Vietnamese Cultural Influences on Learning Styles of English-Language Learners

Abstract

There are great differences between individualist and collectivist societies’ typical cultural values, which are evident in language, culture, and communication. Thus, it is inevitable that Vietnamese students’ learning styles, which still retain aspects of Vietnamese culture, will have a significant impact on their ability to attain English language proficiency. From these perspectives, the present study was conducted to understand how Vietnamese culture affects the learning styles of English-language learners. To achieve the above purpose, I employed classroom observations, end-of-semester interviews, learner journals, and comparative methodologies with the participation of 100 students from four English classes that I directly taught at Vietnam National University. This article reveals some cultural traits influencing Vietnamese students’ learning styles, such as high-context communication, saving face, and collectivism reflected in language, all of which have an impact on English instruction and learning. When studying English, it may be challenging for students to identify these differences at first, which could lead to misunderstandings or poor judgment on the part of teachers. I hope that this study can help create an awareness in teachers of these unique characteristics of Vietnamese students’ learning styles to help them get beyond cultural barriers during the English learning process.