Vietnamese Teachers’ and Students’ Reflection: English Tertiary Online Classes Could Be Vivid With EFL Collaborative Learning Application in COVID-19 Social-Distancing Context

In the context of globalization and technology 4.0, the demand for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Vietnam has been growing. However, many Vietnamese students still have limited English communicative abilities, prompting Vietnam to launch innovations in English teaching and learning. EFL Collaborative Learning (CoL) has been suggested for application in Vietnam, as this approach offers numerous benefits for students in learning English and improving their English communicative abilities, especially during the social-distancing period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative and quantitative research provides a comprehensive and multidimensional perspective of online English CoL during the Covid-19 social-distancing period. This paper provides a clear illustration of CoL in online EEL classes in Vietnam during the above-mentioned period, focusing on two key aspects: 1. the support from teachers and students for online EFL CoL; and 2. the practical application of online EFL CoL in Vietnamese universities. The findings could hold significant relevance and application for numerous contexts of online English teaching, especially in an era of rapid technological and AI development. This study aims to make a substantial contribution in the development of TESOL, ELT, and education in Vietnam and globally, to meet the requirements of globalization and internationalization.