VietTESOL International Convention 2026

While the global spread of English has sparked extensive debate in applied linguistics, few studies explore how national policies in Expanding Circle contexts conceptualize the shift from English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to English as a Second Language (ESL). This paper examines Vietnam’s emerging policy trajectory, which seeks to reposition English from a discrete classroom subject to a functional second language across the national education system. Drawing on qualitative policy analysis, the study thematically examines three core documents: the ongoing National Foreign Languages Project and two recent government initiatives—the approved scheme “Making English the Second Language in Schools for the 2025–2035 Period, with a Vision to 2045” (Decision 2371/QD-TTg) and related roadmaps—outlining ambitions through 2045. Thematic discourse analysis reveals three dominant orientations in the policy texts: (1) English as a key instrument for international integration and economic competitiveness; (2) expansion of English-medium instruction, English use in teaching, communication, and school activities to foster an English-speaking ecosystem; and (3) continued reliance on standardized native-speaker norms in curriculum, assessment, and benchmarking, despite broader functional goals. These findings highlight a key tension in Vietnam’s ESL transition. The paper discusses implications for curriculum redesign, assessment reform, and teacher education, arguing that integrating insights from Global Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca frameworks could better align policy with the diverse, multilingual communicative realities Vietnamese learners will encounter in transnational and digital contexts.