Vietnamese English teachers' perceptions on incorporating world Englishes into their teaching

Abstract

Understanding English varieties other than native-speaker norms has been regarded as necessary for effective communication in contexts where English is used as a lingua franca. In Vietnam, however, English language teaching remains focused on Standard English, which is somewhat out of step with the role of English in communication in the region. This exploratory study aims to uncover Vietnamese English teachers’ perceptions of World Englishes (WE) in their English teaching. An online questionnaire, five individual follow-up interviews, and one focus group interview were conducted. A broad range of perceptions of Vietnamese English teachers at the university / college level towards English varieties was found. Introducing these was noted as having various benefits and challenges for teaching and learning. Suggestions for incorporating WE into teacher training, teaching, and materials development were deduced from the study, as were participants’ imagined plans and implications of these plans for English teaching in Vietnam.