Speakers
Description
Vietnam’s ongoing shift toward an emerging ESL model is reshaping how English is used in higher education, particularly in specialized courses taught through English-medium instruction. As universities align with the national vision for English education from 2025 to 2035 and beyond, students are increasingly expected not only to master English proficiency but also to learn disciplinary knowledge through English. Against this backdrop, this study explores students’ perspectives on the challenges of studying specialized courses in English at the tertiary level. It focuses on difficulties related to understanding lectures, processing learning materials, participating in classroom interaction, and completing academic tasks in English. Although many students in English Language programs are expected to graduate with advanced proficiency, learning through English remains demanding when language and content are negotiated simultaneously in classroom settings. Using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the study examines how students experience English-medium learning in an evolving ESL-oriented context. It discusses how classroom communication, lecture delivery, learning materials, and instructional support may influence students’ academic engagement and comprehension. By foregrounding students’ voices, the study aims to contribute practical insights for curriculum planning, learner support, and more sustainable English-medium teaching practices in Vietnam’s transition toward a more globally connected ESL future.
Biography
BUI Thi Ha is an English language lecturer at Thang Long University in Hanoi. She holds a Master of Science in English Linguistics from the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University (VNU-ULIS). She has experience teaching general English courses across various language centers and delivering specialized linguistic courses at the university level. Her core academic and research interests include Innovative Teaching pedagogy, Contrastive and Cognitive Linguistics, and Translation Theory. With the findings from her research, she can analyze the common errors that students make when learning a second language due to L1 interference.
DANG Phuong Thao is currently an English language lecturer at Thang Long University. With an MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL from the University of Sheffield, she has taught across universities, private secondary schools, and language centres in Vietnam. Her academic interests include English language pedagogy, educational psychology, and applied linguistics, particularly in relation to learner engagement and inclusive learning environments. She previously presented at the International Conference on Educational Sciences and Foreign Language Teaching, where her presentation explored the integration of educational technology and multiple intelligences theory to support inclusivity in EFL classrooms. Her recent work focuses on the opportunities and tensions emerging as Vietnamese education gradually shifts from EFL toward more ESL-oriented models of teaching and learning.
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