Factors affecting teaching and learning English in Vietnamese universities (original) (raw)
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The development of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) is of great interest to language and language policy researchers in an era of globalization and internationalization. Despite recognition of a number of implementational problems and constraints, EMI has been widely introduced into various non-native English-speaking (NNES) countries. The question of what challenges face stakeholders in the implementation of EMI was our major focus in a two-year project that investigated a new EMI undergraduate program in Vietnam. Selected findings from the study's interview component reveal that lecturers were challenged by their own language abilities, students' language competence and learning styles, pedagogical issues, and resource availability. Based on these findings, suggestions are made for enhancing the success of similar programs.
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Teaching English in Vietnam : improving the provisionin the private sector
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CHAPTER HEADINGS CHAPTER 1-INTRODUCTION P.1 1.1. Need for policy change in English language teaching and learning in Vietnam P.2 1.2. Research question P.7 1.3. Contribution to knowledge P.8 1.4. Statement of significance P.8 1.5. Summary of chapter P.9 CHAPTER 2-LITERATURE REVIEW P.10 2.1. Communicative Language Teaching P.11 2.1.1. The roles of teachers and learners P.15 2.1.2. Students' motivation P.19 2.1.3. The roles of teaching materials P.20 2.2. English in Asian countries P.22 2.2.1. Role of English in Asia P.22 2.2.2. Levels of CLT in Asian countries P.24
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Portraits of Vietnamese teachers of English: an inquiry into their language proficiency development
For non-native English speaking (NNES) teachers, the most important professional duty beyond teaching their students is to develop their own foreign language proficiency (Medgyes, 2001). However, most in-service professional development activities tend to take NNES teachers' English proficiency development for granted. The results of a nationwide evaluation of the current teaching workforce in Vietnam during 2011-2012 identified in-service English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' low level of language proficiency as an inherent problem of English education in Vietnam. This thesis explores the perceptions of Vietnamese primary and secondary EFL teachers regarding their English proficiency and the level they consider as necessary for their teaching in comparison with the standard mandated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The thesis also investigates teachers' attitudes towards English proficiency development, and the characteristics of their language practice. This research employed a mixed-methods design using a combination of a self-rated English language proficiency survey, semi-structured interviews, and narrative inquiry. The survey collected responses from 298 in-service EFL teachers participating in professional development courses in four provinces of Northern Vietnam. Forty-two teachers were then selected for the semi-structured interviews. Of these participants, five were chosen and then repeatedly interviewed using narrative-inquiry techniques over a ten-week period. The findings indicate that participants' perceived English proficiency was significantly higher than both the level they perceived as required for their teaching practice and the English proficiency level mandated by MOET. Participants were found to have confidence to teach English mainly as a content-subject rather than as a means of communication, partly due to the powerful negative wash-back effects of high-stakes examinations. The study also documents how participants struggled to improve their English proficiency with limited and intermittent support. The research uncovers how participants' English proficiency developments were shaped by their language learning history, personal circumstances, and various other institutional and socio-cultural factors. These factors are categorised into a model with three overlapping categories namely personal, institutional and socio-cultural challenges. The close interdependence of the three groups of challenges demands a holistic solution to the daunting task of improving EFL teachers' English proficiency in Vietnam. Successful implementation of such an approach requires Publications during candidature Peer-reviewed papers Khoi, N. M., & Iwashita, N. (2012). A comparison of learners' and teachers' attitudes toward communicative language teaching at two universities in Vietnam. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 7, 25-49. Khoi, N. M. (2014). Towards a holistic approach to developing the language proficiency of Vietnamese primary teachers of English. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 11(2), 341-357 Trao, V. N., & Khoi, N. M. (2015). Responses to a language policy: EFL teachers' voices.
Vietnamese English Teachers' Perceptions on Incorporating World Englishes Into Their Teaching1
Understanding English varieties other than native-speaker norms has been regarded as necessary for effective communication in contexts where English is used as a lingua franca. In Vietnam, however, English language teaching remains focused on Standard English, which is somewhat out of step with the role of English in communication in the region. This exploratory study aims to uncover Vietnamese English teachers' perceptions of World Englishes (WE) in their English teaching. An online questionnaire, five individual follow-up interviews, and one focus group interview were conducted. A broad range of perceptions of Vietnamese English teachers at the university / college level towards English varieties was found. Introducing these was noted as having various benefits and challenges for teaching and learning. Suggestions for incorporating WE into teacher training, teaching, and materials development were deduced from the study, as were participants' imagined plans and implications of these plans for English teaching in Vietnam.