Research on Willingness to Communicate  in the Vietnamese Context: Trends, Findings,  Implications, and Limitations

Nguyen Van Loi; Le Xuan Mai; Hoang Quoc Viet

Hoang Quoc Viet*	viethq@ueh.edu.vn	PhD candidate at Can Tho University (Vietnam); University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
Nguyen Van Loi	loinguyen@ctu.edu.vn	Can Tho University (Vietnam)
Le Xuan Mai	lxmai@ctu.edu.vn	Can Tho University (Vietnam)

Summary:

Willingness to communicate (WTC), a key construct in second language acquisition (SLA), has been widely studied globally, but its investigation in Vietnam remains limited. Given the socio-cultural and educational characteristics of Vietnam, understanding WTC is crucial for improving English teaching and learning outcomes. However, existing studies in the Vietnamese EFL context remain fragmented, methodologically constrained, and have paid limited attention to the dynamic and context sensitive nature of WTC. This integrative literature review explores research on WTC in the Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) context, examining trends, findings, pedagogical implications, and limitations. Through a systematic analysis of 11 empirical studies conducted from 2016 to 2024, this review identifies three major research trends: (1) investigations into how WTC develops among Vietnamese EFL learners, (2) interactions between WTC and individual, contextual, and socio-cultural factors, and (3) strategies employed by teachers to enhance student’ WTC. The findings highlight internal factors such as self-perceived competence, confidence, and anxiety, as well as external influences like classroom environment, task types, and teacher strategies. Despite these contributions, existing research faces methodological constraints, including reliance on self-reported data, small sample sizes, and a predominant focus on urban tertiary contexts. Additionally, limited attention has been given to the dynamic nature of WTC, particularly its fluctuations during task performance. The review underscores the need for more diverse methodologies, longitudinal studies, and pedagogical interventions tailored to the Vietnamese context. Recommendations for future research and practical strategies for fostering WTC in Vietnamese EFL classrooms are proposed.

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Keywords:

EFL teaching and learning

integrative literature review

Vietnamese context

willingness to communicate (WTC).

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Journal:

Volume. 21 - issue 3 / 2025

VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Research on Willingness to Communicate in the Vietnamese Context: Trends, Findings, Implications, and Limitations