Speaker
Description
This study examines how institutional visions, policies, and pedagogical realities shape ESL competence development in Vietnamese higher education through a case study at Phenikaa University and Hanoi Metropolitan University. Amid national shifts from EFL toward functional ESL models driven by globalization and EMI expansion, persistent gaps remain between policy intentions and classroom practices. Employing a mixed-methods case study design, the research integrates policy analysis, surveys, and semi-structured interviews with administrators, lecturers, and undergraduates across EMI, EAP, and ESP programs. Findings indicate that clear institutional visions and explicit policy guidance support stronger alignment with communicative ESL outcomes, particularly within EAP contexts. However, large class sizes, assessment misalignment, heavy workloads, and limited English-rich environments constrain effective implementation, especially in EMI programs. The study contributes context-sensitive empirical evidence on how governance, pedagogy, and environment interact in ESL development, offering practical implications for institutional reform and sustainable language education policy in Vietnam.
