Luận án TS: Sức bền học tiếng Anh tại Việt Nam - Nghiên cứu theo Lý thuyết Hệ thống Động lực Phức tạp

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 You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis. Resilience in the Context of Learning English as a Foreign Language in Vietnam: An Exploratory Study Using Complex Dynamic Systems Theory A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at The University of Waikato by HOANG KHANH BAO 2021 ABSTRACT Learning a second/foreign language can be an arduous process during which the language learner may encounter many challenges both from the context and from within. To maintain the learning process and to succeed, it seems that the learner needs resilience - the ability to bounce back from adversity. Although success in second/foreign language learning has been claimed by SLA researchers to be attributable to various contextual and individual factors, resilience has received scant attention in the field of second language acquisition.

This study explores the concept of resilience to shed light on the phenomenon of success in foreign language learning despite challenges and difficulties. It aims to conceptualise foreign language learner resilience in the context of English teaching and learning at the university level in Vietnam. The study is guided by the overarching research question What does foreign language learner resilience look like? This study explored foreign language learner resilience as a complex dynamic system. Accordingly, it took the notions of self-organisation of complex dynamic systems and retro- diction in researching complex dynamic systems as the basis for designing the research.

The foreign language learner resilience system, hence, was explored retrospectively by identifying a selection of people who seemed to typify resilient learners and the study worked backwards to explain how they had become so. The study employed a qualitative research design which included focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, sequentially linked with each other, as the two main data collection methods. Three focus group discussions were conducted with teachers of English at a university in Vietnam (N=13) to identify typical resilient language learners seen as possible patterns in the system. Based on the focus group discussion data, questions for semi-structured interviews were developed for the second phase of data collection which aimed to identify the components of the system.

Thirty students who self-identified as resilient English learners voluntarily participated in the semi-structured interviews. They included first-year students (N=17) and fourth-year students (N=13) from the same university. Findings indicated that foreign language learner resilience is a complex dynamic system, composed of contextual and individual factors emerging from the interactions between the students and aspects of three contextual dimensions (community/society, institution and family), across their English learning trajectories. Core to the system are motivation, emotion, agency, autonomy, perseverance and optimism evolving and fluctuating in association with their interactions with the above contexts.

The system is characterised by the nonlinear i interactive mechanism between factors both detrimental and conducive to the language learning process. The findings of this study attest to the conceptualisation of resilience as a process in mainstream psychological research. Given the scant research into the concept in the SLA field, this study provides a new and deeper understanding of resilience in second/foreign language learning. More importantly, its findings help integrate a disparate set of contextual and individual factors influencing second/foreign language learning success.

As the study presents a new concept to the context of foreign language education in Vietnam, it provides teachers and administrators with insights into the difficulties and challenges Vietnamese EFL learners at the university level might face and the resources they can draw on in the face of adversity or stress. Drawing on the findings, it is suggested that teacher-student rapport should be enhanced to contribute to generating a synergy of motivation, positive emotions, autonomy and agency, perseverance and optimism that help the learners withstand challenges and difficulties to succeed in foreign language learning. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research would not have been possible without the guidance, support and encouragement of many people to whom I owe my deepest gratitude. First, my deepest gratitude goes to my supervisors A/Prof Margaret Franken and Dr Judy Hunter.

Without their tremendous guidance, constant support and encouragement, from the first days of my PhD candidature, I would not have been able to go this far in my knowledge inquiry journey. I owe thanks to Margaret, my chief supervisor, for her thoughtful input and confidence in my abilities that pushed me to extend myself. I am thankful to Judy, my co-supervisor, for her careful reading and meticulous comments that triggered my critical thinking and pushed me to clarify my ideas. Apart from their professional expertise that has contributed to scaffolding my research skills and shaping my thesis, their kindness, patience and care have uplifted me emotionally at critical times throughout my PhD journey.

My sincere thanks go to the teachers and students who volunteered to participate in this research project. Without their willingness and enthusiasm to share their experiences, this thesis would not have taken shape. My gratitude also goes to the leaders at Tay Nguyen University and the Faculty of Foreign Languages for creating favourable conditions for my study. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my wife and soul mate, Nguyen Thi Hien Linh and my two daughters, Hoang Nguyen Cat Tuong and Hoang Nguyen Lan Khue for accompanying me and experiencing together with me all the ups and downs throughout my PhD journey.

Without their sacrifices, love, support, and encouragement, I would not have been able to finish this journey. Thank you, Linh for your sacrifices, endless love and support. I am so lucky to have so resilient a woman by my side. Thank you, Cat Tuong for being a responsible person in the family.

