ABSTRACT
An unprecedented volume of Vietnamese youth can now pursue higher education. No longer resigned to the restrictions and standards of statewide testing that determine higher education opportunities via acceptance into the state university system, a new middle-class and working-class Vietnamese have pursued higher education through domestic and international private colleges and language centers that feature the promise of English-only instruction. Such programmatic promises, however, often create a complicated bargain for educators, administrators and students. The private institution that hosts the international college program also houses English language centers, as well as a domestic vocational training program. The college programs operate from separate accreditation processes with the international program accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) from the United States and the domestic program accredited by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). Consequently, the two programs offer degrees that support divergent pathways.
