ABSTRACT
A major concern of modern Vietnam is how to improve the English competence of students so that they meet the requirements for effective communication and employability in the new era of internationalization. While Vietnamese policy for higher education has a triple emphasis on hard skills, soft skills, and proficiency in at least one foreign language (in this case English), reality shows that Vietnamese students are still inadequately trained in English and soft skills. The ultimate goal set by the Government for all graduates to use English independently as a medium of communication by 2020 seems difficult to attain. Our research reveals that teaching English augmented with applied critical-thinking skills can be one of the solutions for improving the level of English competence for effective communication and employability. Our research participants (EFL teachers) were cognizant of the essential role of critical thinking in effective teaching and learning EFL. Furthermore, those who have had experience with critical thinking in their teaching and coursework wish to have these elements in their process of teaching and learning EFL, and those who have not had an opportunity to do so previously have shown strong interest in including critical-thinking elements in their future teaching and learning.
