The author discusses the need for some sort of government control over the various "holiday" courses and language schools teaching English to foreign students and others in the United Kingdom, with implications for teacher and school certification. Changes in the theory and practice of English instruction are also noted. (MF) Surprisingly, these recent measures paid relatively little attentention to (1) English as a foreign language (EFL) students' starting English language proficiency (ELP), (2) teachers' and students International English School (EUIES) - an English language school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - advertised in Tuoi Tre Newspaper dated January 11, 2010 that "in EUIES, you will learn English speaking and listening skills with 100% native teachers of English". 3.2 Support for the bilingual approach Description. We are hiring potential candidates to join our academic staff with enormous perks and benefits. We have one headquarter based in Ho Chi Minh City and one branch situated in Can Duoc Province. Our school provides english courses for different levels and ages in an attempt to promote educational goals for young generation in Vietnam. Vietnam faces shortage of native English-speaking teachers due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to Prof. Peter Coloe, Chairman of RMIT Vietnam, foreign teachers account for 40% of the university's workforce, and they have not been able to return to Vietnam as a result of the spread of COVID-19. Prof. Coloe said that with the university's Requirements for Teaching English in Vietnam: A TEFL certification; A bachelor's degree in any field/major; Native-English speakers from the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or South Africa are preferred but not required. Non-natives will be expected to be fluent in English and speak at a native level; Foreign English language teachers for schools in Vietnam HCMC launches week of lifelong learning Activities to mark 20th anniversary of Student Culture House establishment Workshop on compiling, publishing textbooks held by Education Ministry Teacher Nguyen Ngoc Ky writing with feet passes away HCMC 4L8FmTH. Vietnam is two countries in one. With the north and south being vastly different from one another – not only in terms of climate, but also in terms of attitude and lifestyle. Hanoi is a beautiful, slower paced capital city that is quite small and charming with French style buildings, cafes and narrow walking streets. Ho Chi Minh City referred to as Saigon by anyone who lives there to the south is the economic capital. Bigger buildings, more robust shopping and nightlife options. More foreigners and work options. The people are also friendlier too and more akin to Thai people. Vietnam is filled with some gorgeous landscapes, great food and a low cost of living. Mix all this with a deep culture, a history of invasion and fascinating landmarks. Vietnam is a profitable, fun and interesting ESL destination. Why Teach English in Vietnam? Vietnam is an under-rated, often overlooked destination for teaching English. With it’s good pay and low living costs, Vietnam has a lot to offer prospective teachers. The beautiful country, amazing food, good coffee and friendly locals make for an amazing teaching experience. ​The ESL job market is quite strong here too. With teaching jobs readily available both in the northern capital of Hanoi or in the south in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll have no problem being placed in a good location of your choice. There’s also an ever increasing demand for teachers in smaller cities and towns. Perfect for those looking for a lifestyle outside of the city where you can really take advantage of the low cost of living. Where will You work as a new English teacher in Vietnam? Most jobs in Vietnam are at private language centers for new teachers, but there are opportunities to work at any one of the various international schools located around the country. Also, while it is possible to be placed in a public school in Vietnam, it’s not the norm like it is in most other ESL countries. Instead, Vietnam follows a model similar to a Korean Hagwon in that you’ll mostly be working at private language centers where students attend after school. So expect to be working nights and weekends at these private language centers. What most teachers end up doing is they get their work permit and temporary residence card through a language school where they work 8-12 hours at and then work at other language centers. This is technically illegal as your work permit is only for one school or language center. But because most centers won’t give you 18-22 hours a week, you’ll need to work at a few different places. Get your visa For Vietnam Vietnam currently is only offering only a 30 day e-visa for tourism purposes which can not be extended. If you want to visit as a tourist and explore some options in the country this is your only option. When your e-visa runs out you need to leave the country. You can re-enter on a new 30 day e-visa however. In general it is best to have an offer from a school lined up before hand in order to get a 90 day business visa which can then be converted into a temporary residence card good for one year. To get your e-visa please use the official site found here. Legal and Educational Requirements to work as a teacher in Vietnam Here are the legal requirements to live and work in Vietnam. They have changed and have gotten more strict with the newest requirement that all foreign nationals have a degree related to their field of work not just from English teachers, anyone working in Vietnam. A notarized, 4 year degree in education 3 years experience teaching, notarized if it was outside Vietnam Health Check Police Check from the last 180 days Resume/CV Valid Passport These are the documents you need in order to obtain a work permit which you can then turn into a temporary residence card TRC. Once you have a TRC, it takes the place of your business visa. Currently most enter on a 30 day tourist visa, then they get the required documents in Vietnam to get a business visa. You then visit a neighboring country and apply for a business visa to then re-enter Vietnam. So in Vietnam you first get a business visa which is the visa required to look for work or investment opportunities but you’re not legally allowed to work on a business visa. Once you find an employer, you then get a work permit which then allows you to get a TRC. Temporary residence card in Vietnam? A TRC as it’s known is used in-lieu of your visa. A TRC provides you with all the freedoms and flexibility as you’re a temporary resident. No visa runs, can fly or check into hotels without your passport etc. You are required to pay taxes however to the Vietnamese government however. Notarized 4 Year degree in education Yes, Vietnam now requires any foreign worker to have a degree in the field in which they are designated an “expert.” That means if you want to be a teacher you need to have a degree in education now. This is a legal requirement to obtain a work permit. In addition your degree must be notarized. This can be done at your embassy in Vietnam but it’s best to take care of this before you come to Vietnam as it can be a bit time consuming to do in country. 