Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Internationalisation of Higher Education in Vietnam Through English Medium Instruction (EMI): Practices, Tensions and Implications for Local Language Policies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Multilingual Education Yearbook 2018

Part of the book series: Multilingual Education Yearbook ((MEYB))

Abstract

The proactive approach to internationalisation of higher education in Vietnam in the last twenty years is closely related to the phenomena of using English as medium of instruction (EMI) and borrowing curriculum from foreign institutions. In both policy and practice, EMI has been simultaneously used as a key instrument and as an indicator of internationalisation of higher education. Vietnam’s language policy stresses the preservation and enrichment of Vietnamese, the national official language, and other ethnic minority languages. However, the ways in which internationalisation is constructed through the use of EMI and EMI programs are promoted as a marker of distinction in higher education and in the labour market perpetuate the sentiment that the mainstream programs delivered in Vietnamese, alongside with EMI programs within the same university, are of second order importance and have lower status. This chapter addresses the promotion of EMI in the internationalisation agenda of Vietnamese universities and its implications for local language policies. It argues for maximising the potential benefits of using EMI to enhance the quality of higher education and graduate employability while ensuring equity and equality in university contexts where both EMI and Vietnamese medium programs are offered concurrently.

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 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
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

References

  • Airey, J. (2012). I don’t teach language: The linguistic attitudes of physics lecturers in Sweden. AILA Review, 25(1), 64–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianco, J. L. (2001). Viet Nam: Quoc Ngu, colonialism and language policy. In N. Gottlieb & P. Chen (Eds.), Language planning and language policy: East Asian perspectives (pp. 159–206). Surrey, UK: Curzon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byun, K., Chu, H., Kim, M., Park, I., Kim, S., & Jung, J. (2011). English-medium teaching in Korean higher education: Policy debates and reality. Higher Education, 62(4), 431–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, J. (2012). Campus in English or campus in shock? English Today, 28(02), 18–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cổng Thông tin điện tử Uỷ ban Dân tộc [Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs—CEMA]. (2017). Introduction. http://www.cema.gov.vn/home.htm.

  • Council of Europe. (2014). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/cadre1_en.asp.

  • Do, H. M., & Do, Q. T. N. (2014). Higher and tertiary education in Vietnam. In L. T. Tran, S. Marginson, H. Do, Q. Do, T. Le, N. Nguyen, T. Vu, T. Pham & H. Nguyen (Eds.), Higher education in Vietnam: Flexibility, mobility and practicality in the global knowledge economy (pp. 29–53). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Do, T. H. (2006). The role of English in Vietnam’s foreign language policy: A brief history. Paper presented at the Annual EA Education Conference 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duong, T. H. H. (2009). The modernization of the national higher education of Vietnam, 1990s—present: American universities—A resource and recourse. Unpublished D.A. dissertation, St. John’s University, New York. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED513277.

  • Duong, V. A., & Chua, C. S. (2016). English as a symbol of internationalisation in higher education: A case study of Vietnam. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(4), 669–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erling, E. J., & Hilgendorf, S. K. (2006). Language policies in the context of German higher education. Language Policy, 5(3), 267–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamid, M. O., & Jahan, I. (2015). Language, identity, and social divides: Medium of instruction debates in Bangladeshi print media. Comparative Education Review, 59(1), 75–101.

    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 

  • Freeman, D., Katz, A., Gomez, P. G., & Burns, A. (2015). English-for-teaching: Rethinking teacher proficiency in the classroom. ELT Journal, 69(2), 129–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International University. (2013). 2013 statistics. Retrieved October 25, 2016, from International University website.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, R. B., & Baldauf, R. B., Jr. (2005). Editing contributed scholarly articles from a language management perspective. Journal of Second Language Writing, 14(1), 47–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. (2016). Global cultural capital and global positional competition: International higher education: Why do Korean students go to US graduate schools? British Journal of Sociology of Education, 32, 109–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A. (2011). English as a medium of instruction in Asian education (from primary to tertiary): Implications for local languages and local scholarship. Applied Linguistics Review, 2, 99–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klaassen, R. G., & De Graaff, E. (2001). Facing innovation: Preparing lecturers for English-medium instruction in a non-native context. European Journal of Engineering Education, 26(3), 281–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kvint, V. L. V. (2009). The global emerging market: Strategic management and economics. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. C. S. (2013). Linguistic hegemony or linguistic capital? Internationalization and English-medium instruction at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In A. Doiz, D. Lasagabaster, & J. M. Sierra (Eds.), English-medium instruction at universities: Global challenges (pp. 65–83). Toronto, Canada: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liyanage, I. (2018). Internationalization of higher education, mobility, and multilingualism. In I. Liyanage (Ed.), Multilingual education yearbook 2018: Internationalization, stakeholders & multilingual education contexts (pp. 1–20). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S., Kaur, S., & Sawir, E. (2011). Regional dynamism and inequality. In S. Marginson, S. Kaur, & E. Sawir (Eds.), Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 433–461). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • MOET. (2011). Correspondence No. 5746/2011/BGDĐT-GDĐH: Recruitment of high-quality programs in universities. Hanoi: Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

    Google Scholar 

  • MOET. (2014). Circular No. 23/2014/TT-BGDĐT: Regulations on high-quality programs in universities. Hanoi: Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, A. T. (2009). The internationalisation of higher education in Vietnam: National policies and institutional implementation at Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Tokyo: Waseda University Global COE Program, Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, G. T. (2006). Chính sách ngôn ngữ Việt Nam qua các thời kỳ (Vietnam’s language policy over historical periods). Ngonngu.net. http://ngonngu.net/index.php?p=172.

