Using English as a medium of instruction and research in social sciences and humanities in Vietnam

The workshop was organized under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of South Australia, with funding from the Australia-ASEAN Council. The aim is to promote links between Australian and Vietnamese training institutions in addressing challenges in higher education in Vietnam.

English as a medium of instruction and research (EMI) is a strategy applied in many universities where English is the foreign language. It originated in European countries such as Sweden, Finland, New Zealand in the early 2000s, then spread to Asian countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan. Currently, 24 universities in Vietnam apply EMI in many different fields and disciplines. In this process, Vietnamese lecturers and students have encountered many challenges related to language proficiency, teaching methods, learning materials and equipment. Therefore, this workshop is a forum for managers, researchers, lecturers to share their views, policies, and experiences of EMI; thereby identifying the consequences for teaching and researching Social Sciences and Humanities in Vietnam.

In his opening speech at the conference, Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) affirmed that EMI has become a popular topic in the world, especially in Asia. Many universities have recognized EMI as one of the tools to promote higher education and international integration. Vietnam is no exception. For example, in November 2018, EMI was discussed at the conference “The need for high-quality human resources for development in the context of the 4.0 revolution and the responses of Vietnamese higher education” co-organized by VNU-HCM and the National Council for Education and Human Resources Development.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan delivered the opening speech of the workshop.

Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan also said that in the current context of international competition, Vietnamese universities must solve many major problems, including foreign languages. Therefore, to avoid being left behind, they need to build a long-term and stable cooperation network on EMI.

After the opening session, the workshop continued with the following contents: “Policy and implementation: National and institutional EMI policies in practice”, “EMI policies in practice: Perspectives of lecturers, managers and students”, “EMI training programs and teaching strategies in practice”.

Keynote speeches at the conference:

The presentation “EMI and the internationalization of higher education” by Associate Professor Dr. Victoria Whitington (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the School of Education, University of South Australia) outlined the benefits and challenges of EMI for higher education institutions, based on research results and student experiences in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. Thereby, some macro and micro policy orientations on EMI were proposed for governments of these countries.

Associate Professor Dr. Victoria Whitington (Deputy Principal of the School of Education, University of South Australia) presented the introductory speech.

The paper “EMI at Universities of Social Sciences in Vietnam: From Development to Policy Implementation” by Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Tu Anh (Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam) pointed out the opportunities and challenges in using EMI to develop foreign language teaching and learning policies at Universities of Social Sciences. It also emphasized the importance of carefully calculating the necessary steps of an EMI-based educational policy.

The presentation “EMI with Social Sciences and Humanities in Vietnam: Dreams – Challenges – Prospects” by Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU) shared the difficulties and challenges that the University encountered in designing and teaching subjects in English, especially with basic sciences such as Philosophy, History, Literature, Political Science. From there, the presentation proposed systematic policies to encourage lecturers and students to participate more in EMI courses.

The presentation “EMI in Higher Education in the 21st Century” by Associate Professor Dr. Kathleen Heugh (Lecturer at the School of Creative Industries, University of South Australia) clarified the importance of bilingual/multilingual competence in the face of the need to internationalize higher education in many countries, including Vietnam. Thereby, it pointed out the need to combine improving English proficiency with native and regional language proficiency for university students.

Representatives from the University of South Australia, from left to right: Dr David Caldwell (School of Education), Associate Professor Dr Kathleen Heugh (School of Creative Industries), Dr Jenny Barnett (School of Education)

The paper “EMI Teacher Training in Vietnam: Theoretical and Practical Issues” by Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Nha (University of Foreign Languages, VNU) pointed out issues in EMI teacher training such as determining competency criteria; adjusting training objectives to suit each context, EMI policies and strategies. The paper was based on a case study with 58 postgraduate students on EMI methodology at a public university in Vietnam.

The paper “Genre Pedagogy: Implications for EMI” by Dr. David Caldwell (Lecturer, School of Education, University of South Australia) presented an overview of genre pedagogy, emphasizing its role in the construction of written texts. The paper also clarified the importance of this method in cultivating writing skills of EMI students.

Following the workshop, a training course on the topic “Designing courses for EMI” will take place on December 15 with two main contents: “Pedagogical options for EMI teachers” with interactive presentations and pair work; “Developing and demonstrating pedagogical options for EMI training programs” with group activities, reports and group discussions.