VietTESOL International Convention 2025

While a lot of innovations have been made in English Linguistics and Literature (ELL) programs in Vietnam, many ELL programs in this country continue to prioritize the language-learner-centered over language-user-centered approach. This showcases a significant research gap in evaluating how these programs meet the real-world language needs of students. This study examines the misalignment between curriculum content and the goal of fostering students as active English users, a disconnect that restricts their opportunities to engage in meaningful communication beyond academic settings. To address this issue, the study employs a qualitative case study design, centered on an ELL program at a Vietnamese English-medium instruction (EMI) university. Data is gathered through document analysis—including syllabi, textbooks, and assessment criteria—and semi-structured interviews with the academic management, lecturers, and students. The analysis is guided by Critical Applied Linguistics, offering a lens through which to critique the ideological assumptions and power structures that shape language education. The study expects to uncover curricular and pedagogical patterns that frame students primarily as language learners, with a focus on content mastery and linguistic accuracy, rather than as communicative agents capable of navigating diverse social and cultural contexts. This study aims to promote a shift toward a language-user-centered curriculum, one that incorporates communicative activities, intercultural competence, and student agency. Such reform would better equip ELL graduates for global English use and contribute to a more inclusive and contextually responsive approach to English education in Vietnam.