VietTESOL International Convention 2026

As Vietnam repositions English from a foreign to a second language, teachers become the frontline agents who turn policy intent into classroom reality. Yet how teachers actually enact culturally grounded, glocalized content, and what this reveals about their professional learning needs, remains underexplored. This study examines teacher practice through the lens of glocalization theory and teacher agency. It uses a multiple-case qualitative design that triangulates three data sources for each teacher: semi-structured interviews, the teaching artifacts they use, and classroom observations of lessons in which local cultural identity is treated as a resource rather than interference. Aligning teachers' stated intentions, their lesson designs, and their observed practice allows the study to capture the gap between what teachers plan and what they improvise in the moment. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, with themes mapped onto dimensions of teacher agency. Three categories have emerged: improvised localization of standardized materials, negotiating local content against exam-driven expectations, and constrained agency under institutional pressure. Preliminary findings indicate that teachers glocalize even within highly standardized contexts, yet rely on individual initiative rather than shared professional knowledge. The study argues that the shift toward ESL rests on more than curriculum reform, expecting professional learning that recognizes and strengthens teacher agency in localizing content.