English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has become increasingly vital in Vietnamese higher education, particularly at specialized institutions where English instruction must align with distinct professional domains. This study investigates the current state of ESP teaching methods at the Academy of Journalism and Communication (AJC) in Hanoi, Vietnam, a premier institution training professionals in journalism, media, and political communication. Employing a mixed-methods design combining surveys (n = 186 students, n = 12 lecturers), semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, the research examined the alignment between existing pedagogical practices and the professional English communication needs of journalism and media students. The findings reveal a significant gap between the predominantly grammar-translation and lecture-based methods currently employed and the task-based, project-oriented approaches that students and industry stakeholders report as necessary for professional readiness. Three key challenges emerged: (1) insufficient integration of authentic journalistic materials and real-world communicative tasks, (2) limited application of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and project-based learning (PBL) frameworks, and (3) a mismatch between assessment practices and the communicative competencies demanded by the media industry. The study proposes a context-sensitive pedagogical framework that combines needs analysis, task-based instruction, and genre-based approaches tailored to journalism and communication disciplines. These findings contribute to the growing literature on ESP pedagogy in Asian higher education contexts and offer practical implications for curriculum design at specialized communication universities.

Thi Van Thuy Tran, "English for Specific Purposes at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, Vietnam: A Mixed-Methods Study of Teaching Methods, Needs Analysis, and Pedagogical Effectiveness" International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Studies, V1(3): Page(12-19) May-June 2026. ISSN: 3139-0854. www.ijhssrs.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.