh” by Bảo Ninh and its translated text in English: “The 
Sorrow of War” by Phan Thanh Hảo. 

This study hopes to offer insights in translating the Vietnamese ‘sẽ’ 
accordingly with given literature context, whether as an intention ‘will’ or 
as an hypothesis ‘would’ because ‘sẽ’ is mutually referred as an event or 
action in the future, and future is uncertain. 

It is hoped that the result of this study would provide examples on how 
phrases, sentences containing ‘sẽ’ be translated into English accordingly 
with context, thus contributes to the effort of introduce the Vietnamese 
language and culture.

KEYWORDS: Translation Studies, Vietnamese-English translation, 
equivalence, sẽ, modality, modal verbs.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 159 of 168

STUDENTS’ VOCABUALRY MEMORIZATION 
IS ENHANCED VIA FISHBONE DIAGRAM

LE QUY MAI HUYEN, HUYNH THI VAN ANH 

ABSTRACT
Nowadays high school students are facing 
tremendous difficulties in memorizing vocabulary. 
The aim of this research is to offer a deeper insight 
into one of the most immensely popular ways of 
learning and remembering English vocabulary 
for high school students, the Fishbone diagram 
method. The study focuses on the effectiveness 
of this method to vocabulary memorization. 
High school students have many difficulties 
in memorizing vocabulary and some highlight 
obstacles they find demanding are pronunciation, 
tough spelling and especially word family and 
collocation. The fishbone diagram method helps 
students a lot in overcoming the problems. 
Hopefully, this method will be applied much and 
become a popular choice among students in 
learning English vocabulary.

KEYWORDS: memorize, Fishbone diagram, 
method, vocabulary 

BIODATA STATEMENT
Ms. Le Quy Mai Huyen
Having a Master’s degree in the U.K, and being 
a co-founder of the Viet Anh School system, she 
understands very well the wishes and goals of 
English learners, besides the difficulties in learning 
English of students in Vietnam. With the experience 
accumulated during her study and work, she has 
developed curricula as well as methods to maximize 
the student’s abilities which help students learn 
English. Such as positivity, initiative, creativity. She is 
also the editor of many English books that are learned 
at many schools in Ho Chi Minh City and the other 
cities. She has been respected and trusted by many 
teachers, parents, and students. Her point of view in 
teaching and learning English is how to help students 
confidently communicate in English, using English 
more effectively.

Ms. Huynh Thi Van Anh 
As an expert of education, she is in charge of the 
English training program integrated with the British 
Education program at Viet Anh school system. She 
always explores and innovates teaching methods 
to improve students’ ability to use English. She has 
achieved a lot of success in training, with many 
students winning high prizes in current English 
competitions. She is the author of many integrated 
books that have been appraised by the Ho Chi 
Minh City Department of Education and Training 
and allowed to use at schools in the city. Currently, 
lots of students are studying her integrated Math - 
Science books at more than 30 schools in the city. 
Her professional point of view is that seeing students 
use English fluently, confidently is her happiness and 
encourages her to constantly study and do research 
on building models and methods of teaching English.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 160 of 168

MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
UNIVERSITY TEACHING STAFF IN VIETNAM 
TODAY ACCORDING TO HO CHI MINH’S 
IDEOLOGY

LE TRUNG KIEN 
The Institute of Ho Chi Minh and Party leaders 

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Hanoi, Vietnam   kienlt1511@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
President Ho Chi Minh is a great educator of Vietnam, who oriented the 
birth of a comprehensive, scientific education with profound contemporary 
values. Ho Chi Minh has a system of viewpoints on developing the 
university teaching staff: on quality of management, on methods and 
ways of managing teaching staff; on professional training; on building 
education policy; on a healthy, democratic and synchronous environment. 
Immersed in the teachings of Ho Chi Minh, higher education in Vietnam 
has now achieved great achievements in building the university teaching 
staff with increased number of qualified and professional lecturers, the 
policy regime for lecturers is concerned, but there are still shortcomings 
and difficulties. Therefore, the application of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology 
on management and development of the university teaching staff has 
practical value and is very necessary for management agencies to 
contribute to improving the quality of management and development of 
the university teaching staff - a decisive factor in the quality of education, 
training and scientific research in Vietnam today.

