Speakers
Description
As English use diversifies globally, Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT) has gained prominence. However, its adoption in Vietnamese teacher education programs has been little examined. This study investigates how Vietnamese preservice English teachers perceive GELT. Semi-structured interviews with 13 final-year preservice teachers at a major Mekong Delta university were thematically analyzed. Participants perceived English primarily as a lingua franca for communication with other non-native speakers and endorsed flexible, multicultural pedagogy. They criticized curricula for privileging Anglo-American culture and examinations for ignoring multilingual realities, while viewing communicative effectiveness as more important than native-speaker norms. Both native and non-native teachers were valued when professionally competent. Although participants’ perceptions of GELT was limited, they unanimously supported embedding it in teacher training curricula and increasing space for Vietnamese culture and L1 use, acknowledging implementation challenges. The findings inform program developers and policymakers seeking to align Vietnamese English Language Teaching with global linguistic realities and invite further research on GELT-oriented teacher preparation in EFL contexts.
Biography
My name is Nguyen Huu Trong and I am a third-year student majoring in English Language Education at Can Tho University. My research interests include English Language Teaching (ELT), English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and Global Englishes. I have completed advanced training courses such as 150-hour TESOL from Arizona State University and participated in many international cooperation activities with the US Embassy such as Power Your Future and English Lounge. Currently, I am conducting research on perceptions of preservice English teachers to apply Global English Language Teaching (GELT) in practical teaching. I believe that international integration requires learners and teachers to have an open mind about linguistic and cultural diversity, thereby contributing to creating a foreign language education environment that is inclusive, flexible and suitable for globalization practices.
With the orientation of becoming a university lecturer and a researcher in the field of language education, I wish to contribute to the positive change of foreign language education in Vietnam in the context of international integration.
