Integrating a Global Language Framework into Tertiary Curriculum Reform: Responses of English Language Teachers in Vietnam

Abstract

As part of the extended National Foreign Languages Project (2008–2035), Vietnam has adopted the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as a top-down strategy to enhance the quality of English teaching and learning. This study examines how English teachers responded to this curriculum reform at a Vietnamese university. Using a mixed-methods sequential design, the study collected data through questionnaires with 36 EFL teachers and in-depth interviews with 8. The findings reveal that while teachers are making various efforts to adapt to the CEFR-aligned curriculum, most changes remain limited to coping techniques. Instead of helping students attain the required level of language proficiency, teachers primarily adopt strategies designed to help students pass the compulsory CEFR-aligned exams, viewing this as a necessary teaching adjustment. At the grassroots level, the teachers who have not yet gained ownership of the change and who lack institutional support continue to rely primarily on short-term, situational strategies rather than sustainable approaches to improving students’ overall language proficiency. Based on the findings, the article provides implications and recommendations for using the CEFR to set learning outcomes and reform language curriculum, ensuring it serves as a tool for meaningful language development rather than merely an assessment benchmark.