KEYWORDS: Teaching staff, Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 161 of 168

HOW TO TRAIN THE HIGHER ORDER 
THINKING SKILLS WITH CBL PROJECT 
DURING THE COVID-19

HIROYUKI OBARI(1); STEVE LAMBACHER(2); HISAYO KIKUCHI(2) 
(1) Aoyama Gakuin University   obari119@gmail.com
(2) Aoyama Gakuin University   steve.lambacher@gmail.com
(3) Aoyama Gakuin University   hisayo@t07.itscom.net

ABSTRACT
In this presentation, the study focuses on Challenge-Based Learning 
(CBL) will be presented. This case study included Japanese students 
from Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) and Waseda University in Tokyo 
(n=196) and was implemented online from May 2020 to January 2021 
using Zoom, as well as the SNS programs Facebook and Line for added 
support. Pedagogical training focused on helping students find solutions 
to many issues now faced in the 21st century such as global warming 
and human rights. Throughout the online program, training in higher-order 
thinking skills was emphasized. Finally, the results of a survey that was 
disseminated twice to participants of both case studies (in July 2020 
and January 2021, respectively) will be presented. The survey focused on 
gauging students’ opinions about their online virtual learning experiences 
during COVID-19. Some of the notable survey results included: (1) 70% 
of students felt the online classes improved their speaking skills; and (2) 
65% of students felt PeerEval was effective. These results would seem 
to indicate that CBL can be effective in providing ample opportunities for 
students to use English regularly and improve their higher-order thinking 
skills even during the COVID-19.

KEYWORDS: CBL Project; Higher Order Thinking Skills; COVID-19; PeerEval



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 162 of 168

A CASE STUDY OF STUDENT VIEWS  
ON EFFECTIVE ONLINE LEARNING

LE THI TUYET MINH 
University of Economics HCM City   snowle@ueh.edu.vn

ABSTRACT
This study investigates the students’ opinions of the 
elements of effective online learning. The respondents 
(n=172) completed a twelve-week course in the module 3 
English classes at University of Economics Ho Chi Minh 
City (UEH) taught by the author with an eight-week online 
period. The tool includes a questionnaire with 14 questions 
regarding the factors that enable them to be engaged in 
the online lessons and an open-ended question asking for 
the students’ contribution to the ideas of effective online 
learning. The questionnaire utilizes the Likert scale via 
Google Form. The elements cover the three components: 
cognitive presence, teaching presence and social presence 
in the foundational model for online learning developed by 
Garrison et al. (2000). Seven main elements for effective 
online English teaching are recognized as: teaching method, 
course content, learning activities (updated news delivery, 
games, polls, and student presentations are favorable), 
myriad interaction (short questions are preferable), learning 
incentives (bonus marks), supportive learning environment 
(teacher voice, praise, encouragement, good teacher-student 
and student-student relationships) and supplementary 
materials (revision, extra resources, etc.). Finally, the writer 
draws on some suggestions for effective online teaching 
and learning.

KEYWORDS: effective online learning, online teaching, 
student engagement.

BIODATA STATEMENT
Le Thi Tuyet Minh is a lecturer of School 
of Foreign Languages at University of 
Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She 
has got an M.A. degree in TESOL and has 
been teaching for more than 15 years. She 
mainly teaches Business English and TOEIC. 
Her major research interests are student 
motivation, Computer Assisted Language 
Learning, Educational Technology, and ELT 
Methodology.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 163 of 168

