The effect of digital apps on Vietnamese EFL learners’ receptive vocabulary acquisition : a case study of quizlet and paper flashcards

The thesis aims to investigate the efficacy of a digital vocabulary learning application called Quizlet compared with that of a more traditional method, such as paper flashcards, among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Vietnam where the teaching and learning of English has been an object of concern for the government. Reports so far have recorded slow progress and official policies attempt to encourage improvement in the area including the use of digital media in teaching and learning. So it is legitimate to ask whether reliance on digital media in EFL education may be justified. This is the practical motivation of this project, which compares a digital tool and a more traditional tool used for the same purpose: the learning of the L2 lexicon. The theoretical framework of the study is the Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media (CATLM) (Moreno & Mayer, 2007), and the evaluation framework used follows Miyamoto (2001) according to whom multimodal second language learning activities should be evaluated from three different perspectives: the linguistic development in the learner, (2) the linguistic environment provided by the learning tool and (3) the learner’s perception on the learning tool. Consequently, this study examines two vocabulary learning tools, Quizlet and paper flashcards in terms of (a) actual learning outcomes; (b) input, output, interaction and feedback and (c) learners’ attitude. This study follows a design including pre-test, training (two one-hour reading and vocabulary learning sessions per week for four weeks) and immediate post-test as well as delayed post-test. Participants in the study were an intact class of 39 high school students in Vietnam. They were divided into two groups. Approximately twenty new words selected from a reading passage were introduced to the students each week. As for the vocabulary learning tools, group A used Quizlet while group B paper flashcards for the first two weeks. Then, group A switched to paper flashcards, and group B Quizlet in the following two weeks. This method was used to counterbalance the order effect of using two different tools. Data analysis included screen captures (Quizlet) and video recordings (paper flashcards) of six randomly selected participants’ learning activities during training sessions; improvements from vocabulary pre-tests to post-tests and; participants’ responses to a questionnaire. Results suggest that both of the tools have a positive influence on vocabulary learning. However, Quizlet appears to be more effective than paper flashcards in fostering vocabulary development. Additionally, Quizlet has various advantages over paper flashcards in terms of the linguistic environment provided for learning and meets students’ preference. However, paper flashcards do have some specific merits such as encouraging students to practise pronouncing words, which was not observed on Quizlet. The research proposes that there is some justification to the belief that digital apps may elicit better results overall than some of the more traditional method for L2 vocabulary learning in English as a second language because they provide a greater variety of linguistic environments and because they can help meet the need for exposure to native English in the Vietnamese school system

EXPLOITATION OF SPIRITUAL TOURISM IN THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE, VIETNAM: A PERSPECTIVE FROM TOURISM COMPANIES

Abstract: This study captures the current problems of spiritual tourism exploitation in Thua Thien Hue province from tourism providers’ perspective. The author uses in-depth interviews with 6 respondents who are representatives of the local’s tourism companies. The analysis of the data indicates that the great potential of the local’s spiritual tourism can be developed via values spiritual orientations including Royal-based value; folk culture-based value; religion-based value, and historical heritage sites-based value. Besides, the author also clarifies the current problematic status of deploying spiritual tourism in this area. The findings of the study will be both a guideline to practitioners and a useful reference to researchers in local’s spiritual tourism development.Keywords: exploitation, spiritual tourism, Thua Thien Hu

Allelic polymorphism of crtRB1 and LcyE genes related to the β-carotene content in Vietnamese traditional maize accessions,

Maize is the third most important food crop after wheat and rice. Maize is used as food for more than a billion people around the world and is used as animal feed, especially, poultry. The concentration of carotenoids, especially, β-carotene in maize grains, is very low. Therefore, the study of increasing the amount of provitamin A carotenoids including β-carotene is important. In maize, different alleles of crtRB1 and LcyE genes have a significant effect on β-carotene content. In this paper, we present the results of the study of allele polymorphism of these two genes related to the provitamin A carotenoid content in some traditional maize accessions collected from several regions in North and Central Highlands of Vietnam. The results showed that there were polymorphisms at the 3’ and 5’ ends of the crtRB1 and LcyE genes. Among 22 maize accessions, the proportion of favorable alleles at the 3’ end of crtRB1 gene was relatively high (5/22 = 22.73%). Similar results were obtained for alleles at 3’ end of the LcyE gene. Especially, there is an accession (Northern white gold maize) that carries favorable alleles at the 3’ ends of both crtRB1 and LcyE genes. While all investigated maize accessions did not carry favorable alleles at the 5’ end of both crtRB1 and LcyE genes. The identification of traditional maize accessions that carry favorable alleles for increasing b-carotene content opens up potential to exploit indigenous genetic resources for genetic research as well as to develop maize varieties with high β- carotene content.

