Internationalisation and English medium education in Vietnamese universities: Professional role transformation among English language lecturers

Abstract

This paper investigates an emerging professional role transformation in Vietnamese universities, whereby English language teaching (ELT) lecturers transform themselves into English medium instruction (EMI) lecturers in a discipline new to them. Through interviews with five ELT/EMI lecturers working in separate universities and different disciplines, the study investigates reasons for their decision to engage in such professional mobility, their role transformation experience, and its implications for educational quality. We argue that participants’ move into EMI was shaped by the strategic imperative for higher education internationalisation, and the mistaken belief that EMI alone can achieve the English language development students require for academic success. It is also argued that the transformation option made available to the participants was not the best use of their skills, and that a profound change of perspective is needed at the institutional level to most effectively use the strengths of ELT lecturers to support educational quality.

Editorial

“…This misapprehension of choices has appeared to create challenges as much as opportunities for many academic programs. The second part of our SI examines in particular a range of dilemmas faced as well as generated by the quest for internationalization via English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) programs where utilitarian rationales were prioritized and cultural contexts and connotations were peripheralized (see Irham and Wahyudi, 2023; Pham et al, 2023). The collection of papers presented in this second part also question the extent to which critical assessment of emerging problems contributes to the conceptualization of dilemmas experienced in the internationalization of HE in Asia, and in the adoption of mobile ideas and practices in curriculum development, and traing programs.…”

“…Relatedly, Pham et al (2023) elaborate a range of intricate challenges faced by EMI instructors in Vietnamese universities in the transformation of their roles, when they try to redefine their responsibilities and focus more on content and substantive instruction rather than teaching conventional English to Vietnamese students pursuing English language education. The authors explain why the internationalization of curriculum development and teaching in this area remains a work in progress for those who teach English in professional programs (e.g., accounting, electronics, communication, or international relations).…”