3 years teaching experience, notarized if outside of Vietnam A massive, recent change is that Vietnam now requires expats to have years of experience teaching before being able to work in the country. If you have experience teaching outside of Vietnam like Thailand or Korea you’ll have to get that experience notarized. If you’ve taught in Vietnam previously or currently then you’re not effected by this new requirement. This requirement is the legal standard to obtain a work permit Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent or higher and a certificate of at least 3 years of experience working a related field to the job position. If outside of Vietnam, it must be notarized. Alternatively, you can have a certificate of at least 5 years of experience working in the trained field relevant to the job position the foreign worker is expected to work for in Vietnam. Health Check You must pass a health check in order to obtain a work permit. The health check is done at a local hospital and consists of a physical. The health check must not be older than 6 months in order to apply for a work permit. Police Check You will need a police check from your state or province. This is best done in your home country as this a few weeks to get sorted. You do not need a national police check like you do for South Korea which involves contacting the FBI and takes months to complete. If you have been living in Vietnam for more than 6 months for whatever reason, you’ll also need a Vietnamese police check. Resume/CV You will need a completed resume or CV to submit as part of your application for a work permit. Part of the regulations dictate that you prove work experience. This is done via a resume. Valid Passport Like immigration at most countries, you’ll need a passport with at least 6 months of validity left on it as well as numerous passport photos. Optional Requirements Native English Speaker Being a native English speaker is preferable, but not a legal requirement like it is in South Korea. Vietnam like Thailand is a country that is open to teachers that are non-native. As long as you meet all the other legal requirements, you can obtain a work permit and a position as an English teacher. Is finding a job hard as a non-native English speaker? No, the issue as a non-native will be the pay. Since you’re not a native speaker your going rate will be considerably less than a native English speaker. TEFL/TESOL A TEFL or TESOL helps you in negotiating a higher hourly rate as well as securing a position in a public school, but as far as being a legal requirement it is not. It’s a good idea to obtain a certificate though because it helps you be a better teacher in the classroom and it sets you apart from less qualified candidates. How much are teachers paid in Vietnam? Working as an English teacher in Vietnam is totally different than other countries in that you’re paid per hour instead of being paid a salary. No exceptions. The hourly rate varies depending upon how qualified of an English teacher you are. With the pay rate ranging anywhere from $15 an hour to $25 an hour. The upper range is for native English speakers with teaching experience, a bachelors degree, a TEFL certificate and who can also pass a background check. If that is you, I would not accept anything less than $20 an hour. Most teachers can easily find work at any one of the numerous language centers in the country. The language centers operate after school and on weekends. These centers will want you to sign a contract and will give you a set minimum amount of teaching hours per week as well as a set schedule. The hours can be anywhere from 10 hours to 25 hours a week depending on if you’re full time or part time. You’ll want about 20 hours a week in order to make a good livable salary. The cost of living in Vietnam is around $800-$1000 USD. Lastly, everything is up for negotiation and don’t be afraid to walk away from an offer you don’t like. I had worked with an American teacher who had a great schedule of two days at a language center in the evening and two days at a high school during the day for a total of 20 hours a week, 3 days off and a monthly income of roughly $2000 USD. He was paid $22 an hour. When I sought employment, I was originally offered a position at a high school only to have a bait and switch pulled on me. Changing the position to a language center in the evenings 5 days a week with Tuesday and Thursday off and the bulk of the hours on the weekend. I said no. What does the average English Teacher make? The average teacher in Vietnam makes about $1,600 USD per month equivalent. You will be paid in Vietnamese Dong and you will have to setup a foreign bank account when in Vietnam so your school or language center can direct deposit your payment. The amount you make depends entirely on your hourly rate and the number of teaching hours your able to secure. Your hourly rate will be anywhere from $15-25 USD an hour and your working hours will be 15-25 hours. It really depends. The more qualified you are, the better hourly rate you will be paid, though school will try to pay you as little as they can. In general, if you’re an experience teacher try to secure a position at an international school. Where do teachers work in Vietnam? There are three places you will work at in Vietnam Language Centers Public Schools International Schools In Vietnam you’ll need to decide if you want to work at a language center, public school or “international” school. You can also work full time or part time. Again, Vietnam is not like other countries. International is in quotes because most private schools call themselves international. In other countries, international schools mean a high quality, competitive, good place to work – In Vietnam you should think Kindergarden or preschool when you hear “international” school. It’s also impossible to work directly with a public school. You’ll always have to go through an agency that sometimes also operates a language center to be placed in such a position. Language Centers $15-25 USD per Hour Language centers are the most common place to work at in Vietnam. Popular centers are Language Link, Apollo, and ILA. You can expect a language center to pay for your work permit and give you paid holidays. Some centers will even provide you a bonus upon contract completion or will pay for a flight. Please consider joining Facebook groups an ask questions about any job offer you get. There are some terrible employers all language centers in Vietnam that don’t pay on time or simply don’t pay teachers all together. Working Hours It depends on your contract. Most centers will give you between 20-25 hours per week. The bulk of your hours will be on the weekend. Expect to teach 6-7 hours worth of class on Saturday and Sunday and 3-4 hours in the evening during the work week. On the weekend centers open at 7 am and stay open until about 8 pm at night so you can be expected to work as early as 7 to as late as 8. You will NOT be given consecutive days off. Expect an odd schedule like Monday and Thursday off. The benefits of language centers are that they are developed, professional, well funded and take care of all the legal aspects of working in Vietnam. They also provide small classes of 15 or so students with a teaching assistant. The disadvantages are the long weekend hours and the lack of consecutive days off. Public Schools $15-25 USD per hour For public schools you have the option to work either full time or part time. To work at a public school you must go through an agency. The agency will place you in different schools during the week, so don’t expect to be going to the same school everyday. You are also only paid by the hour and class time is for a full hour. Full Time Public School Teacher If you choose to be full time, expect to teach 25 hours per week, paid holidays and some small amount of vacation time. If you teach over 25 hours you will be paid overtime. 25 hours is a lot of in class teaching time and most teachers get burned out at this amount of work as it equate to giving a 5 hour high energy speech 5 days a week. The overall advantage of a public school is normal working hours and guaranteed payment. So if your contract is for 80 hours per month 20 hours a week, you’ll be paid for that 80 hours even if you don’t actually teach 80 hours. Part-Time Public School Teacher As a part time teacher you’ll be paid a flat rate depending on your experience and ability to negotiate. With this route you will be required to get and pay for your own work permit yourself and all the costs that come along with it. The part time route gives a lot of flexibility for teachers and is an ideal option for those who teach online and are looking to pick up 10-15 hours during the week. Online teachers work evenings, so being able to have a gig during the morning hours is ideal and can be done by working as a part time teacher. International schools Western Salary at a legitimate school International schools in Vietnam come in two forms. Legitimate international schools like the British International School, and the Australian International School, or school that simply throw in the word “international” to their name to seem more professional. Proper international schools pay well a western salary of $2,900-4,000 a month is reasonable, have normal working hours, give paid vacation and holidays and take care of the work permit. To land a job here you’ll need teacher certification and experience. Set Your Own Schedule $2,000-3,000 USD In Vietnam it is totally possible to set your own schedule with working as a part time teacher at a few different places or combining a part time position at a public school with online teaching. Vietnam is refreshing choice in this regard because you’re