VietTESOL International Convention 2026

In the context of Vietnam’s national English as a compulsory Second Language Plan (2025–2035, vision 2045), English curriculum reform has become a central priority. It is therefore critical to examine how other countries conceptualise and implement English within their curricula — from policy to classroom practice — and, crucially, how these reforms are experienced by teachers. This presentation reports key findings from the Curriculum Comparison Project, part of the British Council’s Future of English research programme. The project examines recent reforms in English language curricula at primary and secondary levels in China, Korea, and Japan. The research design for the project is grounded in O’Sullivan’s (2021) Comprehensive Learning System (CLS), which emphasises alignment between curriculum, delivery, and assessment within a shared learning philosophy. The project is structured by these components: curriculum (Part 1), delivery (Part 2), and assessment (Part 3), with an added focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning (Part 4). The presentation focuses on findings from Part 1 and, in particular, Part 2. Part 1 maps reform trends using national curriculum guides and expert input, highlighting common priorities and context-specific differences. Part 2 investigates how reforms are interpreted and enacted by teachers through a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of 639 teachers, 14 focus groups, and 31 classroom observations. The findings shed light on teachers’ preparedness, understanding, and implementation practices across China, Korea and Japan. The session concludes by considering implications for Viet Nam, with particular attention to how teachers from China, Korea and Japan experience and respond to curriculum reform, and potential lessons learnt. Situating the findings within broader global trends in English language education, the presentation offers insights for curriculum reform and development.