Dong Thap University Journal of Science - Social Sciences and Humanities Issue

https://dthujs.vn/index.php/sshen/issue/feed Dong Thap University Journal of Science - Social Sciences and Humanities Issue 2026-09-21T04:28:52+07:00 Open Journal Systems https://dthujs.vn/index.php/sshen/article/view/3539 Exploring Writing Anxiety among Vietnamese EFL Students at a University in the Mekong Delta: Influencing Factors and Coping Strategies 2026-07-14T01:58:05+07:00 Van Thanh Nguyen thanhb2206894@student.ctu.edu.vn Anh Thi Nguyen nathi@ctu.edu.vn

Writing anxiety is a significant affective factor in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning since it can shape learners’ perceptions of writing, reduce engagement with writing tasks, and influence the quality of written performance. Although writing anxiety has been widely discussed in EFL research, less is known about how Vietnamese EFL students interpret writing anxiety as a dynamic experience shaped by linguistic, psychological, pedagogical, sociocultural, and technological conditions. This qualitative study explores the factors influencing writing anxiety among Vietnamese EFL students and the strategies they use to cope with such anxiety. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine Vietnamese EFL students at a university in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Cheng’s (2004) L2 Writing Anxiety Framework was used as a sensitizing conceptual lens to guide the study while allowing contextual themes to emerge from the data. The findings show that students’ writing anxiety was associated with linguistic challenges, cognitive and psychological pressures, evaluation and feedback, time and task demands, social and cultural expectations, and technological and digital factors. Students coped with anxiety through planning, emotional regulation, peer and teacher support, technology-assisted strategies, and reflective growth. Notably, several factors, including feedback, peer comparison, time pressure, and AI-assisted writing tools, functioned both as anxiety triggers and coping resources. The study highlights the need for writing pedagogy that addresses both the immediate emotional effects of writing anxiety and students’ longer-term development as confident, autonomous, and ethically aware EFL writers.