A NARRATIVE INQUIRY  
OF A VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY EFL 
TEACHER’S ASSESSMENT IDENTITY

DAO THI BICH NGUYEN 
Hanoi National University   nguyendb@hnue.edu.vn

ABSTRACT
This research uses narrative inquiry approach to 
explore the teaching and assessment practice of a 
lecturer working in one university in the northern part 
of Vietnam. To collect data, the research has adapted 
the Tree of Life activity (Ncube, 2006) as a narrative 
frame enabling the teachers to reflect on and share 
their stories about their assessment practice as 
well as the world in which they live and work. The 
theoretical framework is grounded Dewey’s notion of 
experience, and Clandinin & Connelly’s (1990) three-
dimensional space of narrative inquiry while the 
conceptual framework is based on Xu & Brown’s (2016) 
framework of teacher assessment literacy in practice 
and Looney et al.’s (2017) reconceptualization of 
teacher assessment identity. The findings underscore 
the dynamic nature of language teacher identities 
including their assessment identities, highlight the 
role the working context plays in shaping these 
identities, and illustrate how teacher assessment 
identities influence their assessment practice.

KEYWORDS: narrative inquiry, teacher assessment 
identity, Tree-of-life activity

BIODATA STATEMENT
Dao Thi Bich Nguyen is a lecturer at the Faculty 
of English, Hanoi National University of Education, 
Vietnam. She is currently doing her PhD at Hanoi 
University. Her research interests include language 
testing and assessment, language teacher identity 
and teacher assessment identity.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 164 of 168

ONLINE LEARNING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE 
COVID-19 PANDEMIC:  
VIETNAMESE STUDENTS’ VOICE

NGUYEN THI HONG NHAT 
Hanoi Pedagogical University 2   nguyenthihongnhat@hpu2.edu.vn

ABSTRACT
Transitioning from face-to-face to online learning 
and teaching can be challenging for educational 
stakeholders, especially in limited technology 
contexts. In Vietnam, many universities had no 
choice but to move to online learning in the context 
of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, few studies have 
examined Vietnamese university students’ experience 
of online learning during this period of educational 
disruption. This study was conducted to understand 
foreign language students’ perspectives about online 
learning in a public university in Vietnam. The data 
were collected using an online survey and received 840 
responses. The study uncovered a number of issues 
that limited the effectiveness of the students’ online 
learning. The issues are related to the organizing of 
online learning activities, learning technology, support 
for students’ learning, students’ learning conditions, 
and lecturers. The study suggests that to increase 
the effectiveness of online learning, educational 
institutions, especially in limited technology contexts, 
should have long-term strategies to address primary 
challenges of online learning.

KEYWORDS: Covid 19, online learning, Vietnam, 
students’ voiceidentity, Tree-of-life activity

BIODATA STATEMENT
Transitioning from face-to-face to online learning 
and teaching can be challenging for educational 
stakeholders, especially in limited technology 
contexts. In Vietnam, many universities had no 
choice but to move to online learning in the context 
of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, few studies 
have examined Vietnamese university students’ 
experience of online learning during this period of 
educational disruption. This study was conducted 
to understand foreign language students’ 
perspectives about online learning in a public 
university in Vietnam. The data were collected using 
an online survey and received 840 responses. The 
study uncovered a number of issues that limited 
the effectiveness of the students’ online learning. 
The issues are related to the organizing of online 
learning activities, learning technology, support for 
students’ learning, students’ learning conditions, 
and lecturers. The study suggests that to increase 
the effectiveness of online learning, educational 
institutions, especially in limited technology 
contexts, should have long-term strategies to 
address primary challenges of online learning.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 165 of 168

