The need to establish and sustain language learning communities for EFL teachers in Vietnam

Recognising the need to improve the English proficiency of EFL teachers, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has sought to invest in the professional development (PD) of teachers as part of the implementation of the National Foreign Language Project 2020. This chapter starts with a discussion of teachers’ language proficiency as an important component of professional competence, followed by an examination of PD activities conducted under the Project. It identifies three challenges for the improvement of teachers’ English proficiency: lack of encouragement and support from MOET, teacher training institutions, and schools; lack of language learning communities (LLCs); and the lack of environments in which to use English. In order to overcome these challenges, this chapter proposes the establishment and promotion of LLCs, which not only provide opportunities for PD via collaboration, dialogue, reflection, inquiry, and leadership but also create environments for the actual use of English.