Speaker
Description
As English teaching in Vietnam continues to evolve toward an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) orientation in response to current educational directions, many classrooms are gradually moving toward more communication-oriented goals. However, in everyday practice, English is still often taught as a subject, and students may find it difficult to use the language beyond familiar classroom tasks.
This presentation shares a classroom-based approach to making speaking activities more meaningful and closer to authentic communication. Drawing on teaching experience with second-year non-English major students in a teacher education program, the approach focuses on designing tasks that require students to express ideas, respond to others, and handle communication in realistic situations. Instead of relying mainly on controlled practice, these activities encourage students to use English with a clear purpose and to respond more spontaneously.
To support students who may feel less confident, simple preparation steps and light digital support are used before speaking tasks. These help learners organize their ideas and feel more ready to participate. Classroom experience shows that students become more willing to speak, more engaged in interaction, and more confident in using English.
The presentation offers practical and adaptable suggestions for teachers who wish to create more natural and meaningful communication opportunities in similar contexts.
Biography
Pham Thi Thang holds a Master’s degree in TESOL and is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences, Thai Nguyen University – Lao Cai Branch, Vietnam. She has extensive experience teaching English to pre-service teachers, particularly in contexts where learners have limited exposure to authentic English use. Her teaching focuses on developing students’ confidence and communicative competence in mixed-level classrooms.
Her professional interests include language teaching methodology, teacher education, learner affective factors, and the integration of educational technologies, including artificial intelligence, in language learning. She has actively participated in professional development activities and presented at several national and international conferences, including multiple VietTESOL Conventions and other academic forums in English language education.
Her recent work focuses on reducing speaking anxiety and fostering more inclusive and engaging learning environments for pre-service teachers, especially in mountainous and under-resourced contexts. Through both teaching and research, she is committed to promoting practical, context-sensitive, and learner-centered approaches to English language teaching in Vietnam.
| Affiliate type | University |
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