much more in charge of your income, time and work week. But this option is for those already established in the country. Just know that it’s possible and a common setup is to work 10-12 hours a week at a public school during the day and then teach online for 16-20 hours. English Teacher Benefits Housing Allowance Only proper international school provide some sort of housing allowance. For all other position you’ll be required to find your own apartment or rent a room in a house with other teachers. In Hanoi, prices are affordable so you can get your own place if you want. Ho Chi Minh city apartments are a bit more expensive. It’s a good idea to find a roommate if possible. Paid Vacation Paid vacation and paid holidays are standard practice if you’re a full time teacher at a language center or public school in Vietnam. Bonus / Return Ticket Some language centers give you a bonus after a 1 year contract or they will help pay for a flight to return to your country. This is case by case and not standard practice as it is in South Korea. Cost of Living in Vietnam Vietnam is very cheap, cheaper than Thailand actually in all aspects except for rent and a gym membership. You can live a comfortable life as a debt free, single person on $1200 a month. This amount is all you will need in order to pay for your living costs. If you wish to travel and explore Vietnam, you’ll want to get your income up to around $1,700 USD. With an average salary of $2,000 USD if you’re working 22-25 hours per week, you can easily save $1,000 USD per month. The Vietnam Business Visa For English Teachers To legally work in Vietnam you need to obtain a business visa and a work permit. You obtain the work permit FIRST and then convert your tourist visa into a business visa. You’ll need to obtain a work permit to legally work at a school or language center in Vietnam. To work without a work permit means you’re working illegally and are putting yourself at risk of fines and deportation so don’t work without a work permit. If you’re working less than 3 month in Vietnam you do not need a work permit. This rule is in place to allow foreign nationals time to get situated first. Step 1 Get The Work Permit The work permit costs a few hundred dollars so please plan accordingly. It’s valid for 3 years. You will need the following to get a work permit in Vietnam A 4 year degree Health Check Police Check from the last 180 days Passport Photos Resume/CV Committee approval document + Business certification A 4 year degree You must be able to demonstrate you have some sort of professional skill. This is accomplished by having a 4-year degree. You have two options. You can either bring a notarized copy of your degree that has also been apostille by your Secretary of State or you can bring your original copy with you to Vietnam and have it certified by your embassy in Vietnam. I suggest the latter as it’s faster, easier and less costly. Check however with your school as rules change. Health Check You’ll have to undergo a physical at a official hospital in Vietnam. This document can not be older than 6 months when applying for the work permit. Otherwise you’ll have to undergo another physical. The physical involves standard work like blood work, blood pressure and a consultation with a physician. Recent Police Check You will need a police check from your home country no older than 180 days. This police check can be from your state or province. It does not need to be a national police check. If you have been living in Vietnam for more than 6 months, you’ll also need to get a Vietnamese police check as well. It’s best to obtain this document before arriving in Vietnam. Passport Photos and Passport Nothing surprising here. You’ll need numerous passport sized photos of yourself as well as a passport with 6 months or more validity still on it. You will also need COPIES of your passport too. Resume/CV Yes, you will need to submit your resume. They want to confirm your work experience from former employers as a way to help show you have professional skill. Committee approval document + Business certification These are documents you will obtain from your language school or agency if you’re working at a public school. Step 2 Get The Business Visa You have a work permit, you can now legally work in Vietnam. The next step is to get a business visa so you can live in Vietnam for the next year without having to do visa runs. To get a business visa you simply need Passport Application form Letter of entry clearance Visa Fee The key item here is the letter of entry clearance. You’ll get this from whatever business Language centers and agencies are private businesses you’re working with in Vietnam. You’ll simply need to provide them with your visa and any other details they ask for. Frequently Asked Questions Can I teach part time without a work permit? If you teach online for example and wish to obtain a part time position, you will still need to obtain a work permit to work legally. While it is common for teachers to work part time at numerous places, it’s technically illegal as your work permit is tied to one employer. Expect to bear the costs for a work permit if you go the part time route. Can I change my employer easily? Yes you can, your work permit is valid for 3 years and is linked to an employer. It’s a simple process of changing the employer on your work permit. All you do is get a few documents signed from your current employer and a few documents from your new employer. Teach English in Vietnam – Conclusion Vietnam is a rapidly growing and changing country. It’s quite under rated as a place to teach English but that’s a good thing. You can find a good paying position and live in a major city for cheap. If you’ve been looking for a place with a good work life balance, a place where you can explore a new culture and be surrounded by interesting expats. Check out Vietnam for teaching English abroad. 1. The Vietnamese educational contextStudents have to learn English as a foreign language EFL from primary schools to tertiary institutions in Vietnam. Many projects have been made to improve Vietnamese students’ English competencies, and the National Foreign Language Project 2020 is one of them. Nghia and Tran Citation2020 also detailed the reasons for implementing reforms, such as public educational mastication, diversity of students’ learning needs, market needs, technological changes, and students’ new ways of life. However, the results of the project, especially in students’ speaking and writing skills, were not satisfactory Le & Nguyen, Citation2017; Nguyen, Citation2013; Pham & Bui, Citation2019; Tran & Marginson, Citation2018. To better the understanding of the influential factors, many studies on educational change and pedagogical reforms PRs have been employed in countries around the world and particularly in Vietnam Harvey & Broyles, Citation2010; Ibrahim et al., Citation2013; Nguyen & Burns, Citation2017; Thao & Mai, Citation2020. Although Thao and Mai Citation2020 investigated several factors affecting EFL teachers’ willingness to apply pedagogical reforms to their classes, they did not profoundly explain how external factors had affected the teachers’ implementation of changes in light of the influence of teachers’ demographic information. Accordingly, the query how different groups of teachers in light of their backgrounds such as gender, age, qualifications, teaching experience, workplaces, and teaching areas affect the influence level of each external factor, especially in the Vietnamese context. Due to the abovementioned gaps, this study was Literature ELT pedagogical reformsKnapp Citation1997 indicated that every reforming process is a chance for teachers’ professional development to better their teaching. Eventually, the conceptualization of “ELT PRs” means a process in which teachers change the ways of English teaching to enhance the quality of EFL students’ learning and their teaching in practice Thao & Mai, Citation2020. However, this process was affected by external factors from educational policies, collegial interactions, institutional aspects, students, or other objective External factorsAccording to Thieman Citation2000 and Thao and Mai Citation2020, there are five chief external factors previous educational policies, professional communities and colleagues, institution managers’ leadership, students’ learning outcomes, and time for implementation. Figure 1 describes the overview of external factors. English language teaching pedagogical reforms in Vietnam External