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HCMC-02.12.2022: Two students majoring in English Studies from School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University, Duong Thi My Quyen and Luong Thi Bich Tuyen, excellently presented their research findings at The 3rd International Conference of TESOL & Education VLTESOL 2022, held at Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City.

The two oral presentations by Quyen and Tuyen were synthesized and extracted from the outcomes of their graduation thesis conducted under the under the instructions, evaluations, and contributions from lecturers of the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University before submitting the abstracts to the Conference Organizing Committee.

The papers presented My Quyen and Bich Tuyen are entitled “Multimodal Literacy: An East Asian Approach for Interpreting Cultural Representations in Vietnamese Cinderella” and “Visual Communication: Exploring Representations of Vietnamese Culture in Advertising”, respectively.

It is known that these are two of more than 65 research papers of national and foreign scholars selected by the Organizing Committee to present their studies at this international conference. Particularly, both Quyen and Tuyen’s oral presentations concentrate on research expertise which is very trendy globally, but still quite new in Vietnamese context: Multimodality and Visual Communication.

Although Quyen and Tuyen are fresh graduates of English Studies in the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University, both were confident, humble, and professional in their presentations and responding to questions from experts in the field of English Language Teaching.

Luong Thi Bich Tuyen, who just received her Bachelor’s degree in English Studies, said: “Having a chance to report my research findings at the International Conference on English Language Teaching left me with a lot of emotions. As this is the first time I’ve  presented at an international conference, I was very excited and look forward to the day of the conference. However, I also have mixed feelings of nervousness and anxiety about the presentation day. In the end, I feel very honored that I have successfully completed the report and answered questions from the audiences. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. Through this, I also learned many things to improve myself in the future, specifically relating to research methodology and presentation skills.”

It is known that both Quyen and Tuyen have good jobs in the field of teaching after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English Studies. Currently, Quyen also continues registering for the Master’s course in Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching in the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University.

The achievements of Quyen and Tuyen’s in research presentations at such a prestigious and specialized international conference have contributed to the outstanding achievement of research competence of the lecturers and students of the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University.

The success of the two students is also a great motivation for students studying in the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University to continue striving to study, as well as to collaborate in conducting research projects with lecturers. This will help students develop their professional competence, research ability, and build a good academic profile for themselves right after graduation.

News: Communication Team -  School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh University

Translated by: Huu Phat

Photos: Communication Team – The 3rd International Conference of TESOL & Education VLTESOL 2022

TVU-October 5, 2022: Representatives of School of Foreign Languages, the English Department, supervisors of volunteers and the Department of International Collaboration and Project Promotion at Tra Vinh University hosted and worked with the members of the Fulbright program delegation in Vietnam including Ms. Bamnella Devolder, Culture Counselor, US Embassy; Ms. Vu Quynh Nga, Director of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam, US Embassy in Hanoi; Ms. Vu Thi Diu, Fulbright Program Assistant in Vietnam, US Embassy in Hanoi.

TVU: In the academic year 2021-2022, two leaders of School of Foreign Languages: Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Nam (Dean) and Dr Huynh Ngoc Tai (Deputy Dean), have published meaningful research contributing to the promotion of Vietnamese cultural aspects to scholars, experts, lecturers, and students of different cultures around the globe.

The first meaningful work is the publication of Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Nam who adapted a Vietnamese famous literary work into the textbook for language teaching at universities in The Netherlands. Dr Phuong Nam contributed a chapter titled Lesson for Ho Anh Thai: The vegetarian Street Dogs. This chapter has been published by Amsterdam University Press in the book Lessons for Learning Literature in Dialogue (Literatuur Leren Lezen in Dialoog ), which is edited by a respectful scholar – Professor Tanja Janssen. 

The book chapter of Dr Phuong Nam draws on linguistic resources of a short story  Đàn chó hoang ăn chay, one of  famous literary works of well-known Vietnamese writer Ho Anh Thai. The book Literatuur Leren Lezen in Dialoog - Lessons for Learning Literature in Dialogue consists of 19 short literary works. Each literary work consists of a lesson plan. This book is not only appropriate for Dutch lecturers, but also for the lecturers who teach German, English, and history.

