Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Standardizing English for Educational and Socio-economic Betterment- A Critical Analysis of English Language Policy Reforms in Vietnam

  • Chapter
Book cover English Language Education Policy in Asia

Part of the book series: Language Policy ((LAPO,volume 11))

Abstract

The chapter provides a critical assessment on the reality of current teacher quality and the roles of the ELPs in advancing linguistic, education and socio-economic developments for various students, especially those from minority linguistic backgrounds in a remote province. The results reveal the probably unpromising outcomes and tremendous challenges of the present ELPs as teacher professional development in the current ELP reform is, for the most part, controversial, ambivalent, and contested. Furthermore, the chapter argues that, contrary to the state’s goal of promoting English for socio-economic and educational advancement, these language policies could largely threaten social, educational and economic development, and minority students’ linguistic and cultural ecology. The chapter thus emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness among effective teacher professional development; cultural and linguistic complexity; language/literacy education; and socio-economic needs throughout the processes of language policy decision-making and implementation. To the end, the chapter strongly recommends respecting home languages and multilingualism for effective schooling, transparent and transformative education, a strong economy, social welfare, and social security at local and global scales.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    For instance, 700 teachers from Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta were tested, and only 61 obtained the required score (500). In the capital, Hanoi, teachers’ IELTS results showed that only 18 % had achieved the B2 grade (Ed-Parks, 2011).

References

  • Adoniou, M. (2013). Preparing Teachers – The importance of connecting contexts in teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(8), 47–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agnihotri, R. K. (2007). Identity and multilinguality: The case of India. In A. Tsui & J. W. Tollefson (Eds.), Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts (pp. 55–72). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali, L. H. (2013). Language policy and planning in Malaysia: Managing English-medium instruction at tertiary level. (Ph.D), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Annamala, E. (2013). India’s economic restructuring with English: Benefits versus costs. In J. Tollefson (Ed.), Language policies in education: Critical issues (pp. 139–155). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appadurai, A. (2001). Deep democracy: Urban governmentality and the horizon of politics. Environment and Urbanization, 13(2), 23–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appleby, R. (2010). ELT, gender and international development: Myths of progress in a neocolonial world. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldauf, R. B., Jr., & Nguyen, H. T. M. (2012). Language policy in Asia and the Pacific. In B. Spolsky (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of language policy (pp. 617–638). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruthiaux, P. (2002). Hold your courses: Language education, language choice, and economic development. TESOL Quarterly, 36(3), 275–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bui, T. T. N. (2009). Challenges of english language learning for Thai minority students in Vietnam. Master’s thesis, University of Hawaii, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bui, T. N. T. (2012, November). Ideologies, realities, and possibilities of English language education policy: A case study of local language schooling in Vietnam. Paper presented at the American Anthropological Association conference, San Francisco, California, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler, D. L., & Schnellert, L. (2012). Collaborative inquiry in teacher professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 28(8), 1206–1220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • David, M. K., & Govindasamy, S. (2007). The construction of national identity and globalization in multilingual Malaysia. In A. Tsui & J. W. Tollefson (Eds.), Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts (pp. 55–72). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. A. (2014). Engaged language policy and practice. (Special issue). Language policy. 45 (473), doi: 10.1007/s10993-013-9303-x

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, K. A., Phyak, P., & Bui, T. T. N. (2012). Multicultural education as community engagement: Policies and planning in a transnational era. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(3), 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Decree No 40/2000/QH10 (2000). The congress’ decree on general education curriculum reform. Retrieved from http://www.moet.gov.vn/?page=6.21&script=congvan&namxly=−1

  • Do, T. H. (2006). History of English language teaching in Vietnam. Available at: http://www.englishaustralia.com.au/index.cgi?E=hcatfuncs&PT=sl&X=getdoc&Lev1=pub_c07_07&Lev2=c06_thinh

