Integrating pedagogy into intercultural teaching in a Vietnamese setting: From policy to the classroom

Language education policy needs to be realised in the language classroom. For example, when a specific policy advocates the development of learners' competence in interacting with people from other cultures, classroom teaching practices and assessment have to address learners' intercultural competence. Teachers need to fully understand the relevant policy and to be supported in translating it into their classes. This paper examines the current foreign language education policy and the addressing of culture in EFL teaching practices in a Vietnamese context. The study involved 15 Vietnamese EFL teachers from a university in Northern Vietnam as participants. I collected data from semi-structured interviews with each of these teachers, observed each of them twice in their classroom teaching, collected copies of their teaching materials they used in these classes, as well as government documents concerning the current policy. The study found that though the current Vietnamese policy advocates the teaching and learning of foreign languages for intercultural communication and interaction, there is a gap between policy-makers and teachers in approaching the key idea of intercultural communication aims in language education. The policy has not yet had a pedagogical impact on classroom teaching practice.