EMB120 FLT CREW ENTERS HOLDING INCORRECTLY ENRTE TO LAX.

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WE HAD DEPARTED OXNARD AIRPORT ENRTE TO LAX AND WERE LEVELING OFF AT 5000 FT WHEN WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM PT MAGU APCH TO PROCEED DIRECT TO AND JOIN THE VTU 170 DEG R; TRACK IT AND HOLD AT 5000 FT; R TURNS; 10 NM LEGS. THIS CLRNC DID NOT INCLUDE A FIX; DIRECTION RELATIVE TO FIX OR EFC TIME AND CAME ON SHORT NOTICE AS WE WERE WITHIN 3 NM OF THE VTU VOR EXPECTING A HANDOFF TO SOCAL APCH. IT WAS ALSO A BUSY TIME IN THE COCKPIT SO I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT; SLOWED AND HEADED TO JOIN THE 170 DEG RADIAL. MEANWHILE; WE DISCUSSED THE HOLDING PATTERN AND CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING: AS WE WERE ROUGHLY EBOUND WHEN GIVEN THE CLRNC; I SELECTED A TEARDROP ENTRY MANEUVER WHICH RAISED CONFUSION ABOUT THE CTLR WANTING US TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE 170 DEG RADIAL. WE QUESTIONED HIM AS TO THE INBOUND RADIAL/ DIRECTION OF HOLD JUST TO CLARIFY THIS CONFUSION BUT WE RECEIVED NO REPLY AND SO CONTINUED ON THE TEARDROP ENTRY; HEADING 140 DEG. JUST PRIOR TO US TURNING BACK INBOUND; THE CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE HEADING AND WHY. HE THEN TOLD US WE WERE DRIFTING INTO LOS ANGELES'S AIRSPACE AND PROCEEDED TO VECTOR US IN A BOX PATTERN SW OF VENTURA. FROM THIS IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED US TO HOLD IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE ASKED TO SEE IF WE HAD MISHEARD HIM AND HE HAD REQUESTED L TURNS IN THE HOLD (WE HAD HEARD AND WRITTEN DOWN R). AGAIN TO THIS THERE WAS NO REPLY. LATER; WHEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SOCAL APCH; THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE OVERRIDDEN BY ANOTHER CTLR FROM WHICH WE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS TRAINING GOING ON. I BELIEVE THE CONFUSION ABOUT THE DESIRED HOLDING PATTERN RESULTED FROM SEVERAL FACTORS. I WAS HAND FLYING AT THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC AND WE WERE COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WHILE ALMOST BEING ON TOP OF THE VOR WHEN AN INCOMPLETE CLRNC WAS ISSUED. THERE WAS ALSO A LACK OF COM BTWN US AND THE CTLR. THE BEST THING TO HAVE DONE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO REQUEST AN INITIAL VECTOR FROM THE CTLR TO ENSURE US REMAINING IN HIS AIRSPACE WHILE CLARIFYING THE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WITH HIM WITHIN A TIMELY MANNER.