English Linguistic Neo-imperialism and English Language Teacher Education in Vietnam: An Autoethnographic Poetic Phenomenological Inquiry

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  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Neutrality: Decolonizing English Language Teacher Education

Abstract

This autoethnographic, poetic, phenomenological inquiry explored Vietnamese English teachers’ lived experiences of learning and teaching English in Vietnam through the analytical lens of postcolonialism. The data sources include autoethnographic writings or personal narratives of three researchers-cum-participants. Through phenomenological analysis of the personal narratives and poetic transcription, the composite poem synthesizes our individual’s narratives, highlighting two key thematic aspects of the essence of the lived experiences of Vietnamese English teachers. First, Vietnamese English teachers’ learning and teaching English in Vietnam were shaped by English linguistic neo-imperialism. Second, Vietnamese English teachers (en)countered the “ambivalence of colonial discourse.” The study’s findings proffer significant insights into how to improve the quality of future English learning and teaching in Vietnam.

Authors

• Ngoc Kim Tuyen Pham, Texas Tech University

• Ngan Thi Thu Nguyen, Texas Tech University

• Loan Thi Quynh Cao, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City