factors in light of teachers’ backgroundsPublished online09 June 2022Figure 1. The External Factors of EFL Teachers’ Responses to ELT PRsFigure 1. The External Factors of EFL Teachers’ Responses to ELT PRsPrevious educational policies this factor includes three main elements as required curriculum, mandated teaching strategies, and national testing Thao & Mai, Citation2020; Thieman, Citation2000. Even though the current educational policies are enforced, the previous ones still affect teachers’ teaching in everyday practice Darling-Hammond, Citation1990. Therefore, the change must hinder the effects of the previous educational policies from helping implement the new ones more effectively Thao & Mai, Citation2020. Professional community/colleaguesFlexer and Gestner Citation1993 stated that the collegial community sometimes conflicts among different teachers in a professional community. They may differ in terms of expectations of the reforms, agreement or disagreement with the school goals, or even their teaching beliefs. To maintain the social relationships, work norms, or arrangements in the workplace, teachers usually tend to agree with their colleagues without any considerations on their own Thao & Mai, Citation2020; Thieman, Citation2000. Institution managers’ leadershipThe administrators’ support plays a vital role in teachers’ responses to a change or a reform Thao & Mai, Citation2020. Teachers’ acceptance of change very much depends on their superiors’ encouragements Reitzug, Citation1994. Besides, the bond between teachers and their superiors sometimes plays a decisive role in whether teachers resist the change or not Smylie, Citation1992. Students’ learning outcomesThieman Citation2000 indicated that teachers evaluate the effectiveness of a particular change or reform based on their students’ learning outcomes. As a result, teachers tend to resist the change when they cannot see any development in their students’ learning Thao & Mai, Citation2020. TimeTo implement the change of PRs successfully, teachers need a sufficient amount of time to train, plan, practice, revise, collaborate with their colleagues Thieman, Citation2000; Ali; El Zaatar, Citation2011, learn new things, use new materials, apply new approaches Prestine & McGreal, Citation1997, analyze, and incorporate the reforms into teaching philosophy Flamholtz & Randle, Citation2008. Therefore, the implementation of change without considerations of the impact of time is challenging to be Relevant studiesMany studies have investigated the factors influencing EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. Nisbet and Collins Citation1978 conducted a case study to examine some theoretical frameworks about teachers’ responses to change. Forty primary teachers in the Queensland educational system partook in the project. The survey findings showed that teachers recognized the change values that led to their acceptance of the change. However, the study also found some external negativities teachers’ lack of support and training, excessive workload given by institutions, and strong beliefs in previous educational the study by Huberman Citation1981, this author singled out two influential factors of educational change, named the quality and amount of technical assistance and sustained central office and building-level support. Moreover, the ongoing administrative support plays an essential role in encouraging teachers to implement the the book “The new meaning of educational change”, which was well-known as the state-of-the-art reading in the field of change, Fullan Citation2001 pointed out two levels of influential factors of educational change. The first one is the local level. It includes the teacher, the principal, the student, the parent, the community, and the district administrator. The regional and national level is the next one. It includes governments, the professional preparation of teachers, the professional learning of educators, and the future of educational Citation2010 contributed to the literature of educational change with his study. The participants were K-12 ages 5–18 and university teachers from eastern South Dakota, in the northern Great Plains, USA. The study was designed as a qualitative study. This study found that some external factors, including the administrator, colleague, personal support, and trust, play an essential role in encouraging the teachers to et al. Citation2013 conducted their study to investigate four factors affecting teachers’ resistance to educational change in the UAE. The participants were 255 male and female, foreign and national teachers teaching different grade levels. The study was designed as quantitative research, using a survey of 39 statements on the Likert scale. The study’s findings showed that teachers resist change because of external reasons, named their beliefs in change agents and their principals or was noting the fact that very few studies were conducted in the Vietnamese context. Furthermore, those previous studies did not explain how external factors affect teachers with different backgrounds, such as their genders, educational qualifications, workplaces, teaching experience, teaching areas, and ages. Therefore, this study addressed two main research questions as follows What are the most influential external factors hindering EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs?How are external factors of EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs affected by different variables in light of their backgrounds?3. MethodologyThis study was conducted as a mixed-method approach, using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to collect data to find the answers to the research questions. The two methods, when combined, allow the research to assess both outcomes and processes of the social questionnaire was adapted from the study by Thieman Citation2000 and then developed by the research team with five items representing five factors presented in the literature review on a 5-point Likert scale, strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree. Before being employed in the official study, the questionnaire was piloted with the participation of 30 EFL teachers who would be excluded from the actual study. These teachers were kindly required to respond to the questionnaire as well as give comments on the items that they found the word choices or grammar uses inappropriate. The collected data from the pilot was objected to SPSS to check the reliability of the questionnaire. The Scale test results indicated the instrument’s reliability α = .84. Accordingly, it was then employed to collect the official data. It was sent via emails, provided by acquaintances of the research team, such as friends, colleagues, and lecturers, to 102 participants who were high school teachers working in the Southwest of Vietnam. below displays the information of the participants for the survey. English language teaching pedagogical reforms in Vietnam External factors in light of teachers’ backgroundsPublished online09 June 2022Table 1. The participants’ demographic informationIn terms of semi-structured interviews, all questions investigated EFL teachers’ perceptions of external factors affecting their responses to ELT software version was used to analyze the quantitative data from the questionnaire. First of all, a Scale test checked the reliability of the instrument. Then, the Descriptive Statistics test determined the average level of the external factors affecting the EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. To answer research question 1, One-Sample T-Tests were administered to compare the mean scores with the test values following the critical understanding of the average recommended by Oxford Citation1990. Next, the researchers used one-way ANOVA tests and Independent Sample T-tests to answer research question 2. All data of the results were rounded to the 2nd digit. Then, when p-value was under it meant the differences were significant, and the effect size was then calculated. According to Cohen Citation2013, Eta-squared value η2 indicates the effect size, including small from .01 to .06, medium from .06 to .14, and large above .14.The semi-structured interviews were conducted after distributing the questionnaires. The interviews involved six participants who were recruited according to their mean score in the questionnaire. The six teachers included three from the “most affected” group named A, B, and C and the other three from the “least affected” group named D, C, and