Examining the motivation and achievement of Vietnamese university students as they undertake English classes

Abstract

This chapter examines the motivation to study English and how that affects Vietnamese tertiary students’ English assessment results. Non-English major students in three universities in Ho Chi Minh City were surveyed and interviewed in a study that found that students’ expectations about how they would perform on the examination corresponded with their results. Seeing English as a way to obtain a desirable job (“utility value”) appeared to strongly influence these students’ willingness to take extra English classes. Given the government’s desire for greater competence in English, effective strategies are recommended.