Regulating transnational English teachers in Vietnam: a comparative critical policy analysis

This study conducts a comparative critical policy analysis of the regulatory conditions governing transnational English teachers in Vietnam, examining the tension between language-policy aspirations and administrative implementation. While the Vietnamese state has institutionalized an ambitious project to elevate English to the status of a second language through Decision 2371/QD-TTg, the regulatory architecture governing foreign teacher recruitment has not evolved commensurately: educational, labor, and immigration requirements condition access to instructional workforce. Drawing on Spolsky's (2004. Language policy. Cambridge University Press.) tripartite model and Shohamy's (2006. Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. Routledge.) concept of de facto language policy, the study introduces incidental language management: administrative mechanisms that carry no identifiable linguistic policy objective yet shape eligibility for language teaching. Linguistic and non-linguistic policy are thus distinct in origin but may become entangled in effect. Through document analysis of Vietnamese educational, labor, and immigration statutes, compared with Thailand and Taiwan, the study finds that inter-ministerial fragmentation, rather than individual stringency, is a key structural source of policy dissonance. Thailand's transitional licensing and Taiwan's sector differentiation illustrate alternative ways of distributing regulatory burdens. The paper argues for inter-ministerial coordination, tiered licensing, and sector-specific thresholds to better align implementation with policy objectives.