VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Previous research in different educational settings has demonstrated that incorporating issues such as power, inequality, and social justice in the classroom can help students develop greater intercultural understanding, reduce prejudice, and become more aware of unfair social systems (Hammer, 2015; Deardorff & Arasaratnam-Smith, 2017). Based on this idea, the current qualitative study explored an undergraduate Intercultural Communication (ICC) course taught from a social justice perspective at a university in Vietnam.
Drawing on critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970), the ICC course focused on the adoption of inclusive teaching strategies as a means to foster intercultural competence, ethical awareness, and a stronger sense of cultural identity. Students examined how factors such as race, gender, language, and ethnicity can influence power relationships and intercultural interactions. Learning activities included analysing social media posts, giving presentations on social justice topics, writing reflections, and completing group projects related to social issues. The course also encouraged student participation, the use of multiple languages, flexible assessment methods, and respect for different types of knowledge and experiences.
The study analysed 45 student reflection papers and 15 interview transcripts to understand students’ experiences and awareness of social justice issues. Research findings indicate increased student engagement, heightened awareness of social justice issues, and a strengthened sense of identity. Students demonstrated increased consciousness about various injustice issues, such as "whose knowledge" is upheld in academic and social contexts, what ‘languages’ are privileged or marginalized, and why confronting prejudices is essential to intercultural equity. They also reported a greater ability to recognise social inequalities and question unfair assumptions. In addition, students appreciated the use of culturally relevant materials and opportunities to share personal stories. Based on these findings, the study suggests ways to include social justice topics in intercultural communication courses in multilingual and non-Western contexts.