Themes:
Career transition into language teaching
Intrinsic motivation for teaching
Professional development through postgraduate study
Challenges of entering teaching from a non-language background
Questions:
Interviewer opening
“Hello, thank you very much for agreeing to participate in this interview. For my Research
Methods assignment, I am conducting a semi-structured interview about becoming an English
teacher.
Today, I would like to talk with you about your journey from being a non-English major to
becoming an English teacher in Vietnam.
The interview will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes. With your permission, I would like to
record this interview so that I can review it later for my assignment.
Your participation is completely voluntary, and you are free to stop the interview or skip any
question at any time if you feel uncomfortable.
Do I have your consent to proceed and record this interview?”
Ice-breaking questions (2–3 phút)
Script
1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and your current work?
2. How long have you been teaching English? ( ng nói có thể gợi ý chia sẻ về việc trc đây
làm j, học gì, sau chuyển ang dạy tiếng anh)
3. What kind of students are you teaching at the moment?
Possible follow-up
Could you tell me a bit more about your current teaching context?
Are you teaching at a school, university, or language center?
Content questions (main interview – 15–18 phút)
A. Background and transition
4. From your sharing, I understand that you were not originally an English major. Could you
tell me about your original field of study?
5. At that time, did you imagine that you would later become an English teacher? Why or
why not?
6. Can you describe the process of moving from your original field into English language
teaching?
Probes
What was the turning point for you?
Was it a gradual change or a sudden decision?
What influenced that decision most?
B. Motivation
7. What made you become interested in English teaching later in your career?
8. Why did teaching English become meaningful to you?
9. Was there any person, event, or experience that inspired you to choose this path?
Probes
Could you give an example?
How did that experience affect your decision?
Why was that moment important to you?
C. Training and preparation
10. After deciding to move into teaching, how did you prepare yourself for this new career? (
tham gia khóa học MA)
11. Why did you decide to study for a Master’s degree in English language teaching?
12. In what ways did the Master’s program change your understanding of teaching?
13. What knowledge or skills from the program have been most useful in your teaching
practice?
Probes
Could you compare your teaching before and after the Master’s program?
What was the biggest gap you noticed in yourself before formal training?
Which course or subject in the program helped you the most?
D. Teaching experience
14. What do you enjoy most about being an English teacher in Vietnam?
15. What kinds of difficulties do your students usually face when learning English?
16. What teaching methods or classroom activities do you often use?
17. How do you motivate students who are not confident or not interested in learning
English?
Probes
Could you describe a memorable classroom experience?
What usually works well with Vietnamese learners?
Are there any methods that did not work as expected?
E. Challenges as a non-major teacher
18. As someone who entered teaching from another academic background, what challenges
have you faced?
19. Did you ever feel less confident because you were not originally trained in English
studies? If so, how did you deal with that?
20. What has been the most difficult part of establishing yourself as an English teacher?
Probes
Was the challenge more about language knowledge, teaching methods, or professional
identity?
How did you overcome that?
Looking back, would you do anything differently?
expectation of English teachers in vietnam
1. In your opinion, what are the expectations for English teachers in Vietnam today?
2. What do students or parents usually expect from English teachers?
3. What do employers (schools or language centres) expect from English teachers?
4. Do you think these expectations are realistic? Why or why not?
Could you give some examples?
Have these expectations changed over time?
Do you feel any pressure from these expectations?
How do these expectations affect your teaching?
Are these expectations different from what you imagined before becoming a teacher?
F. Reflection and advice
21. Looking back, how do you feel about your decision to change career paths?
22. What advice would you give to other people who are considering becoming English
teachers from a different field?
23. In your opinion, what makes a good English teacher in Vietnam today?
Probes
Do you think passion is more important than formal background?
What should a beginner prepare first?
What common misunderstanding do people have about this career?