  • Nguyen, G., & Shillabeer, A. (2013). Issues in transnational higher education regulation in Vietnam. In P. Mandal (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Managing the Asian Century (pp. 637–644). Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. D. (1959). Chũ’ Nôm The demotic system of writing in Vietnam. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 79(4), 270–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. T. (2016). English-medium instruction in higher education: A case study on local agency in a Vietnamese university (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. T., Hamid, M. O., & Moni, K. (2016). English-medium instruction and self-governance in higher education: The journey of a Vietnamese university through the institutional autonomy regime. Higher Education, 72(5), 669–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, N., & Tran, L. T. (2017). Looking inward or outward? Vietnam higher education at the superhighway of globalization: Culture, values and changes. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 11(1), 28–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pham, H. (2011). Vietnam: Struggling to attract international students. University World News, (202). Retrieved November 10, 2011, from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2011121617161637.

  • Pham, H. L., & Fry, G. W. (2004). Education and economic, political, and social change in Vietnam. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 3(3), 199–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pham, T. N. (2014). Foreign language policies. In Tran, L.T., Marginson, S., Do, H., Do, Q., Le, T., Nguyen, N., Vu, T., Pham, T. & Nguyen, H. (Eds.), Higher education in Vietnam: Flexibility, mobility and practicality in the global knowledge economy. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinches, M. (1999). Cultural relations, class and the new rich of Asia. In M. Pinches (Ed.), Cultural privilege in capitalist Asia (pp. 1–55). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Preece, S., & Martin, P. (2010). Imagining higher education as a multilingual space. Language and Education, 24(1), 3–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quốc hội (National Assembly). (2010). Luật giáo dục (Education Law). Hanoi, Vietnam: National Assembly.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seidlhofer, B. (2013). Understanding English as a lingua franca. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Government of Vietnam. (2008). Decision No. 1505/QD-TTg: The introduction of advanced programs in some Vietnamese universities in the period of 2008–2015. Hanoi: Government of Vietnam.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Government of Vietnam. (2015). Decree No. 16/2015/ND-CP: Autonomy mechanism for non-business public units. Hanoi: Government of Vietnam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thủ Tướng Chính Phủ (Prime Minister). (2008). Quyết định số 1400/QĐ-TTG ngày 30/9/2008 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ: Về việc phê duyệt Đề án “Dạy và học ngoại ngữ trong hệ thống giáo dục quốc dân giai đoạn 2008–2020 (Decision 1400/QĐ-TTG dated 30 September 2008 by the Prime Minister on the Approval of the Proposed Project entitled: “Teaching and Learning of Foreign Languages in the National Educational System”. Hanoi: Government of Vietnam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thủ Tướng Chính Phủ (Prime Minister). (2012). Chiến lược phát triển giáo dục 2011–2020 (Strategy for education development 2011-2020). Hanoi, Vietnam: Government of Vietnam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tollefson, J. W. (2002). Language policies in education: Critical issues. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, L. T., Marginson, S., Do, H., Do, Q., Le, T., Nguyen, N., et al. (2014). Higher education in Vietnam: Flexibility, mobility and practicality in the global knowledge economy. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tran, L. T., Ngo, M., Nguyen, N., & Dang, X. T. (2017). Hybridity in Vietnamese universities: An analysis of the interactions between Vietnamese traditions and foreign influences. Studies in Higher Education, 42(10), 1899–1916.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, L. T., Phan, H. T. T. & Marginson, S. (in press). The ‘Advanced Programmes’ in Vietnam: Internationalising the curriculum or importing the ‘Best Curriculum’ of the West? In L. T. Tran & S. Marginson (Eds.), Internationalisation in Vietnamese higher education. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tran, T. B. (n.d.). Đào tạo nhân lực ở Việt Nam (Human resources development in Vietnam). Tạp chí Nghiên cứu Văn hóa, (4). http://huc.edu.vn/vi/spct/id123/DAO-TAO-NHAN-LUC-O-VIET-NAM/.

  • Unterberger, B. (2012). English-medium programmes at Austrian business faculties: A status quo survey on national trends and a case study on programme design and delivery. AILA Review, 25(1), 80–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vietnam International Education Department. (2016). List of approved joint education programs. Retrieved from https://vied.vn/imgs/2016/09/LKDT/LKDT_1.9.2016.pdf.

  • Welch, A. R. (2010). Internationalisation of Vietnamese higher education: Retrospect and prospect. In G. S. Harman, M. Hayden, & T. N. Phạm (Eds.), Reforming higher education in Vietnam: Challenges and priorities (pp. 197–212). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wyk, A. V. (2014). English-medium education in a multilingual setting: A case in South Africa. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 52(2), 205–220.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia

    Ly Thi Tran

  2. Faculty of English for Specific Purposes, Foreign Trade University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Huong Thu Nguyen

Authors
  1. Ly Thi Tran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huong Thu Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ly Thi Tran .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia

    Indika Liyanage

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tran, L.T., Nguyen, H.T. (2018). Internationalisation of Higher Education in Vietnam Through English Medium Instruction (EMI): Practices, Tensions and Implications for Local Language Policies. In: Liyanage, I. (eds) Multilingual Education Yearbook 2018. Multilingual Education Yearbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77655-2_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77655-2_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77654-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77655-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation