Language attitudes of Vietnamese undergraduates towards English: An investigation at school of advanced studies of Ho Chi Minh city open university

ry 
Table 6 
 Statistics of General Attitudinal Statements 
 N Min Max Mean SD Rank 
B8-Ge1 444 1 5 3.06 1.09 2 
B16-Ge2 444 1 5 3.64 1.09 1 
Valid N 
(listwise) 
444 
These general attitudinal statements in 
this category seek to measure students’ 
confidence in using English. As can be seen 
from the table, students moderately agree 
more on that they are uneasy and unconfident 
in speaking English than they do not feel 
weird when using it. This suggests that 
HCMCOU students are not confident in using 
English. As a teacher, we should know how to 
intermingle more with them for clarifying 
some reasons and encourage them to speak 
out for learning and improving. 
4.2.4 Analysis of ethnic identity category 
Table 7 
Statistics of Ethnic Identity Description 
 N Min Max Mean SD Rank 
B3-Eth1 444 1 5 1.91 0.96 5 
B5-Eth2 444 1 5 1.84 0.89 6 
B10-Eth3 444 1 5 2.91 1.13 1 
B12-Eth4 444 1 5 1.67 1.12 7 
 Language attitudes of Vietnamese undergraduates towards English:... 97 
 N Min Max Mean SD Rank 
B14-Eth5 444 1 5 2.63 1.21 2 
B20-Eth6 444 1 5 2.27 1.02 3 
B21-Eth7 444 1 5 2.12 1.14 4 
Valid N 
(listwise) 
444 
This last category in the second part 
presents seven statements investigating 
students’ ethno- linguistic identity of 
Vietnamese. As can be noted from table 10, 
students generally disagree with all the 
aforementioned items apart from the 
statement about the superior of Vietnamese to 
English, B10-Eth3 for which they are almost 
undecided in showing their consensus (M = 
2.91, SD = 1.13, Rank = 1). They show their 
strongest disagreement on the point they are 
not patriotic if they use English, item B12-
Eth4 with M = 1.67 (SD = 1.12, Rank = 7). 
The responses in this study are quite similar to 
those in Liu & Zhao (2011) except for 
statements that they agree (i) on the superior 
of Chinese to English and (ii) on the 
unpleasant feeling of hearing one Chinese 
speaking to another in English. In contrast, 
Vietnamese are undecided for (i’) the superior 
of English to Vietnamese and (ii’) uneasy 
feeling of hearing Vietnamese conversing in 
English. 
This finding, on the whole, reflects a 
positive awareness of Vietnamese ethno-
linguistics identity that the undergraduates at 
HCMCOU do not agree on the points (a) that 
they will become a foreigner or will be not 
nationalistic if they use English and (b) that 
they are uncertain of making decisions about 
the unpleasant feeling of hearing Vietnamese 
conversing in English. This result is also in 
accordance with the result from Ibarraran, 
Lasagabaster, & Sierra (2008) that students’ 
positive attitudes towards their mother tongue 
are undeniable. 
The result is additionally highlighted and 
supported by the answers to the item C27-O3 
concerning students’ choices of importance of 
good language learning - English or 
Vietnamese, and the reasons. The answers fall 
into 3 main themes, particularly, (1) equal 
importance of learning both English and 
Vietnamese well with the largest percentage 
of 44 % (N = 164) followed by (2) a priority 
of learning good English first with 40 % (N = 
149), and (3) a preference of learning good 
Vietnamese with 16 % (N = 60). For the first 
theme, the high frequency of the reasons are 
(a) that learning only English gradually leads 
to a loss of national identity, (b) that learning 
only Vietnamese certainly results in 
obsolescence. In addition, they highlight (c) 
that it is not a matter of preferring to learn any 
of the two well, but it is a concern of 
appropriate learning and using Vietnamese 
and English to show their integration yet 
insolubility. 
For the second one with 40 percent 
among 373 responses, the high frequency of 
the answers go to the viewpoints (a) that 
Vietnamese should not been laid a learning 
emphasis since it is a mother tongue language, 
and we can use it well without much learning. 
Besides, they assert (b) that being excellent in 
Vietnamese is giftedly reserved for some 
specialists such as poets and linguists. In 
addition, (c) that being competent at English 
helps them with seizing better job 
opportunities, accessing international 
intellectual properties, and developing the 
country. 
For the third one with 16 percent of 373 
answers, these responses’ high frequency lies 
in the points of view (a) that learning good 
Vietnamese first will lay the foundations for 
98 Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University – VOL. 19 (3) 2016 – October/2016 
learning a second/foreign language well and 
(b) that preserving the purity of Vietnamese 
helps to confirm the national identity. 
Besides, the viewpoint (c) that proficiency in 
Vietnamese language and culture can 
facilitate introducing the distinct Vietnamese 
identity to foreigners more effortlessly. 
In brief, this category visibly reveals a 
picture of patriotic Vietnamese students. 
Using English language is not a danger to 
Vietnamese identity as also found in Liu & 
Zhao (2011); Axler, Yang, & Stevens (1998). 
The finding further recommends that ethnic 
awareness should be intergrated in the the 
language teaching curriculum since the social 
status of a foreign language as English is so 
high in Vietnam and nearly half of the 
research population wish to be successful in 
learn English rather than Vietnamese. 
5. Concluding remarks 
In conclusion, this present study is 
conducted to investigate undergraduates’ 
attitudes towards English with regard to their 
learning motivation and national identity 
formation. The results reveal that HCMCOU 
students hold positive attitude towards 
English and they are extrinsically and 
intrinsically motivated to learn English. They 
show their sense of Vietnamese patriotism in 
preserving linguistic and cultural identity on 
account of nearly 60 per cent of wishing to 
learn Vietnamese well. Concurrently, they 
illustrate their appreciation of English status 
in light of 40 per cent showing their 
preference to learn good English first. 
The findings further suggest (1) that 
instead of forcing students to learn English, 
teachers should encourage their learning with 
a practical, real, and convincing story of 
typical users’ success, (2) that their learning 
materials should be interested and 
unchallenging. In addition, (3) teachers should 
know how to build up their confidence in 
expressing English; and (4) ethnic identity 
component should be included in the teaching 
program. 
In the meantime, the study is conducted 
in the center of Vietnam with the participants 
from the School of Advanced Studies at the 
university. This picture of findings seems 
different if being conducted in different 
groups of students in the normal training, in 
other remote area of Vietnam, in other levels 
of study (secondary or high school, graduate, 
etc.), for example. Hence, further research in 
different settings is called to find out their 
language attitudes towards Vietnamese and 
English in a variety of backgrounds. 
6. Acknowledgement 
This work is conducted with the support 
of academic officers and lecturers from 
School of Advanced Studies at HCMCOU. I 
wish to express my gratefulness to all of them 
and participants in my study 
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