F. After that, the researchers contacted the interviewees via their emails and phones. The interviews were conducted on Zalo, Skype, and Zoom platforms for ensuring safety from the COVID-19 infection. Each interview lasted approximately thirty minutes. Vietnamese was used in the interviews to avoid misunderstanding and encourage the interviewees to express their ideas more rapidly, comprehensively, and accurately. Recording and note-taking were used to save the contents of the interviews under the permission of the participants. After that, the Vietnamese transcription versions were translated into English. To clarify misunderstandings, the research team contacted the interviewees via email or directed phone calls. Finally, the data were interpreted and analyzed according to themes in the study Results and findingsThis section consists of the results of quantitative data and qualitative data for the two research Research question 1What are the most influential external factors hindering EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs?First, Table shows the results of the Descriptive Statistics Test run on the whole questionnaire. English language teaching pedagogical reforms in Vietnam External factors in light of teachers’ backgroundsPublished online09 June 2022Table 2. External influential factors on ELT PRs by the participantsThen, a One-Sample T-test test value and the mean scores of each factor was run, and the results of the test showed that the factors on students’ learning outcomes, institution managers’ leadership, and time highly affected the participants’ responses to ELT PRs p 20To sum up, the quantitative data showed that the influence level of the factor on institution managers’ leadership was not affected by the teachers’ backgrounds; however, the experienced teachers, who built a strong bond as well as trust with their superiors during the working periods, might feel more empowered than the The factor on time for implementationHowever, in the interviews, three out of five teachers at the age of 30s or older mentioned time as a factor affecting their responses to ELT PRs. Teacher F shared, The activities introduced in the reforms are very good because they help students be more active. However, in a classroom with 40-45 students crammed into a small room and a lesson with 45 minutes, it is very difficult to apply these reforms to improve students’ communicative competence or their abilities to cooperate. As a result, I cannot adapt ELT PRs in my teaching.F; Female; Bachelor; Regular HS; Countryside; At 40s years old; Exp>20The youngest teacher and two others at the age of 30s did not mention this factor as an influential factor affecting their responses to ELT no significant difference was found in the results from quantitative data, according to the findings from the interviews, the factor on time for implementation might not significantly affect young teachers’ responses to ELT PRs as much as it seemed to influence the older and more experienced The factor on previous educational policiesIn the interviews, both master teachers mentioned that the factor on previous educational policies strongly hindered their responses to ELT PRs. Teacher D stated, Although ELT PRs aim to increase the time of teaching listening and speaking skills, the curriculum still mainly focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Besides that, because of the final goal, students’ good scores in the exams, I often avoid adapting these reforms to get the goal.D; Female; Master; Gifted HS; City; At 30s years old; 520To sum up, there was no difference from different groups of teachers in light of their The factor on school facilitiesBesides the five external factors proposed in this current study, the findings from the interviews also indicated that school facilities externally affected teachers’ responses to ELT teachers with master’s degrees found it challenging to implement the reforms when the quality of school facilities was insufficient. One of them said, The number of classes is too large, so it is difficult for teachers to successfully apply a type of ELT PRs for improving communicative competence. Typically, it is difficult to organize interesting activities in my class, with 50 students. Both teachers and students face difficulties that the teacher fails to manage the class and the students are difficult to absorb the lesson.B; Male; Master; Regular HS; Countryside; At 20s years old; Exp20In summary, the factor on school facilities was indicated as an external factor affecting EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. Although the respondents mentioning school facilities as a hindering factor came from both groups in terms of teachers’ qualifications, the percentage of the teachers with master’s degrees affected by this factor was higher than that of their DiscussionsFirst, the current study found that the teachers were highly affected by external factors, including students’ learning outcomes, institution managers’ leadership, and time. At a lower level, previous educational policies and teachers’ professional community and colleagues also remarkably impacted the teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. Last but not least, the factor on school facilities was found as a remarkably influential factor affecting teachers’ responses to the the factor on students’ learning outcomes, the most influential external one in the current study, Thieman Citation2000, argued that when students show improvement in learning, teachers continue implementing new teaching techniques and changing their beliefs in teaching. Besides, Paine and Fang Citation2006 stated that this factor serves as a standardized measurement for teachers’ development shift accountability for being a good teacher in the Chinese educational context. Consequently, it was understandable to observe the star mean score on students’ learning outcomes in the current study M = Sharing countless similarities in terms of cultures, traditions, and even educational philosophies, Chinese and Vietnamese teachers are under much pressure from their students’ achievements Lan, Citation2017. In a worse case, the pressure may also lead to some negativities in English teaching and learning that educators tend to find ways as applying grading leniency to comfort the students’ grading expectations Stroebe, Citation2016 or even have got the achievement obsession. Inferred from the study by Romanowski Citation2004, which investigated the students’ obsession with grades, teachers may also have got equivalent consequences of the obsession, namely anxiety, cheating, unhealthy competition, worry, fear, and so on. Further than the abovementioned teacher-related consequences, easy grading also deteriorates students’ learning outcomes as well as their learning efforts Bonesrønning, Citation2004.In terms of the factor on institutional managers’ leadership, the teachers indicated that they were strongly affected by their superiors’ commands. This finding was similar to the experience of China’s reforms in professional development Paine & Fang, Citation2006, which stated that the reforms were over-controlled by the government as a top-down orientation. In the same vein, Fullan Citation2006 accentuated that educational reforms usually land on teachers without their engagement in the decision-making process. In other words, the government frequently evaluates teachers’ quality based on licenses and setting standards. While teachers’ voices should be heard to anchor to the strengths of particular groups of local practitioners in the classrooms Fullan, Citation2001; Rubdy, Citation2008, throughout the participants’ narrations, the planning stage of the reforming processes seemed to lack teachers’ engagement. For this issue, Reitzug Citation1994 and Ibrahim et al. Citation2013 informed that the managers should support, facilitate, encourage, and even involve their workers in the change planning stage to promote the implementation process. Without these institution-related factors, the reform processes and similar innovations may still be overambitious and unachievable in English teaching and learning in Vietnam Hoang, Citation2010; H. T. M. Nguyen et al., Citation2018; Van Huy & Hamid, Citation2015.The time limit for implementation was also a remarkable external factor affecting teachers’ willingness to accompany ELT PRs in the current study. Many previous studies indicated the critical role of time for implementation in the reform process Prestine & McGreal, Citation1997; Thieman, Citation2000; Flamholtz & Randle, Citation2008; Ali; El Zaatar, Citation2011. The teachers were under high pressure with time for learning, being trained, planning, practicing, revising, collaborating with colleagues, learning new teaching techniques, using new materials effectively, applying new teaching approaches, deeply analyzing, and incorporating the reforms into teaching in practice. Backtracking to the literature review, this excessive workload intentionally decreases teachers’ motivation to accept changes Nisbet & Collins, Citation1978.Besides the factor on teachers’ professional community and colleagues, previous educational policies were informed as an external factor that moderately affected the teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. The mismatch between the reforming policies and the students’ learning assessment was why the teachers refused to change their teaching methods in the current study. Related to the impact of previous educational policies on the ways teachers accept changes, Thieman Citation2000 and Darling-Hammond Citation1990 highlighted that educational changes must be highly correlational; besides, the alignment of the required curriculum, mandated teaching strategies, and national testing must be vigorous. However, in Vietnam, while the MOET has been making considerable efforts with EFL teachers by encouraging them to apply communicative teaching techniques in order to help improve students’ oral communication H. T. M. Nguyen et al., Citation2018, in-class testing and even the National examination have still been concentrating on the grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing evaluation Le Ha, Citation2009; Phuong & Nhu, Citation2015. Consequently, teaching approaches have been more test-oriented to meet the expected grading outcomes rather than develop students’ oral communication skills that are obligatory to fulfill the social requirements in Vietnam Pham & Bui, Citation2019. Located far from Vietnam, this teaching profession de-professionalization also occurred in the Anglosphere countries such as the UK and Wales. One of the significant problems of standards-based education there was about the assessment which had driven teachers in those two countries to improve the students’ test scores, not to meet their sustainable needs, including life-long learning, global competitions, and so on Donert, Citation2010; Kohn, Citation1999. Backtracking on the importance of oral communication skills, Kassim and Ali Citation2010, who conducted a study to investigate the role of English communicative skills needed at the workplace, stated that not only do they provide more chances in job promotions, but sufficient English competencies also advance workers to become global human to Leithwood et al. Citation1998, teachers are inspired and encouraged by the mutual support among the professional community. Emo Citation2010 confirmed the importance of a collegial community in the professional development reforms. Nevertheless, the current study found that the factor on professional community and colleagues did not significantly affect the teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. In another culture with several similarities like China, Paine and Fang Citation2006 remarked on the importance of collegial interactions and collaborations in the educational context. Besides the curriculum materials used to instruct teachers how to run their classes in practice, the public, conversational aspect of teaching is both contexts have been affected by the Confucianist/ collectivist culture Jones et al., Citation2021. However, the current study results showed some mismatches in collegial interactions that their colleagues did not much influence the participants. It is worth raising some queries as to why the teachers did not have strong interactions among the professional community or what caused the insufficient influence level of the factor on professional community/ colleagues. Keashly and Neuman Citation2010 partly explained these issues by mentioning the necessities of conflict management in creating a collaborative and collective working environment. Therefore, initial training in academic settings about dealing with conflictual or hostile cases should be obligatory for pre-service teachers in Vietnam and other educational this current study found that the factor on school facilities significantly affected the teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. This finding was in line with the study by Huberman Citation1981, which found that the quantity and quality of technical facilities and school building-level support strongly affect educational changes. According to L. Nguyen et al. Citation2020, school-related factors significantly impact students’ learning outcomes, the most influential external factor in this current study. That is why the teachers complained about how the unqualified teaching facilities had lowered their teaching and their adoptions of ELT PRs. To be especially worrisome for the dissatisfaction with environmental conditions, such as unqualified facilities and infrastructures, can negatively affect people’s productivity Leaman, Citation1995. Eventually, developing countries whose economic potential is not strong enough to maximize educational support may find it challenging to meet the expectations and objectives of ELT several aspects of teachers’ backgrounds, their educational qualifications, ages, and teaching experiences differed the influence level of the external factors, consisting of students’ learning outcomes, previous educational policies, and the potential factor on school facilities. The most prominent was that the more qualified teachers paid more attention to the influence level of external factors than the teachers with lower degrees did in the current study. The findings were in line with the study by Waters and Vilches Citation2008, which affirmed the role of educational levels of professional support in implementing a reforming ConclusionsThis study was conducted to explain how external factors affected EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs in the Mekong Delta Southwest of Vietnam. Also, the study aimed to investigate the impact of the teachers’ demographic information on their perceptions of how they responded to those external factors. According to the study results, the factor on students’ learning outcomes was the most significant external factor affecting the teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. Besides, teachers’ qualification strongly affected their perceptions of the influence of external factors on their responses to ELT PRs in general. Also, the ways teachers perceived the influence of their students’ learning outcomes and previous education policies were significantly affected by their Implications and recommendationsThe study contributed to a better understanding of how external factors affected EFL teachers’ responses to ELT PRs. It may help many educational stakeholders, such as EFL teachers and their students, educational administrators, and researchers interested in this this is a good chance for the EFL teachers to reflect on their teaching and the external factors affecting their beliefs in implementing ELT PRs in their practices. Thanks to that, they can adjust their beliefs in teaching and find ways to increase their students’ achievements. Also, EFL students passively get the benefits from their teachers’ educational administrators may better understand the inferiors and what could have hindered their adoption of ELT PRs externally. Consequently, they can organize sufficient professional development plans, strategies, programs and activities, and increase the quality of their suggested reforms and their scientific researchers interested in the topic will gain a foundation of external factors’ theoretical knowledge. Also, this foundation has drawn an in-depth view on what affect Vietnamese teachers’ responses to ELT PRs, so they can discuss this particular educational context with others that share different or similar backgrounds to generalize their Limitations and suggestionsThe current study cannot avoid a few limitations that need fulfillment in further research. First, the sampling was small to generalize the findings, especially the number of participants for interviews. Therefore, further research can involve more teachers at different teaching levels, including primary, secondary, and higher education, in all provinces in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Besides, other stakeholders, such as academic leaders or headteachers, trainers, students, policymakers, and even students’ parents, should have a chance to raise their voices. In so far as PRs can be linked to national interests, it does not mean that PRs also meet the public needs Hawkins & Furuto, Citation2008.Additionally, the results of the study were analyzed with the self-reported information from the teachers. No observation was made to testify to the data obtained from the questionnaires and the online interviews. Therefore, employing some observations using the proposed framework with reliable checklists can help further studies become more significant and valuable. AllHanoiHo Chi Minh CityDa NangVietnam GuideJob AlertsGet the latest teaching jobs sent right to your inbox. 