VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This presentation explores the often-unrecognized language-support practices of Vietnamese university content lecturers teaching disciplinary courses through English-medium instruction. While content lecturers may not identify as English teachers, they frequently make pedagogical decisions that help students access disciplinary knowledge through English. These practices may include explaining technical vocabulary, rephrasing complex concepts, slowing or simplifying teacher talk, using Vietnamese strategically, checking comprehension, and guiding students through discipline-specific ways of reading, speaking, or writing. The presentation examines these practices as hidden language work: language-related support that is central to classroom learning but often remains unnamed, undervalued, or institutionally unsupported. Drawing on research on English-medium instruction, teacher identity, lecturer agency, and content-language integration, the presentation proposes a qualitative inquiry into how Vietnamese content lecturers understand and manage this work. It asks how lecturers decide what language support is appropriate, how they protect their identity as disciplinary specialists, and how institutional expectations shape their classroom choices. The presentation argues that hidden language work should not be treated as accidental assistance or evidence that content lecturers must become English teachers. Instead, it reveals the need for clearer, more collaborative support models that recognize content lecturers’ agency while distributing responsibility for students’ English-medium learning more realistically.