Le comité populaire de Hanoï et la question du logement

Avec la politique de Renouveau économique de la fin des années 1980, le Vietnam est sorti de son isolement pour entrer dans un cycle de transformations profondes. De nombreuses constructions, qui sont apparues tant au centre-viIle qu'en périphérie de grandes viIles comme Hanoi ou Ho Chi Minh ville, expriment unc intention politique de renforcer leur fonction métropolitaine. La ville de Hanoi traverse une période de transition, passant d'une économie centralisée à une économie de marché. Le Renouveau a entraîné non seulement une forte croissance économique mais aussi un remarquable développement urbain. L'urbanisation rapide engendre également de nouveaux défis dans les zones urbaines. Dans ce contexte, les bouleversements des mécanismes et des systèmes urbains soulèvent une multitude d'interrogations. Nous traitons donc tout d'abord du concept d'urbanisation pour ensuite nous attarder aux défis qu'il engendre. Nous abordons aussi la question du logement -un secteur fondamental pour toute société en raison de son importance sociale et économique, dans les villes des pays en développement et particulièrement à Hanoi. Cette recherche a pour objectif de comprendre comment l'intervention de l'État et celle du Comité populaire de Hanoi influent sur l'accès au logement actuel de la population de la capitale dans le contexte de la libération de l'économie et du changement de politique relative à la production et à la gestion du logement. Elle vise à analyser les problèmes pour savoir quelles sont les origines de l'insuffisance du logement à Hanoi en se concentrant sur les politiques et l'intervention des autorités locales en matière de logement. Notre étude porte sur les neuf arrondissements urbains de Hanoi où l'accès au logement d'une grande partie des citadins devient de plus en plus difficile. Notre hypothèse est, d'une part, en raison des politiques foncières et de logement en période de transition, et d'autre part, du manque d'expérience en matière d'urbanisme. L'hypothèse et les objectifs de notre recherche nous ont conduit à préconiser un modèle de recherche exploratoire-descriptive à partir de divers documents et d'une quinzaine d'entrevues réalisées à Hanoi. Cc modèle nous a aidé à comprendre les enjeux de la transition urbaine, où la question du logement est considérée comme un point chaud.\ud Les résultats montrent que Ie marché immobilier a connu d'importantes transformations à Hanoi grâce à l'instauration de politiques et de réglementations des autorités nationales et locales en la matière au cours des dernières années. Cependant, le secteur public joue encore un rôle dominant dans l'aménagement foncier et n'arrive pas à faire fonctionner le marché immobilier correctement. De plus, en raison de la période de transition que traverse ce secteur, les politiques de logement sont parfois non coordonnées et incohérentes, ce qui conduit à différentes interprétations des règlements, à diverses formes de corruption et à des transactions immobilières irrégulières. Faute de moyens financiers et d'expérience en matière d'urbanisme, la ville de Hanoi n'arrive pas à améliorer ses infrastructures urbaines. Le problème de logement n'est pas causé par une pénurie globale de l'offre. mais plutôt par le manque de certaines catégories de logements pour les ménages à moyens et faibles revenus. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Logement, Urbanisation, Pays en développement, Hanoi, Vietnam

TRẢI NGHIỆM CỦA SINH VIÊN ĐỐI VỚI GIÁO DỤC ĐẠI HỌC: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC KINH TẾ, ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ

This study aims to analyze students' experiences in higher education at the University of Economics, Hue University. Through a survey of 148 graduate students and the use of descriptive statistical techniques, the research findings provided insight into the experiences of students at three distinct stages of their university journey: prior to admission, throughout their studies, and post-graduation. The results indicated that, while some experiences were not particularly valued, students generally had positive opinions of university activities corresponding with each phase. The study also made managerial recommendations for improving future student experiences in terms of higher education.Nghiên cứu này nhằm phân tích những trải nghiệm của sinh viên đối với giáo dục đại học tại Trường Đại học Kinh tế, Đại Học Huế. Thông qua việc tiếp cận 148 sinh viên đã tốt nghiệp và sử dụng kỹ thuật thống kê mô tả, nghiên cứu đã làm rõ được hành trình trải nghiệm của sinh viên tại trường và các điểm chạm thông qua 3 giai đoạn bao gồm trước khi nhập học, trong suốt quá trình học và sau khi tốt nghiệp. Kết quả đã cho thấy sinh viên có những ấn tượng tốt đối với nhà trường tương ứng với mỗi một giai đoạn trải nghiệm, bên cạnh đó, cũng còn những trải nghiệm chưa thật sự được đánh giá cao. Nghiên cứu cũng đã đưa ra một số hàm ý quản trị cho nhà trường trong việc nâng cao trải nghiệm cho sinh viên trong tương lai đối với giáo dục đại học

An analysis of value-chains and market development to support the smaller-scale production of pork by ethnic minority women in the Northern Mountainous Region of Vietnam