  • Dudzik, D., & Nguyen, N. H. (February 2013). Vietnam’s English teacher competencies framework: Policies, context, basis and design. Paper presented at the Teacher Competency Frameworks: Developing excellence in teaching, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erling, J. E., & Seargeant, P. (2013). English and development: Policy, pedagogy, and globalization. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, G. (2013). English, development and education: Charting the tensions. In E. Erling & P. Seargeant (Eds.), English and development: Policy, pedagogy, and globalization (pp. 21–44). Canada: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gainsborough, J. (2010). Vietnam: Rethinking the state. London/New York: Zed Books and Silkworm Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • García, O., & Sylvan, C. E. (2011). Pedagogies and practices in multilingual classrooms: Singularities in pluralities. The Modern Language Journal, 95(3), 385–400. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01208.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gemmell, J. C. (2003). Building a professional learning community in preservice teacher education: Peer coaching and video analysis. Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Amherst. Unpublished Ed.D.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ha, V. S. (2003). Improving the self- monitoring capabilities of teacher trainees. Teacher’s Edition, 11, 28–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamid, M. O., & Baldauf, R. B., Jr. (2011). English and socio-economic disadvantage: Learner voices from rural Bangladesh. Language Learning Journal, 39(2), 201–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamid, M. O., Jahan, I., & Islam, M. M. (2013). Medium of instruction policies and language practices, ideologies and institutional divides: voices of teachers and students in a private university in Bangladesh. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1), 144–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heller, M. (2010). The commodification of language. Annual Review of Anthropology, 39(1), 101–114. doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.012809.104951.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hélot, C., & O’Laoire, M. (2011). Language policy for the multilingual classroom (Bilingual education and bilingualism). Clevedon/London: Channel View Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hornberger, N. H. (2006). Voice and biliteracy in indigenous language revitalization: Contentious educational practices in Quechua, Guarani, and Maori contexts. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 5(4), 277–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, R. B., & Baldauf, R. B., Jr. (2005). Language-in-education policy and planning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 1013–1034). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). Teaching English across cultures: What do English language teachers need to know to know how to teach English. English Australia Journal, 23(2), 20–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A., & Sussex, R. (2012). English as an international language in Asia: Implications for language education. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kokko, A. (2004). Growth and reform since the Eight Party Congress. In D. McCargo (Ed.), Rethinking Vietnam (pp. 143–152). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubota, R. (2011). Questioning linguistic instrumentalism: English, neoliberalism, and language tests in Japan. Linguistics and Education: An International Research Journal, 22(3), 248–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le, V. C. (2007). A historical review of English language education in Vietnam. In Y. H. Choi & B. Spolsky (Eds.), English education in Asia: History and policies (pp. 167–179). Seoul: Asia TEFL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le, V. C. (2008). Teachers’ beliefs about curricular innovation in Vietnam: A preliminary study. In Y. H. Choi & B. Spolsky (Eds.), ELT curriculum innovation and implementation in Asia (pp. 191–216). Seoul: Asia TEFL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le, D. M. (2012). English as a medium of instruction at tertiary education system in Vietnam. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 9(2), 97–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le, V. C., & Do, T. M. C. (2012). Teacher prepration for primary school English education: A case of Vietnam. In B. Spolsky & Y.-i. Moon (Eds.), Primary school English education in Asia (pp. 106–128). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, M. (2010). EFL teachers and English language education in the PRC: Are they the policy makers? The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 19(3), 439–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luke, A. (2011). Generalizing across borders policy and the limits of educational science. Educational Researcher, 40(8), 367–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malone, S. E. (2009). Planning mother tongue-based education programs in minority language communities. SIL International. Retrieved from http://www.sil.org/acpub/repository/MLE%20Program%20Planning%20manual.pdf

  • McCargo, D. (2004). Introduction. In D. McCargo (Ed.), Rethinking Vietnam (pp. 1–12). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarty, T. L. (2011). Ethnography and language policy. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menken, K., & Garcia, O. (2010). Negotiating language policies in schools: Educators as policymakers. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon, J. (2009). The teacher factor in early foreign language learning programmees: The case of Vietnam. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 311–336). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, L. (2005, January). MOET strategies for teaching foreign languages at primary level. Paper presented at the teaching English language at primary level, Ha Noi

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. T. M. (2012). Primary English language education policy in Vietnam: Insights from implementation. In B. Baldauf, R. B. Kaplan, N. M. Kamwangamalu, & P. Bryant (Eds.), Language planning in primary schools in Asia (pp. 121–143). Abindgon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. T. M., & Hudson, P. (2012). Peer group mentoring: Preservice EFL teachers’ collaborations for enhancing practices. In A. Honigsfeld & M. G. Dove (Eds.), Co-Teaching and other collaborative practices in the EFL/ESL classroom:Rationale, research, reflections, and recommendations (pp. 231–241). Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. T. M., & Nguyen, Q. T. (2007). Teaching English in primary schools in Vietnam: An overview. Current Issues in Language Planning, 8(1), 162–173. doi:10.2167/cilp106.0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H.T.M & Richard, R.B.Jr (in press). Models of Mentoring in Language Teacher Education. Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parks, E. (November 8, 2011). Vietnam demands English language teaching “miracle.” (2011). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/nov/08/vietnam-unrealistic-english-teaching-goals

