English-Medium Instruction Motivation and Anxiety in Business Administration: A Mixed-Methods Study at a Vietnamese University

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined how English Medium Instruction (EMI) motivation and anxiety developed over one semester among Vietnamese business administration students. It also explored factors that may influence these psychological constructs. Using an explanatory sequential design, quantitative data were collected from 320 students at three points through questionnaires. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with 20 participants to elaborate on the survey findings. Analyses identified three motivational trajectories: declining immediate experiential motivation, stable future-oriented components, and growing international orientation. Anxiety patterns showed temporal complexity. Communication apprehension and fear of negative evaluation followed inverted U-shaped patterns, whereas test anxiety remained persistently high, especially for qualitative assignments. Hierarchical regression analysis suggested that linguistic competence, pedagogical approaches, and professional identity development were key predictors of both motivation and anxiety. These models explained 48% of the variance in motivation and 52% of the variance in anxiety. Professional aspirations functioned both as motivational resources and as sources of anxiety, creating complex psychological dynamics. Overall, the findings indicate that business education contexts may generate distinct EMI experiences compared with more general academic settings. They also suggest that EMI programs in professional education may require specialized support that addresses the intersection of language learning, content mastery, and career preparation. Uniform strategies across all disciplines may therefore be insufficient.