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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL Vol. 17, No.12. July 2026 Pp.126-146
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ho Chi Minh University of Banking, Vietnam
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Thu Dau Mot University,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ba Ria - Vung Tau College of Education,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This study investigates students’ perceived development of sociolinguistic competence following their participation in an extracurricular intercultural online exchange. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach with 198 first-year English majors at the A2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) who were enrolled in Essential Listening and Speaking and Introduction to the English Language courses at a university in Vietnam. The 12-week exchange program was conducted in parallel to formal coursework. The researchers collected quantitative data through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire measuring pragmatic awareness, communicative appropriateness, politeness strategies, and cultural sensitivity. The researchers conducted descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, a one-sample t-test, and Pearson correlations using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that the overall post-exchange perception score was significantly higher than the neutral midpoint (p < .001), with cultural sensitivity receiving the highest rating. Correlation analysis revealed moderate positive relationships among the four dimensions. To elaborate on these findings, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Thematic analysis indicated increased awareness of sociocultural norms, perceived improvement in pragmatic adjustment, and enhanced communicative confidence. Overall, the findings suggest that scaffolded extracurricular virtual exchange may support early-stage sociolinguistic development among lower-proficiency English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. By focusing on lower-proficiency English majors in the Vietnamese higher education context, this study addresses the limited empirical evidence on how scaffolded intercultural online exchange supports sociolinguistic development and offers pedagogical implications for integrating virtual exchange into EFL speaking instruction.
Phuong, H.T.B., Du, T.T., & The, N. H. (2026). The Impact of Intercultural Online Exchange on the Development of Sociolinguistic Competence among English Majors in Vietnam: A Mixed-Methods Study. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL 17. (12). 126-146
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Dr. Huynh Thi Bich Phuong is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ho Chi Minh University of Banking (HUB), Vietnam. She holds her M.A. in TESOL and her Ph.D. in Contrastive Linguistics, both from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City. She specializes in teaching methodology, contrastive linguistics, and applied linguistics. She has also been a reviewer for some national journals. Her research interests include language skills, English teaching methodology, language testing and assessment, pragmatics, and the interplay between language, culture, and society. Her published works focus on both linguistic studies and issues related to TESOL. Email: phuonghtb@hub.edu.vn;
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5142-629X
Dr Tran Thanh Du specializes in both TESOL methodologies and Contrastive Linguistics. He is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Thu Dau Mot University in Vietnam. He takes his interests in studies of linguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, learner motivation, and English language teaching methodologies. His publications concentrate on both linguistic research and TESOL-related issues. He endeavors to improve language use in general, and English language teaching and learning in global contexts. Email: dutt@tdmu.edu.vn; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7802-9949
Nguyen Huu The is a Doctor of Contrastive Linguistics. He is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ba Ria – Vung Tau College of Education, Vietnam. His primary areas of expertise are TESOL and Contrastive linguistics. His research interests are linguistics, semantics, stylistics, pragmatics, and English language teaching methodologies. All of his published works focus on linguistic research and topics related to TESOL. Email: huuthecdsp@gmail.com; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2075-6793