VIC 2026 proudly introduces our three distinguished keynote speakers. These eminent experts will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in English Language Education to the Convention, promising to inspire and enlighten our attendees.
Keynote Speaker 1: Associate Professor Obaidul Hamid
Obaidul Hamid is an associate professor of TESOL Education at the University of Queensland, Australia. His research focuses on the policy and practice of TESOL in developing societies. He is a co-editor of Current Issues in Language Planning and a member of the editorial boards of Language Policy, TESOL Quarterly, World Englishes, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, English Teaching Practice & Critique and Journal of Asia TEFL. He co-edited Language and Sustainable Development in Bangladesh: Policies, Practices, and Perceptions (Routledge, 2024). He is currently working on a book tentatively titled English as a Southern language contracted with Cambridge University Press.
Vietnam’s Ambition for English as a Second Language: Navigating between Idealism and Reality
Vietnam’s aspiration to transform English from a foreign language into a second language reflects a form of classical language planning in a society shaped by market socialism, neoliberal reforms, and postmodern realities. Although leveraging the linguistic capital of English for societal goals carries a utopian appeal, experience from Asia and elsewhere shows that such ambitions are often only partially realized in practice. In some societies, English has been even viewed as a “white elephant” which consumes precious national resources but produces limited outcomes. This presentation will seek a middle ground between idealized goals and pessimistic projections. It is organized into three parts. The first examines the policy through relevant theoretical lenses and outlines its underlying rationale. The second identifies common pitfalls observed in other national contexts and considers how Vietnam might avoid them. The third focuses on policy enactment, highlighting priorities, enabling conditions, and incentives that can support more sustainable results. The presentation will conclude by inviting all stakeholders to claim the policy, be part of its enactment process, and remake English as a Vietnamese public good in line with the national ambition.
Keynote Speaker 2: Professor Barry O'Sullivan
Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE has worked on numerous test development and validation projects globally and advises ministries and institutions on assessment policy and practice. He has undertaken research across many areas on language testing and assessment and its history and has worked on the development and refinement of the socio-cognitive model of test development and validation since 2000. He has presented his work at many conferences around the world, while almost 100 of his publications have appeared in a range of international journals, books and technical reports. He is the founding president of the UK Association of Language Testing and Assessment, holds a visiting professorship at the University of Reading, UK, and is Advisory Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. He was awarded Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in the UK in 2016 and was elected to Fellowship of the Asian Association for Language Assessment in 2017. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE by the government of the UK for his contribution to language testing.
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