Speaker
Description
As higher education in Vietnam repositions English from a foreign language to a second language, culture courses remain an underexplored space for fostering intercultural competence and ESL identity. This study examines how a Western culture course shapes ESL identity and global citizenship readiness among third-year English majors. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 62 students via a validated 15-item Likert scale survey (overall α = .903). An ESL Identity Index (α = .855) was constructed as the primary dependent variable and correlated with final examination scores, which were selected a priori as the measure of end-of-course learning outcomes. The correlation was positive but non-significant (r = .16, p = .23), consistent with the study’s exploratory framing and sample size constraints. A group comparison between high and low performers yielded a medium effect size (d = .58). Qualitative analysis of 40 open-ended responses identified three themes: identity shift, intercultural awareness, and global readiness. These themes were further explored in eight semi-structured interviews. One critical case—a student with the lowest exam score but an almost perfect ESL Identity Index—suggests that identity investment and academic success can operate independently. These findings carry implications for curriculum redesign and institutional internationalization in Vietnamese higher education.
Biography
Tran Ho Anh Phong is a lecturer in the Faculty of English Language at Lac Hong University, Dong Nai, Vietnam, where he has been teaching for nearly two decades. He holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Victoria University, Australia (2013), and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Teacher Education from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (2006). His teaching portfolio spans Syntax, Translation and Interpretation, Introduction to Western Culture and Society, and a full range of language skills courses—subjects he approaches with the conviction that the classroom is where ideas live most honestly. His research interests center on second language identity, intercultural communicative competence, and the pedagogical implications of Vietnam’s EFL-to-ESL transition, with a growing interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence and language education. His published work includes studies on extensive reading, teaching strategies for reading comprehension, and TOEIC preparation methodology. He has two forthcoming quantitative and qualitative articles examining student perceptions of Google Translate use, both accepted and currently in press. Recognized as Distinguished Lecturer of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, and as Outstanding Academic Advisor in 2024, he brings a profound dedication to both his teaching and scientific research. Beyond the classroom, his academic pursuits are enriched by a deep passion for reading across diverse fields—including general and educational philosophy, educational and broader psychology, spirituality, and religion—coupled with a persistent habit of asking questions that resist easy answers.
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