Challenges of ICT Policy Implementation in ELT: A Case Study in a Vietnamese Province

Enhancing English teaching is always a top priority for the Vietnamese government. Decision No. 1400/Q-TTg on Approving the Project “Foreign Language Learning and Teaching in the National Education System period 2008 and 2020”, as a result, is a national policy that mandates the use of ICT in ELT nationwide. This study, therefore, aims to explore how a particular town in Vietnam has complied with the national demand through its ICT policies in ELT. An interpretivist qualitative design was adopted for this study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations of 16 teachers of English, and analysis was guided by Fullan’s Educational Change Theory (2015) and Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovations Theory (2003). The results revealed many hindering factors burdening public schools and teachers at the local level, including poor infrastructure, inadequate training for teachers, and a lack of technical support. The findings of this study can be used as a guideline for minimizing obstacles in future improvements in ICT-related policy.