  • Pham, H. H. (2001). Teacher development: A real need for English departments in Vietnam. English Teaching Forum, 39(4). Retrieved from http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/2001/01-39-4.html

  • Pham, D. N. T. (2009). Nguoi Viet Nam co thich hoc truong Viet Nam. Available online at https://www.hetl.org/opinion-articles/dialogue-as-a-means-of-change/

  • Phillipson, R. (2012) Linguistic imperialism alive and kicking. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/mar/13/linguistic-imperialism-english-language-teaching

  • Phyak, P. (2011). Beyond the facade of language planning for Nepalese primary education: Monolingual hangover, elitism, and displacement of local languages? Current Issues in Language Planning, 12(2), 265–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinnock, H., Mackenzie, P., Pearce, E., & Young, C. (2011). Closer to home: how to help schools in low- and middle-income countries respond to children’s language needs. London: CfBT and Save the Children.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan, V. (2013). Language policies and (Dis) citizenship: Rights, access, pedagogies. London: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapatahana, V., & Bunce, P. (2012). English language as hydra its impacts on non-English language cultures. Bristol/Buffalo/Toronto: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubdy, R., & Tan, P. K. W. (2008). Language as commodity global structures, local marketplaces. New York/London: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shamim, F. (2011). English as the language for development in Pakistan: Issues, challenges and possible solutions. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Dreams and realities: Developing countries and the english language. London: British Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, J. J. (2012). South Korea: Language policy and planning in the making. Current Issues in Language Planning, 13(1), 1–68. doi:10.1080/14664208.2012.650322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Street, B. (2003). What’s “new” in new literacy studies? Critical approaches to literacy in theory and practice. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 5(2), 77–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Street, B. (2012). New literacy studies. In M. Grenfell, D. Bloome, C. Hardy, K. Pahl, J. Rowsell, & B. V. Street (Eds.), Language, ethnography, and education: Bridging new literacy studies and Bourdieu (pp. 27–49). New York/London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sunggingwati, D., & Nguyen, H. (2013). Teachers’ questioning in reading lessons: A case study in Indonesia. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 10(1), 80–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toan, V. (2013). English teaching in Vietnam: Teacher ‘re-education’ Tuoitrenews. Retrieved from http://tuoitrenews.vn/education/8231/print?undefined.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trudell, B., & Piper, B. (2013). Whatever the law says: Language policy implementation and early-grade literacy achievement in Kenya. Current Issues in Language Planning,15(1), 1–18. Doi: 10.1080/14664208.2013.856985

    Google Scholar 

  • Vo, L., & Nguyen, H. (2010). Critical Friends Group for EFL teacher professional development. ELT Journal: An International Journal for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 64(2), 205–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • William, E., & Cooke, J. (2002). Language and education in development. TESOL Quarterly, 36(3), 297–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, E. (2011). Language policy, politics and development in Africa. In H. Coleman (Ed.), Developing countries and the English language: Rhetoric, risks roles and recommendations (pp. 40–56). London: British Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuwono, G., & Harbon, L. (2010). English teacher professionalism and professional development: some common issues in Indonesia. The Asian EFL journal, 12(3), 145–163.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Professor Richard B. Baldauf Jr., The University of Queensland, Australia and Professor Robert Kaplan, University of Southern California, USA for their insightful feedback on this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Thuy Thi Ngoc Bui

  2. The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen

Authors
  1. Thuy Thi Ngoc Bui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thuy Thi Ngoc Bui .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. English Faculty, Gulf University of Sci & Technology, Hawally, Kuwait

    Robert Kirkpatrick

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bui, T.T.N., Nguyen, H.T.M. (2016). Standardizing English for Educational and Socio-economic Betterment- A Critical Analysis of English Language Policy Reforms in Vietnam. In: Kirkpatrick, R. (eds) English Language Education Policy in Asia. Language Policy, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22464-0_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22463-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22464-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation