Ms. Lê Hoài Thu, MA, a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics, VNU – International School (VNU-IS), has won the “Best Paper Award” at the 2025 International Conference on “English Language Teaching and English-Medium Instruction.”
Ms. Lê Hoài Thu, MA., has won the “Best Paper Award”.
Her research explores how people write TripAdvisor reviews about their dining experiences at Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam. Drawing on Martin and White’s (2005) Appraisal Theory, the study examines how reviewers express emotions, evaluations, and judgments in their writing. The research team analyzed 80 positive reviews of four Michelin-starred restaurants posted between 2021 and 2025. Findings revealed that all three categories—Affect, Appreciation, and Judgment—appeared in the reviews but to varying degrees. Among them, Appreciation subtype (e.g., compliments on delicious food or beautiful ambience) was used most frequently, followed by Affect (e.g., delight, satisfaction) and Judgment (e.g., comments on staff and service). The study also highlights the importance for restaurants to actively engage with customers online, listen to feedback, and mitigate the effects of negative reviews. Linguistically, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of how language is used to convey opinion and evaluation in culinary reviews.
At the conference, lecturers from the Faculty of Applied Linguistics and students majoring in English Language actively participated in paper presentations and discussions. Their studies attracted significant interest from participants, who exchanged ideas and feedback to help improve the presenters’ work. Notably, VNU-IS lecturers also served as session chairs in several parallel sessions.
VNU – International School places strong emphasis on promoting research among both faculty members and students. Alongside building supportive mechanisms and policies to encourage research, the School also regularly organizes academic conferences and symposia, and sends students and lecturers to participate in national and international academic events to strengthen their research capacity.
The international conference themed “English as a Medium of Instruction and English Language Teaching: Trends, Challenges and Innovations” was jointly organized by Hanoi Open University, VNU -International School, and the University of Economics – Technology for Industries. The conference served as a scholarly forum that brought together researchers, educators, policy-makers, lecturers, postgraduate students, and undergraduates from Vietnam and abroad to discuss and share their latest research findings on using English as a medium of instruction (EMI), as well as current and future trends in the field.
The conference covered a wide range of topics related to theories, methods, and applications in English teaching and learning, as well as English language studies.
Congratulations to Ms. Lê Hoài Thu on this outstanding achievement. We wish her continued success in her research journey ahead.