Your maturity and academic success have given me the impetus to move on. Thank you, Lan Khue for showing your love and care explicitly by asking about the progress of my research whenever I am home. The music talent of you both has always cheered me up as well. I am indebted to my family in Vietnam, in particular to my Mum and Dad whose unconditional love, continuous encouragement and support have always given me the strength and determination to move forward.

I am grateful to my younger brother for taking care of my parents while I am away for my study. Without his sacrifices and support, I would not have been able to complete this journey. iii I am deeply grateful to my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law who took care of my father-in- law from his serious illness until the last minutes of his life. Their support and sacrifices have contributed to the completion of this thesis.

I am extremely thankful to my late father-in-law who I believe has supported me spiritually from Heaven. I would like to thank Dr Pham Hoa Hiep and his family for supporting me in my very first days in Hamilton. Thank you Dr Hiep for your encouragement and support which have given me the impetus to pursue my PhD study. I am grateful to Lynnette Lopez-Raman for her kindness, care and support.

Thank you Lynnette for treating me, my wife and my daughters as your family members. I would like to extend my thanks to the ELLA staff at Knighton Normal School. I am indebted to Diane Cooper for offering me the opportunity to work in an amazing environment with great team members. My thanks also go to Julie, Laura, Naseema, Wallace, Sadia, and Jodie for their encouragement and emotional support.

My thanks also go to my officemate Yu Yuan and other doctoral researcher fellows for their friendship and encouragement. I will miss the times when we got together to share our experiences and support each other both academically and emotionally. Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the Vietnamese government and the University of Waikato for their co-sponsorship of my doctoral study. iv CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THESIS Hoang, K.

Improving outcomes for university English language learners in Vietnam: Can a perspective on resilience help? Paper presented at the VinhTESOL International Conference on English Language Teaching, Vinh, Vietnam. Visualising foreign language learner resilience: model development from the perspective of complex dynamic systems theory. Paper presented at the Post Graduate Symposium, Hamilton, New Zealand. Foreign language learner resilience: a snapshot from the perspective of complex dynamic systems theory.

Paper presented at the The Applied Linguistics Conference, Perth, Australia. Foreign language learner resilience: Students’ perceptions of factors from multiple contexts. Paper presented at the VietTESOL International Convention 2020 [Virtual conference]. Foreign language learner resilience (FLLR): Capture the complexity of factors in learner success.

Paper presented at the Division of Education Post Gradudate Conference 2020, Hamilton, New Zealand v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CDST Complex dynamic systems theory CEFR Common European Framework of Reference for Languages EFL English as a foreign language FLLR Foreign language learner resilience ICT Information and communication technology SLA Second language acquisition vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .vii LIST OF TABLES. xi LIST OF FIGURES. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.

Aim of the study. Context of the study. Significance of the study. Structure of the thesis.

The concept of resilience. What is resilience?. Resilience as a contextually nuanced term. Resilience in sports.

Educational/academic resilience. Resilience in foreign/second language learning. Studies on international students studying foreign languages abroad. Studies on students studying English as a foreign language in their home countries.

A qualitative study on resilience in learning English as a foreign language. Academic buoyancy in foreign language learning. Factors affecting success in second language acquisition. A complex dynamic systems theory perspective on foreign language learner resilience.

An overview of complex dynamic systems theory. A systematic view of resilience in second/foreign language learning. A working definition of foreign language learner resilience. CDST as the theoretical framework.

CDST and its methodological principles. Methods used in researching complex dynamic systems. Research methods for the current study. 73 CHAPTER 4: THE SYSTEM OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNER RESILIENCE: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES.

Lacking self-efficacy. Encouragement and assessment triggered. 87 CHAPTER 5: THE SYSTEM OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNER RESILIENCE: FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES. First-year students’ perception of risk factors.

Constraints related to society and community contexts. Constraints related to familial issues. Constraints related to institutional issues. Summary of first-year students’ perception of risk factors.

First-year students’ perception of protective factors. Protective factors from familial aspects of context. Protective factors from institutional aspects of context. Protective factors from the society/community contexts.

Information and communications technology as another external resource. Internal resources as internal protective factors .6 Summary of first-year students’ perceptions of protective factors. 145 CHAPTER 6: THE SYSTEM OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNER RESILIENCE: FOURTH-YEAR STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES. Fourth-year students’ perception of risk factors.

Constraints related to society/community context. Constraints related to family. Constraints related to institutional contexts. Summary of fourth-year students’ perceptions of risk factors.

Fourth-year students’ perceptions of protective factors. Protective factors from familial aspects of context. Protective factors from institutional aspects of context. Protective factors from society/community context.

ICT as another source of protective factors. Internal resources as internal protective factors .