VietTESOL International Convention 2026

As Vietnam moves toward repositioning English from a foreign language to a functional medium of communication, a critical gap remains between policy aspirations and classroom realities, particularly in public primary education. This paper argues that the transformation from EFL to ESL-oriented practice cannot rely solely on curriculum reform or methodological innovation, but requires a reconceptualization of the teacher’s role as a designer of classroom language ecosystems.
Drawing on a semester-long action research project in a Vietnamese public primary school, this study explores how English can be embedded into the micro-structures of classroom life through intentional design. The intervention integrates four interconnected elements: routinized language use, interactional scaffolding, value-driven tasks, and reflective practices. Rather than treating language as content to be delivered, the approach positions English as a medium for participation, interaction, and meaning-making.
Data were collected through classroom observations, student artifacts, and recordings of learner interactions. Findings reveal a qualitative shift in student behavior, including increased spontaneous language use, greater engagement in communicative activities, and the emergence of learner agency in initiating language use beyond teacher prompts.
Based on these findings, the paper proposes a classroom language ecosystem framework that highlights the teacher’s role in orchestrating conditions for sustained language use. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on repositioning English in Vietnam by offering a practice-grounded, scalable model for bridging the gap between policy and classroom implementation in resource-constrained contexts.