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Let’s dive into the ESL scene in Vietnam, the work-life experience for teachers, and how to land your dream job in a major city like Hanoi or a rural rice-growing village, whichever environment you prefer. See for yourself why it made our list of the 7 best Asian countries to teach English. About teaching English in Vietnam In a bid to attract more qualified teachers, Vietnamese schools tend to pay much higher salaries than those in neighboring Southeastern countries like the Philippines or Thailand See more on the salary to teach in Thailand. Vietnam is home to bustling mega-cities with all the modern amenities and stunning, verdant rural landscapes alike – so it’s got something for everyone. What are the requirements to teach English in Vietnam? Here are the general requirements to teach English in Vietnam 4-year college degree. You’re likely going to need a 4-year university degree as it’s essentially a ubiquitous, baseline qualification for any job. Clean background check. Some schools have creative visa workarounds to get teachers’ paperwork done without submitting a background check, but, in most cases, you should be prepared to show proof of a clean criminal history, Native speaking status sometimes but not always. Some hiring managers prefer native speakers, but others are open to any nationality as long as the candidate speaks solid English. I taught alongside Ukrainians, Nigerians, and Egyptians, just to name a few of the non-native nationalities who successfully find work in Vietnam. TEFL certification. More and more schools require a TEFL certification, along with a university degree, as a standard credential. If you’re a busy student or worker, consider the benefits of TEFL Hero’s comprehensive, self-paced 120-hour online course. It’s fully accredited and recognized worldwide. Get Certified to Teach Anywhere! 120hr Online Certificate with LIFETIME Access Valid Anywhere Online & Abroad Fully Accredited 24hr Tutor Support - Ask Us Anything! Caveat Many of these requirements are flexible and differ from school to school. If you find a posted job ad that you’re really interested in, go ahead and submit your application anyway. You might be surprised to find how willing schools are to accommodate an enthusiastic candidate who impresses them. Don’t have a degree? See how to teach English in Thailand without a degree. Teaching in Vietnam salary and cost of living Let’s get down to brass tacks salary and cost of living in Vietnam. How much do teachers make in Vietnam? We have to get this out of the way upfront you have no chance of getting rich teaching English in Vietnam unless you open and run a successful school. The best you can hope for finance-wise is to make more than enough to live comfortably while you’re there and squirrel away a nice chunk of change to eventually return home with. That said, Vietnamese schools tend to pay more than those in neighboring lands. For instance, many Thai schools pay a baseline salary to Western ESL teachers of $1,000/month. Same thing in Cambodia and Laos. In Vietnam, working the standard 40 hours/week with about 20 of those hours actually in the classroom, you won’t take home less than $1,500/month in most schools. In the big cities, where the cost of living is higher, it’s common to exceed $2,000/month. You might make less in rural areas, but with the benefit of a lower cost of living. Living in a larger city like Hanoi will cost more than rural Vietnamese villages Benefits for teachers in Vietnam Aside from the pay, Vietnamese schools offer numerous auxiliary benefits that can significantly reduce your monthly expenses. Examples include A free apartment usually within or right next to the school complex Free lunch if you work at a conventional school Free use of a motorbike Health insurance although the cost of medical care in Vietnam is already exceptionally low and affordable for most expats What’s the cost to live in Vietnam? Even in Ho Chi Minh City, one of the most expensive places in Vietnam, according to Numbeo, the cost of living is extremely low compared to advanced Western economies A full-course restaurant meal will cost you $ A dozen eggs from a supermarket will cost $ even less if you buy from a streetside vendor A bus ride costs 30 cents Skyline view of the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh The bottom line if you’re making $1,500/month in Vietnam – which, again, is on the lower end of the typical pay scale – it’s entirely possible to save half of that or more. If your school provides an apartment and/or motorbike, that monthly living cost drops even lower. Types of English teaching jobs in Vietnam Let’s get into the major types of English teaching jobs available in Vietnam. Language Center Language centers are everywhere in Vietnam. I taught in a city called Lao Cai, located in the extreme northern mountains on the border with China. The population of the city wasn’t more than 100,000 – yet there were at least 15 language schools that I knew of. They were always – and by that I mean literally constantly — recruiting teachers. Language center job pros The pay is more competitive. In most instances, $16/hour is the minimum a native teacher can fetch. $20/hour is common. Dress requirements are often laxer in language centers. I taught in t-shirts, even covered in tattoos as I am. If you’re into teaching adults, many language centers cater exclusively to adults, especially ones interested in Business English to further their careers. Language center job cons Because private language schools often have contracts with public schools to conduct English lessons, you might have to do a bit of traveling within the area where you it’s incumbent on the school to provide transportation or cover the cost. That said, they probably won’t compensate you for travel time. You’ll be expected to work nights and weekends. Of course, this could be a pro or a con depending on your schedule preferences. Public Schools Public schools, perhaps aside from language centers, are the most prevalent institutions hosting foreign ESL teachers in Vietnam. Public school pros If you’re truly interested in teaching to make a difference in the lives of students who need the most help, consider a public school. You’ll be teaching some of the more economically and socially disadvantaged students in the country, and still making decent money doing it. Less stringent expectations. This isn’t to say that you won’t have any oversight or performance expectations, but because of the management structure and the reality of the less resource-rich environment and relative less, schools will realistically expect less in the way of documented schools – often under heavy pressure from parents – are more demanding in terms of results in the form of improved test scores, etc. for students. Public schools are located literally everywhere in Vietnam, even in rural areas, so if your heart is set on a hut next to a rice field to get a taste of the jungle life, there’s a public school nearby down some dirt road that likely needs a foreign English teacher. Public school cons You’ll statistically make less than in private schools. You’ll likely be teaching 30+ students at a time, in all probability in a classroom with no AC and, if you’re lucky, a series of ceiling fans as the only means of ventilation. You will have minimal support from administrative staff. If you’re fortunate, they’ll give you a Vietnamese teaching assistant TA to help control the large class sizes, but in more impoverished regions, you won’t even have that. Your teaching materials will likely consist of a blackboard and, perhaps, a projector to hook a laptop up to for digital