Speaker
Description
In many English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) contexts, instruction remains heavily exam-oriented, prioritizing accuracy over authentic communication. Vietnam is currently undergoing a pivotal transformation through Decree 2371/QD-TTg, which aims to transition the school system from an EFL environment to one where English is a second language (ESL). This shift necessitates new pedagogies that prioritize communicative competence and a "language usage ecosystem," yet limited research has synthesized how empowering tools such as board games or card games for authentic learning (Poole, 2025) and intercultural learning (Spano, 2021) specifically support intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and learner belonging during this transition.
This workshop addresses that gap by examining theoretical foundations, including ICC, sociocultural theory, game-based learning, and self-determination theory, alongside inviting participants to join in three sessions of three different analog games to experience first-hand how a game-based lesson is conducted. Drawing on recent scholarship, the workshop also analyzes how tabletop games create rule-bound social systems that offer structured, low-stakes environments for negotiation, collaboration, and identity expression. Lastly, the workshop contributes a conceptual framework for using board games to foster learner voice and sustainable belonging. This highlights the significance of analog games as vital tools for educators navigating Vietnam’s systemic evolution toward a more communicative, ESL-oriented pedagogical landscape.
Biography
I am an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher with over nine years of classroom experience, a board game developer, and an independent researcher specializing in game-based learning. I co-founded GRAM-Z, Vietnam’s first board game studio dedicated to designing language-focused tabletop games that integrate authentic learning principles into grammar, vocabulary, and communication practice.
For the past five years, I have conducted research on game-based learning and gamification, with a strong emphasis on how tabletop games foster cultural communication, learner agency, and lifelong learning. I am also an active member of Ludic Language Pedagogy (LLP), contributing to international dialogues on games in education.
I have presented at multiple TESOL conferences in Vietnam and abroad, and my current projects include collaborative workshops for teachers in Hanoi, developing lesson plans that integrate Vietnamese-designed board games into English classrooms. My long-term aim is to legitimize tabletop games as both pedagogical tools and cultural assets.
| Affiliate type | Others |
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