earticle

영어

This mixed-methods study investigates Vietnamese English majors’ perceptions of integrating the 4C framework (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity) into a Business English speaking course. Participants were 103 third-year English majors who completed a Likert-scale questionnaire, and 15 volunteers took part in follow-up semi-structured interviews. Findings showed positive perceptions of 4C-embedded speaking tasks. Collaboration was rated most highly, followed by creativity and critical thinking, while communication received slightly lower evaluations. Qualitative data revealed that authentic project- and problem-based activities and simulated workplace scenarios enhanced students’ professional readiness, teamwork, and innovative thinking. However, participants reported challenges such as unequal group participation, unclear task guidance, and difficulty applying analytical reasoning to complex business cases. This research contributes to 4C-based Business English pedagogy by demonstrating how the 4Cs can be operationalized in speaking tasks in an EFL higher education context. These findings suggest that effective 4C integration requires clear rubrics, structured group roles, and sustained scaffolding and feedback to support higher-order thinking in Business English speaking classrooms.