THE APPLICATION OF MULTI-FUNCTIONAL 
ENGLISH LEARNING PLATFORM TO ESP 
COURSE: FEEDBACKS FROM STUDENTS 
AND TEACHERS

CHIEH-MIN JASON YANG 
Feng Chia University, Taiwan   jasonyang170@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This study applied multi-functional English learning platform to 
English as a foreign language ESP course. The objective was to 
investigate whether this platform would promote students’ learning 
motivation and enhance language and content learning based on 
students’ perception and teachers’ feedback. Participants were 
junior students and English instructors from Department of Fiber 
and Composite Material at a university in Taiwan. The instrument 
of online survey was implemented to probe students’ perceptions 
toward the effectiveness of learning via the learning platform. 
Semi-structured Interviews from both students and teachers were 
collected to disclose the reflections of the current project and 
overall learning and teaching experience. Results from quantitative 
data analysis revealed that most of the students perceive the 
learning platform to be helpful to raise their learning motivation. Yet 
the discrepancy appeared in the effectiveness of learning via the 
platform as only students with intermediate English level showed 
rather positive attitude on the effectiveness of vocabulary learning 
and the improvement of speaking ability. Qualitative data analysis 
revealed that students preferred learning under multimodal 
presentation rather than lecturing and students’ level of language 
proficiency could be the factor that influence how students’ ranked 
the effectiveness of learning via this learning platform. Interviews 
from teachers indicated some potential problems of using this 
learning platform such as the problematic feedback to students’ 
speaking based on the in-built voice recognition analyzer and 
the problem of cheating to complete assigned tasks online with 
advanced technology. Based on the research findings, suggestions 
and pedagogical implications were offered to language teachers 
and education technology designers to facilitate ESP instruction.

KEYWORDS: Covid 19, online learning, Vietnam, students’ 
voiceidentity, Tree-of-life activity

BIODATA STATEMENT
Chieh-min Jason Yang (楊捷閔) is 
an assistant professor at Feng Chia 
University, Taiwan. He has been a 
coordinator of Workplace English for 
years and assists to develop new ESP 
curriculum to meet students’ needs. 
His research interests are CALL, 
ESP, corpus linguistics and reading 
research.



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 166 of 168

AN ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ 
SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE TESTING 
IN HIGHER EDUCATION – AN EMPIRICAL 
STUDY WITH FOREIGN LANGUAGE 
STUDENTS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL 
UNIVERSITY-HCMC

TRUC TRAN(1); DU TRAN(2); PHUONG NGUYEN(3); NGAN NGUYEN(4) 
University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU-HCM; Thu Dau Mot University

ABSTRACT
As the fourth wave of pandemic hit Vietnam in May 2021 resulting in lockdowns, 
all educational activities have been switched to the e-learning format including 
online assessment and testing. This paper aims to conduct an empirical study 
on students’ satisfaction with online assessment and testing at some foreign 
language faculties at University of Social Sciences and Humanities-Vietnam 
National University-HCMC. Data were obtained by giving questionnaire to 
students at three faculties: Faculty of English Linguistics, Faculty of Russian 
Linguistics and Faculty of Chinese Linguistics. The questionnaire received 
201 valid responses. Quantitative techniques were applied to find out some 
highlights from the results. (1) Students rated their perceived satisfaction 
from online testing as 4.07 on the 5-point Likert scale. (2) T-test showed that 
in comparison between faculties, students of the Faculty of English Linguistics 
and the Faculty of Russian Linguistics had similar views on the application of 
online assessment. In contrast, the degree to which students of the Faculty of 
Chinese Linguistics supported online testing significantly differed from those of 
the other faculties. (3) Findings proved that a majority of students approved the 
continuation of the online assessment and testing after pandemic yet ANOVA 
results showed a considerable difference according to the faculty where 
students reside. (4) Correlation of contributing factors and students’ willingness 
of online testing continuation showed that there were strong associations 
between students’ willingness and the three factors: test organization factors, 
test content factors and marking factors. Obtaining feedback from students 
is an essential part of identifying what online assessment and testing have 
worked and where improvements could be made in the future.

KEYWORDS: online assessment, testing, foreign language teaching, empirical 
study, pandemic



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 167 of 168

MEDIATING READING MOTIVATION 
THROUGH PARENTAL SUPPORT: THE CASE 
OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS OF ESPERANZA 
SWITCH NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

