Work

Language proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, and individual factors in predicting academic achievement: insights from the Vietnamese EFL context

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study contributes to research on predictive validity by examining both linguistic factors (language proficiency and vocabulary knowledge) and individual factors (autonomous learning activities, language learning attitudes, and course perceptions) in predicting academic achievement in English-medium instruction (EMI) programmes in Vietnam, where standardised proficiency tests show limited predictive power. Data were collected from 105 undergraduate students at a teacher-training institution in southern Vietnam, who completed the Pearson Test of English Academic and a Vocabulary Size Test. Hierarchical linear regression showed that combined language proficiency and vocabulary measures predicted academic achievement moderately well, outperforming either measure alone. Partial least squares structural equation modelling further indicated that the three individual factors influenced academic achievement indirectly through their effects on language proficiency and vocabulary knowledge. These findings highlight the value of using multiple measures–including language proficiency tests, vocabulary assessments, and individual factors–for admission and screening in EMI programmes.

Source: Applied Linguistics Review

DOI: 10.1515/applirev-2024-0287

Authors: Phat Hong Cao, Csaba Z. Szabo, Barry Lee Reynolds

Institutions: University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, University of Edinburgh, University of Macau

Language: English

Topic: Second Language Learning and Teaching

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,712