Current Issues in TESOL

- Oral presentation -

English as Medium of Instruction (EMI):

EMI implementation in Vietnam

Thanh Dung Hoang

U2272436
Table of contents

Introduction 1st challenge and

recommendations
2st challenge and Conclusion
recommendations
Introduction
Tran and Nguyen (2018):
The Vietnamese government:
• “internationalisation as one of the eight crucial tools for
reform of the nation’s higher education system” (p.92)
• “EMI as a tool to achieve internationalisation goals”
(p.97)

Tri and Moskovsky (2019, p1340):

“EMI is regarded as a key part of the internationalisation
of Vietnam’s HEIs”
Le (2012):
Issues:
• inadequate language proficiency
• shortage of qualified teaching staff
• lack of support for teachers and students
• …

 Presentation focus:
• Challenges: teachers’ deficient proficiency, impractical content
materials and students’ double barriers to language and content
input
• Recommendations for the quality improvement.
1. Though students’ option of entering EMI universities is
increasingly high, their expectation has not been met.

Reasons to enroll in EMI universities:

• Perceived benefits of English language instruction, low cost for an international
degree (Yao & Garcia, 2018), and soft skills development for perceived
employability (Yao & Tuliao, 2019)
• Yao et al. (2021): VGU, USTH, VJU: good for the future, improve skills
• Galloway and Sahan (2021): future job opportunities, English practice & learning
• Tri (2021): “a door” and “a treasure” broadening students’ valuable knowledge
and opportunities
In constrast:
Far from expectation (teachers’ English proficiency and course materials) (Le, 2012)
Lecturers’ insufficient English proficiency

Vu and Burns’s (2014): negatively affect the students’ acquisition

of both the English language and content:
 VGU: pronouncing words incorrectly (Yao & Tuliao, 2019)
 VJU: unfamiliar accent (Yao et al., 2021)
 USTH: pronunciation: not easy to understand

 Lecturers experienced challenges when presenting new content

and explaining concepts in English (Nguyen et al., 2017)
 unbeneficial for students’ language and content knowledge
enhancement.
Positive feedback about teachers’ performance

Le & Tang (2022):

(325 Vietnamese undergraduate students)
majority of teachers’ teaching characteristics (including
teachers’ English proficiency level) are rated as reflecting
good performance

Galloway & Sahan (2021):

(1377 students and 231 teachers)
77% students and 64% teachers enough qualified teaching
staff on their EMI programmes.
Content materials:
unrealistic and hard to understand

 Tri (2021): sources of knowledge in English were believed

to be more reliable and original than those in Vietnamese
 Vu & Burns (2014): curricula imported from Western
universities under permission of MOET
 Not appropriate for the local context
(Galloway & Sahan, 2021).
 Students struggle to engage with curricula and materials
(Pham, 2021)
Causes

 Tran and Nguyen (2018):

No EMI training program before teaching in EMI classes.

 Galloway & Sahan (2021):

Limited teacher training and language support options
 Teachers are uncomfortable incorporating language
instruction

 Supporting programs just focuses on teaching English as

a foreign language (MOET, 2014 as cited in Le, 2021)
Recommendations – Teachers’ proficiency:
Le (2017):
 providing ongoing in-service training for EMI
(e.g: sharing teaching sessions, short courses, and workshops on
pedagogical techniques)
 peer coaching: Experienced lecturers should mentor beginning
lecturers
 communication platforms where EMI instructors could share
experiences and effective teaching strategies.

Le (2021): MOET and other stakeholders should pay more attention to this
 Teachers improve expertise, English language, teaching field
knowledge in English, and even cross-cultural competence
Efforts have been made:
• University of Economics and Business - Vietnam
National University, Hanoi (12/9/2014)
• University of Economics and Law - VNU-HCM
(09.12.2016)
• HCM Ho Chi Minh City Open University
(8/6/2018)
• Thu Dau Mot University (13/07/2021)
• School of Languages and Tourism (29/6/2022).
• …
Recommendations – Teaching materials

• Contextualize imported texts

• Direct students towards significant
concepts
• Use practical examples
E.g: Grab & Uber
 Illustrate applying technologies in
business
 Actively engage in lesson
(Vo et al., 2022)
 Meet the needs of local students
(applicability and practicality).
2. English as a ‘double barrier’ of English
language and discipline-based concepts learning

Yao et al. (2021):

 Students face language barriers within discipline-
specific communities
(science, technology, engineering, and maths fields).
 difficult for learners to translate and completely
understand.
 More often among freshmen and sophomores
 Causes
Özdemir-Yılmazer (2022); Gay (2022):
 EMI implementation requires students with
B1-B2 English level
 Entry requirements actually vary in different
universities:
• Hanoi Foreign Trade University: B2
Vietnamese Standardized Test of
English Proficiency
• Can Tho University: A2 CEFR
(Tran & Phuong, 2019)
 Le (2017): Vietnamese students are unlikely to
meet entry level
 Tran and Phuong (2019):
70% of the new students have insufficient English
Proficiency to pursue studies in English
 unable to understand materials in English
Not enough preparation for students’
English use in academic studies
 Only 50% students acknowledge
effectiveness of preparatory
programs (Phuong et al., 2018)
 Target improving students’
General English only (Tran &
Phuong, 2019)
 Language support for 1-2 year
students (Galloway & Sahan,
2021)
 struggle with both English
skills and content knowledge
 Recommendations:

 Le (2017): students should be screened for their English proficiency to

enroll in an EMI course
 minimize wide variations of English proficiency
 Enhance the current English foundation programs (EFP)’s effectiveness:
o Phuong et al (2018): students should be classified based on their entry
level
o Galloway & Sahan (2021): support programs should be extended
 Create more opportunities for interaction in English.
o Vo et al. (2022): group discussions, presentations, peer feedback, etc.
encourage interaction
o Phuong et al. (2018): presentation helps develop understanding and skills
for designing and presenting an effective academic presentation
o Le & Tang (2022): additional activities (e.g. English clubs or a seminar in
English) to build students’ confidence with English
Positive results:

 Tran et al. (2021) (among 360 EMI students):

o students perceived EMI’s positive impact on language proficiency
o students' knowledge of technical terminology was most improved,
followed by reading skills, listening skills, and speaking skills
 Galloway and Sahan (2021):
90 % students and teachers: EMI programmes improved students’ overall
English language proficiency and knowledge of the subject
 Phuong et al. (2018)
o 100% graduates (out of 115) were recruited a few months after
graduation,
o > 50% graduates
successfully enrolled in master and doctoral programs
 Conclusion

Challenges: Recommendations:
• English ability of • Developing on-going training
Vietnamese lecturers courses for EMI teaching staff
and students has not • Contextualizing Western texts to
reached the required adapt local practices
levels • Establishing and strictly following
• Content materials entry level standards
and English • Enhancing English foundation
foundation programs programs’ effectiveness
are not effective and
• Providing students more
realistic enough
opportunities to interact in English.
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