THE IDIODYNAMIC METHOD IN WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE RESEARCH:  A METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE   EDUCATION IN VIETNAM

Hoang Quoc Viet; Le Xuan Mai; Nguyen Van Loi

Hoang Quoc Viet*	hoangquocviet.bkd@gmail.com	Can Tho University, Vietnam 411, 30/4 street, Tan An ward, Can Tho City, Vietnam
Nguyen Van Loi	loinguyen@ctu.edu.vn	Can Tho University, Vietnam 411, 30/4 street, Tan An ward, Can Tho City, Vietnam
Le Xuan Mai	lxmai@ctu.edu.vn	Can Tho University, Vietnam 411, 30/4 street, Tan An ward, Can Tho City, Vietnam

Summary:

Research on Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in the Vietnamese foreign language education context has largely relied on cross-sectional survey designs that measure WTC as a relatively stable trait at a single point in time. However, foundational theoretical perspectives, including MacIntyre et al.’s (1998) model and Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, conceptualize WTC as a time-sensitive, context-dependent state that fluctuates during communicative performance. This theoretical-methodological misalignment suggests the need for process-sensitive measurement approaches. Through an integrative review of representative empirical and theoretical literature on the idiodynamic method published between 2011 and 2025 across SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ERIC, this paper proposes the idiodynamic method as a methodological extension for WTC research in Vietnam. It outlines the core principles of the method, discusses its strengths and limitations, and introduces an integrated dual-anchor design combining real-time rating with video-stimulated recall. The paper argues that dynamic measurement can provide deeper insight into the temporal trajectories of WTC and facilitate more theoretically aligned research in the Vietnamese context.

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Keywords:

Vietnamese context

Complex dynamic systems theory (CDST)

idiodynamic method

willingness to communicate (WTC).

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Journal:

No. 7, July 2026

VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

THE VIETNAM NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

THE IDIODYNAMIC METHOD IN WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE RESEARCH: A METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN VIETNAM