This analysis also attempts to discover the effectiveness of reflective writing in an IC theoretical course at the investigated institution, thereby proposing some recommendations to the reflection pedagogy currently employed at the university. | VNU JOURNAL OF FOREIGN STUDIES VOL. 37 NO. 4 2021 55 WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM STUDENTS WRITTEN REFLECTIONS IN AN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THEORETICAL COURSE Vu Thi Hoang Mai Faculty of Linguistics amp Culture of English Speaking Countries VNU University of Languages and International Studies Pham Van Dong Cau Giay Hanoi Vietnam Received 23 March 2021 Revised 22 June 2021 Accepted 15 July 2021 Abstract The implementation of intercultural communication IC courses has been excitedly scrutinized particularly in multicultural education and training environments. However little has been talked about such courses as a compulsory theoretical subject at tertiary institutions especially where communicating across cultures is not a mandatory daily practice. Inspired by the researched merits of reflective thinking this paper investigates what a lecturer of such a course can learn from her students assigned written reflections. The analysis both quantitative and qualitative of the reflections of eight classes of third year students at a language education university in Hanoi throughout an IC theoretical course has revealed informative implications with respect to 1 the students interest and critical thinking in particular issues and or frameworks in IC 2 the students self-regulation in studying such a theoretical subject 3 the students reflection levels and their conceptualization of the knowledge and their own learning. This analysis also attempts to discover the effectiveness of reflective writing in an IC theoretical course at the investigated institution thereby proposing some recommendations to the reflection pedagogy currently employed at the university. Keywords reflective thinking reflective writing self-regulated learning intercultural communication theoretical course 1. Introduction international formal education curricula and in-service training program but also taken The advent of leading-edge place in both theoretical formats and technology has been promoting and