Another significant scientific research which contributes to promoting Vietnamese cultures globally is the book chapter of Dr Huynh Ngoc Tai. This book chapter was developed by Dr Tai and two senior lecturers at the University of Tasmanian, Australia. The book chapter of Dr Huynh Ngoc Tai is titled Enhancing Foreign Language Teachers’ Use of Multicultural Literature with an Analytical Framework for Interpreting Picture books about East Asian Cultures.This chapter is one of the parts of a research book titled Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on Teaching Foreign Languages in Multilingual Settings: Pedagogical Implications. The book is published by a well-known publisher in the UK – Multilingual Matters by the editorial team of professors Anna Krulatz, Georgios Neokleous, and Anne Dahl.

In his chapter, Dr Tai’s and his co-authors presented an analytical framework for interpreting visual meanings in images about East Asian cultures. The framework is helpful for researchers, teachers and students of various cultural backgrounds to explore Vietnamese cultural representations and East Asian cultures through visual elements.

Indeed, these publications are only parts of academic accomplishments achieved by the leaders of School of Foreign Languages at Tra Vinh university in academic year 2021-2022. We hope this will be a source of motivation that foster undergraduate and graduate students with more inspiration, confidence and pride when studying at the School of Foreign Languages, Tra Vinh  university.

Link of Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Nam’s book chapter:  https://didactieknederlands.nl/publicaties/literatuur-leren-lezen-in-dialoog-lessen-geinspireerd-op-het-werk-van-tanja-janssen/

Link of Dr Huynh Ngoc Tai’s book chapter:

https://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/Theoretical-and-Applied-Perspectives-on-Teaching-Foreign-Languages-in-Multilingual-Settings/?k=9781788926409

Translated by Lưu Thị Hồng Ngọc (Student of School of Foreign Languages - DA21NNAE)

While many people marked Feb. 14 by scrutinizing the virtues of their Valentines, MSU revealed a first-of-its-kind study on the virtues and values of scientists.

The study, presented at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C., surveyed nearly 500 astronomers, biologists, chemists, physicists and earth scientists to identify the core traits of exemplary scientists.

The subjects selected were scientists who had been honored by their respective national organization or society, and the results show that above all, these researchers hold honesty and curiosity in the highest regard, said Robert Pennock, a professor in MSU’s Lyman Briggs College and leader of the study.

“If you’re not curious, you’re probably not a real scientist,” he said. “The goal that you have is to find out something true about the world, regardless of what your preferred hypothesis might be. Your real drive is to find what is revealed by the data. This is absolutely essential in being a scientist.”

If someone is dishonest and going to the extreme of faking data, that person is not really a scientist in the true sense, Pennock added.

Those surveyed, using a scale from zero to ten, were asked to rate attentiveness, collaborative, courage, curiosity, honesty, humility to evidence, meticulousness, objectivity, perseverance and skepticism with regard to their importance for scientific research.

Once they scored each trait, the scientists were asked how each characteristic is or isn’t expressed in science. The subjects also were asked to identify the three most-important virtues.

The study revealed a tacit moral code in scientific culture – one that most researchers hope to be able to pass on to their students, Pennock said.

“The results will have some implications for teaching science,” said Pennock, who conducted the study with Jon Miller of the University of Michigan. “Our teaching shouldn’t stop with the content or science processes. Cultivating the values – like honesty and curiosity – that underlie science should be a part of science education.”

Underscoring the importance of instilling desirable traits in the next generation of scientists, the study tackled how exemplary scientists preserve and transmit these values to their students.

A whopping 94 percent of scientists believe scientific values and virtues can be learned. The number dropped a bit, though, when asked if these traits are actually being transmitted to current graduate students.

“It’s encouraging that 4 out of 5 scientists believe that their values are being embraced by the next generation of students,” Pennock said. “However, it’s somewhat troubling that 22 percent of the scientists surveyed see these valued traits eroding a bit.”

With stories of falsified results making headlines, it’s known that some scientists not only fail to achieve these ideals but directly violate them.

Science is a truth-seeking enterprise. Based on this study, researchers violating this unwritten code of conduct may not be scientists in the truest sense, Pennock said.

“Researchers who commit such misconduct are not merely violating some regulatory requirements, but they also are violating – in a deep way – what it means to be a scientist,” he said.

This research was funded by the John Templeton Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

By: Layne Cameron

Source: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/what-values-are-important-to-scientists