JOSEPH P. CASBUAL JR., MAELS, ALDRIANNE C. LIGAN 
Western Mindanao State University   josephcasibual@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Schools in the Philippines have been 
compelled to switch to an alternative delivery 
modality as a result of the coronavirus 
outbreak. Reading motivation is an important 
emotional aspect in the field of education 
since it motivates people to read. Parental 
support has an impact on a student’s desire 
to read. The majority of information about 
parental support for children is fixated on 
the elementary and tertiary levels, whereas 
current research in reading motivation 
is mostly focused on students’ reading 
achievement and engagement in reading 
hence, resulting to basic education receiving 
less attention. The goal of this quantitative-
descriptive correlational study was to 
better understand the dynamics of parental 
support and reading motivation in the 
alternate delivery method at the secondary 
level. Reading motivation and parental 
support were shown to be linked in the 
survey. The data from 81 grade 7 students 
at Esperanza-Switch National High School 
in Switch, Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga 
del Sur were statistically analyzed using 
a customized survey questionnaire. The 
results revealed a strong association 
between the factors. Furthermore, the study 
indicated that the problem can be solved 
by increasing parental support towards 
students’ reading habits in order to improve 
their reading skills.

KEYWORDS: reading motivation, parental 
support, Philippines, modular learning

BIODATA STATEMENT
Joseph P. Casibual Jr., MAELS 
is an instructor at Western 
Mindanao State University-
Philippines teaching language, 
literature, and research-related 
courses. He has been an 
instructor at the university for 
five years already. His field of 
specialization is in linguistics 
and literature. He’s been doing 
research on Gender, Folklore, 

Cultural Studies, and Applied linguistics and have presented 
in local and international research conferences. He is now 
currently a candidate of PhD in Literary Studies wherein 
his dissertation focuses on the Queer scholarship and its 
phenomenology. 

Adrianne Ligan., is an 
undergraduate student major in 
Education with specialization in 
English. His field of interest as 
a budding researcher focuses 
on Journalism, Pop Literature 
and Language Education. He 
is currently on his last year 
in college and expects to 
graduate by next year. 



ACOJ- ISSN 1936-9859 AsiaCALL Online Journal
Friday - Saturday, 26-27 November 2021

Page 168 of 168

CORRELATION BETWEEN INTERNET 
LITERACY AND VOCABULARY LEVEL: 
IMPLICATION TOWARDS READING 
COMPREHENSION

JOSEPH P. CASBUAL JR., MAELS, JULREM B. NACUA 
Western Mindanao State University   josephcasibual@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
In-depth research on reading 
comprehension receives less attention 
in basic education, despite the fact that 
the problem is just as critical, if not more 
so, in this pandemic era. This study 
aims to learn the dynamics of reading 
comprehension to draw conclusion on the 
phenomenon. Martin-Chang and Gould 
(2008) observed a strong connection 
between vocabulary and reading 
comprehension. However, meagre 
studies have correlated two variables 
– Internet Literacy (IV) and Vocabulary 
Level (DV) – combined implication 
towards Reading Comprehension. With 
the globalization of online learning, urban 
demography’s visibility was catered 
with 83 Senior High School students as 
respondents. The data revealed a low 
correlation. Generally, the high mean 
for online literacy and high mean in the 
performed evaluation were showing the 
participants awareness on how to use 
the digital side of learning and a decent 
vocabulary level. Null Hypothesis II was 
accepted in this research. Surprisingly, 
this low correlation could be affected 
by the students’ internal and external 
strategy which created an impetus for 
their reading comprehension aside from 
digital utilization.

KEYWORDS: reading comprehension, 
online reading, internet literacy, 
vocabulary level

BIODATA STATEMENT
Joseph P. Casibual Jr., MAELS is 
an instructor at Western Mindanao 
State University-Philippines 
teaching language, literature, and 
research-related courses. He has 
been an instructor at the university 
for five years already. His field 
of specialization is in linguistics 
and literature. He’s been doing 
research on Gender, Folklore, 
Cultural Studies, and Applied 

linguistics and have presented in local and international 
research conferences. He is now currently a candidate of PhD 
in Literary Studies wherein his dissertation focuses on the 
Queer scholarship and its phenomenology. 

Julrem Nacua., is an undergraduate 
student major in Education with 
specialization in English. His 
field of interest as a budding 
researcher focuses on Gender 
Studies, Literary Adapatation 
and Language Education. He is 
currently on his last year in college 
and expects to graduate by next 
year.


