Trends in TESOL/EFL research in Vietnam (2021-2025): A thematic analysis of accepted abstracts from VietTESOL Convention

Abstract

English language education in Vietnam is shaped by renewed policy reform, marked by a focus on proficiency development and evaluation mechanisms. More recently, an expanded ambition positions English as a language of instruction in schools. In this context, an updated overview of research directions is necessary to understand what the TESOL and EFL community is prioritising and to identify potential gaps between research and policy. This study uses 1,891 accepted submissions from VietTESOL International Convention from 2021 to 2025 and employs a thematic analysis to identify research trends. Texts were tokenised into content words, lemmatised, and counted using document frequency, with each word counted at most once per record. Annual counts were normalised by the number of records per year to obtain average per record values. Keywords were then classified into upward, downward, constant, and fluctuating trends and interpreted through their discourse contexts. The upward trend shows research on pedagogical aspects, learning engagement, and learners’ contexts. The downward trend shows research on generic online learning mode and pandemic context. Research on learning activities and assessment tended to be stable, regardless of the temporal changes. Research on productive skills and classroom practice appeared to be fluctuating. These findings indicate partial alignment with national priorities on proficiency and evaluation alongside limited visibility of research constructs linked to lifelong learning and sustainability. Targeted research funding, dissemination incentives, and practice-linked research programs are suggested to strengthen the alignment between research practice and policy planning.