materials. International School If you’re interested in adding a serious credential to your resume and racking up big money at the same time, consider a type of private institution known as an “international school.” “International schools” are found worldwide, usually serving elite and highly educated native families as well as the families of well-monied international residents like highly skilled foreign workers, diplomats, etc. International school pros The money, Lebowski. You’re going to make a lot of it. At least $3,000/month, sometimes more depending on your experience and qualifications. Work experience at an international school is a major notch on your belt. If you’re serious about climbing the ESL career ladder, working at an international school is a solid move. You’ll have an enormous and well-resourced support team of administrators, counselors, etc. behind you to enhance your teaching work and provide more opportunities for professional development. International school cons International schools are highly competitive. Whereas the other school types we’ve discussed here are plentiful you can literally find a job within a few days, international schools are much more selective about whom they hire. You’ll probably end up in a major urban center like Ho Chi Minh City in the south or Hanoi in the north. If you’re trying to get out into the “real” Vietnam for some fresh air, you won’t find international schools there because the clientele doesn’t live there. Kindergarten Kindergartens are separate institutions from primary schools, and often include preschool age groups as well. Kindergarten pros Lesson planning is super easy. There’s no complicated material to teach – just a lot of fun songs and interactive activities to teach the most basic vocabulary and grammar. Less teaching hours required than positions teaching older students usually just a few per day. Many people, such as my wife, find Asian children overwhelmingly cute. Kindergarten cons Kindergarten teachers are expected to be highly energetic – teaching is more of a performance than an academic exercise. Lots of dancing, singing, etc. Large class sizes 20+ in public kindergartens Many kindergartens have a strong preference for female teachers based on the belief that women make better caretakers of young children. The preponderance of ESL jobs are located in the three largest cities Ho Chi Minh Hanoi Da Nang Of course, jobs are available throughout Vietnam, but they’re less plentiful and more difficult to find. The picturesque Da Nang Sea How to find English teaching jobs in Vietnam Let’s briefly outline a solid strategy to find jobs to teach English in Vietnam. Where to start Job Boards are a great place to start, especially if you’re not physically in Vietnam but want to nail down a position before you leave home. Solid Vietnamese ESL job boards include TeachingNomad GoOverseas Vietnam Teaching Jobs Craigslist yes, really. I found my position on Craiglist. Facebook Groups like BeLi are also great resources. In addition to connecting teachers with employers, they also facilitate interaction between teachers to exchange tips, avoid scams, etc. To find higher-end work, particularly at international schools, create a profile on LinkedIn. How to get hired Here’s the basic process to get hired Get your documents in order. That includes a passport valid for a minimum of six months from your anticipated start date, your college diploma, your TEFL certificate and digital photocopies of all three, a clean-cut headshot, and, in most cases, a criminal background check. Scour the job boards above. Commit to sending out a minimum of two applications per day most of which are simply emails with no need for lengthy forms. Always include all the digital copies of the above documents in your applications. Follow up with any recruiters who don’t respond within a week. Wait for the job offers to roll in. You’ll be surprised how many of your applications garner interest from schools, which are often desperate for teachers. Be patient. Weigh your options and talk to at least a few schools before committing to one. Don’t jump at the first opportunity you get; many, many more will follow. Ask to speak to a current or, better yet, a former teacher to get an idea of what the job is like and how reliable the school is about visa support, payment, etc. What visa do you need to teach English in Vietnam? You’ll need a business visa and a work permit to legally teach English in Vietnam. Here’s my wife’s visa, whom I met while teaching English in Vietnam True to its bureaucratic communist roots, the Vietnamese government absolutely loves paperwork – volumes and volumes of it. Get your pen ready, because you’ll be filling out more forms for your visa than the cumulative sum total of documents you’ve signed up until this point in your life. Note that some teachers have been known to teach without any significant issues on a tourist visa. Some employers might tell you that your tourist visa is okay to use to teach. This is risky for two reasons If caught, you face hefty fines and possible banishment from the country If a dispute ever arises with your employer, which often happens – for example, they won’t pay you – then you have no legal recourse to force them to pay up. What’s it like being an English teacher in Vietnam? I have never encountered a population more dedicated to improving their English skills than the Vietnamese. The country has an intense academic culture. Students study seemingly all day and are very well-disciplined. When I took off to teach in Northern Vietnam, which was the heart of the Viet Cong that fought the imperial French and then American forces in the Vietnam War, I was a little apprehensive because I believed there might be some remnant anti-American sentiment. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Vietnamese are extremely warm towards Americans and other foreigners. Their economy has boomed in recent years and they are very forward-looking in their orientation. Life is very different in Vietnam than in the West. The country only relatively recently opened its arms to foreign influence, and so retains a uniqueness that many expats in search of the “exotic” life find attractive. You’ll be impressed, for instance, by what the resourceful Vietnamese can get done on a motorbike and, more specifically, what they can carry. Road rules mean much less there. Here’s a bike on a bike – very metaphysical Get ready for some culture shock. This includes certain regions of Vietnam that have an appetite for, among other unusual cuisine, dogs. Here’s a picture I snapped at a local market in Lao Cai Every aspect of their way of life might not be for you – but, remember, as long as you’re in their country, you’ve got to accept it. For a few handy tips on navigating worklife in Vietnam, check out the interview below How does teaching in Vietnam compare to other Asian countries? Teaching in Southeast Asia, you’re likely going to experience a more tropical climate, a lower cost of living, and lower salaries than in its Eastern Asian neighbors such as China, South Korea, or Japan. If you’re looking for more developed cities and infrastructure, then teaching in countries like Vietnam or Thailand may not be for you. See more guides for teaching in Asia Teaching English in Japan Teaching English in Thailand Teaching English in South Korea Teaching English in China FAQs About Teaching English in Vietnam Let’s run down a few frequently asked questions FAQs about teaching English in Vietnam. Is teaching English in Vietnam worth it? Yes. The relatively high pay compared to regional alternatives and the low cost of living make for a wise financial decision to teach English in Vietnam. Can I teach English in Vietnam without a bachelor’s degree? Not in most instances. There are some creative workarounds, but it’s a baseline requirement for most schools as well as for a visa. Can non-native speakers teach English in Vietnam? Many schools have preferences for native-speaking teachers, but there are also positions open to non-native speakers. Are English teachers in demand in Vietnam? English teachers are in extremely high demand in Vietnam. It’s a seller’s market. Reprints and Corporate Permissions Please note Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content? To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below Academic Permissions Please note Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content? 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