Who is seen as legitimate to teach? Vietnamese students’ perceptions of academic authority in EMI classrooms

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how Vietnamese undergraduates perceive and negotiate lecturers’ academic authority in English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms. Guided by Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital and Language Ideology, semi-structured interviews with 18 students were analysed thematically. Findings reveal a three-stage process. Students initially associated authority with English proficiency, overseas qualifications, and native-speaker identity. They then reassessed lecturers through pedagogical competence and classroom interaction, ultimately understanding authority as relational and grounded in trust, accessibility, and meaningful learning support. These findings show that academic authority in EMI is negotiated rather than predetermined, with implications for teacher development and quality assurance in Vietnamese higher education.