HIGHLIGHTS: *Using information gathered from visits to field sites and interviews with farmers in 2019, the authors of this report or Guidance Memo document the challenges faced by socially and economically-marginalized women in the Northern Mountainous Region (NMR) of Vietnam who raise local or heritage pigs on small-scales to supplement their family income. *These women have been greatly affected by recent growth in industrial-scale pork production in Vietnam. *Moreover, the African Swine Fever crisis in northern Vietnam in mid/late 2019 threatens to put an end to raising local/heritage breeds on small scales in NMR. *But there is clear evidence that smaller-scale pork production in NMR is viable and is good socially, economically, environmentally, and for animal welfare. *A number of concrete, practical ways to support small-scale producers are suggested, from providing training in pig breeding to simple steps like teaching the small producers to use Facebook to attract customers

An Assessment of Cough Medicine Dispensing Practice to Children Under Two Years Old in Pharmacies in Ho Chi Minh City Using Simulated-Patient Method

Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications (CCMs) have been used to treat the symptoms of upper respiratory infection in children for decades. The safety of CCMs in children has been questioned. The data on knowledge of pharmacists in supplying cough medicines for children under two years have been limited. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacists’ dispensing decisions to manage the cough in children under two years old. A descriptive cross-sectional was carried out in 300 pharmacies in 15 districts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The pharmacists were interviewed by a simulated patient. The results showed that, information that pharmacists actively asked the client about the patient and disease symptoms was limited. Most pharmacists did not provide adequate instructions and counsel about using drugs for clients. Only 22/300 (7.33%) of pharmacists appropriately provided cough medicines for children under 2 years old. The main reason of inappropriateness was the deficiency of knowledge about updated contraindication of N-acetylcysteine (93.17%). Pharmacists in pharmacies located in districts 3, 11 and Binh Thanh had higher rate of rational provision than those in other districts. A good and full understanding of the patient symptom helped the pharmacists supply cough medicines more reasonably. The limited caution of pharmacists and the low proportion of pharmacists updating contraindication of N-acetylcysteine should be considered as a warning sign in pharmacy practice in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Arsenate reductase gene from Pityrogramma calomelanos L. enhances tolerance to arsenic in tobacco

Arsenic (As) contamination in soil, water and air is an alarming issue worldwide and has serious effects on human health and environment. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, and water, and exposure to high levels of arsenic can lead to a range of health problems. The effects of arsenic contamination can also be felt in the environment, as it can harm plants and animals and disrupt ecological systems. The major purpose of this study was to produce transgenic plants with improved tolerance to and accumulation of arsenic via transformation of arsenate reductase gene (ArsC) into tobacco genome. Transgenic plants were screen by PCR and southern blot. Further, their tolerance and accumulation to arsenic were evaluated. In the result, we have cloned, characterized, and transformed the ArsC gene from Pityrogramma calomelanos L. (PcArsC). Its phylogenetic analysis revealed 99% homology to ArsC gene in GenBank (accession number X80057.1). Moreover, Southern blot analysis showed that ArsC gene was integrated into the tobacco genome as a single-copy. These single-copy transgenic lines showed much higher tolerance to and accumulation of As than wild type, with no other phenotypes observed. These results demonstrated that Pityrogramma calomelanos ArsC gene can improve arsenic tolerance and accumulation in transgenic tobacco lines. Thus, using Pityrogramma calomelanos L. ArsC gene for genetic engineering has potential implications in the decontamination of arsenic-containing soil

Investigating the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from Gymnema sylvestre and Curcuma longa in Vietnam

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are soil eukaryotes that belong to phylum Glomeromycota and have symbiosis with the vast majority of higher plants’ roots. AM fungi are believed to be coevolved with terrestrial plants, the abundance and diversity of AM fungal communities as a result are host plant dependent. A survey of AM fungi from the rhizospheres of medicinal plants in Northern Vietnam including gurma Gymnema sylvestre and turmeric Curcuma longa was carried out. From the extracted total DNAs of the medicinal plants’ rhizosphere soil samples, 35 mycorrhizal fungal species were identified by analyzing small subunit rRNA gene sequences. Result revealed that genus Glomus is the most abundant in the AM communities of G. sylvestre and C. longa, followed by Gigaspora and Acaulospora. Besides, AM species belonging to genera Scutellospora, Diversispora and Rhizophagus were observed in almost all rhizosphere soil samples. The spore counting by wet sieving and decanting method uncovered a variation in AM spore density of gurma and turmeric rhizosphere. In general, AM species were found more abundantly and more diverse in collected rhizome soil samples of C. longa (27 species belonging to 10 genera) than of G. sylvestre (17 species found belonging to 7 genera). The observed difference in AM communities of G. sylvestre and C. longa supports evidence for the dependence of AM fungal species on host plants, and indicates that AM fungi may have relation to the host plants’ secondary metabolite production