VOlUME 05 ISSUE 04 April 2026
1Nguyen Thị Kieu Huong, 2Tran Thanh Du, 3Au Minh Triet, 4Pham Nguyen Thanh Tu, 5Nguyen Thanh Xuan
1Ph.D Candidate, Ho Chi Minh City Open University; Thu Dau Mot University, Viet Nam
2Thu Dau Mot University, Viet Nam
3Thu Dau Mot University, Viet Nam
4Thu Dau Mot University, Viet Nam
5Ph.D Candidate, Thammassate University, Thailand; Thu Dau Mot University, Viet Nam
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i4n04Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
This study, aims to investigate English-majored students’ perceptions, usage, and challenges regarding idioms and fixed expressions in academic essay writing within a Vietnamese higher education context to identify gaps between students’ awareness and their actual phraseological competence. Mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative data. A questionnaire with Likert-scale items was administered to examine students’ perceptions, followed by semi-structured interviews with 40 participants to gain deeper insights into their experiences and difficulties. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were thematically coded. The findings indicate that although students generally recognize the importance of idioms and fixed expressions in enhancing cohesion and stylistic sophistication (M = 3.67), their actual use remains moderate (M = 3.25) and their confidence relatively low (M = 2.67). Students reported considerable difficulty in using these expressions appropriately (M = 3.72) and perceived insufficient instructional support from lecturers (M = 2.65). Qualitative findings further reveal that learners often rely on incidental exposure rather than systematic instruction, leading to avoidance or inappropriate usage. The study underscores the need for explicit, systematic instruction of idioms and fixed expressions within academic writing curricula. It recommends integrating corpus-informed pedagogy, guided practice, and AI-supported feedback to enhance students’ phraseological competence and academic writing quality. This study contributes to the growing body of research on formulaic language by providing empirical evidence from the Vietnamese tertiary context. It highlights the critical role of phraseological competence in academic writing and offers pedagogical insights for bridging the gap between awareness and effective use.
KEYWORDS:idioms; fixed expressions; academic writing; EFL learners; phraseological competence; Vietnam
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Cite this Article:Huong, N. T. K., Du, T. T., Triet, A. M., Tu, P. N. T., & Xuan, N. T. (2026). Students’ Perception of Idioms and Fixed Expressions: A Case of English-Majored Students at A University in Vietnam. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(4), 606-616. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i4n04