Published

2025-01-13

Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms

Del translingüismo intuitivo al estratégico: perspectivas desde aulas de inglés como lengua extranjera en Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309

Keywords:

language learning, professional development, translanguaging, Vygotsky, Zone of Proximal Development (en)
aprendizaje de idiomas, desarrollo profesional, translingüismo, Vigotsky, zona de desarrollo próximo (es)

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This article reports a qualitative case study on the translanguaging practices of Vietnamese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) educators and explores the mechanisms behind individual differences in their practices through an integrative cultural-historical activity theory perspective. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and post-observation interviews with three educators at a public university in Vietnam. The findings highlight diverse functions of translanguaging, including checking comprehension, emphasizing content, and reducing English-speaking anxiety. Rooted in Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), this research introduces Proximal Language Scaffolding to highlight a strategic approach to using L1 and L2 for language learning within students’ ZPD. This research provides new insights into the nuanced implementation of translanguaging in EFL contexts and offers significant implications for teacher development and educational practices.

Este artículo presenta un estudio de caso cualitativo sobre las prácticas translingüísticas de docentes vietnamitas de inglés como lengua extranjera y explora sus diferencias individuales desde una perspectiva histórico-cultural integradora. Los datos se recolectaron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas, observaciones de clase y entrevistas posteriores con tres docentes de una universidad pública vietnamita. Se identificaron diversas funciones del translingüismo, como verificar la comprensión, enfatizar el contenido y reducir la ansiedad al hablar en inglés. Con base en la zona de desarrollo próximo (ZDP) de Vygotsky, se introduce el concepto de andamiaje lingüístico próximo, que propone un uso estratégico de la primera y segunda lenguas en el aprendizaje dentro de la ZDP. El estudio ofrece nuevas perspectivas para el desarrollo docente y las prácticas educativas.

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How to Cite

APA

Cong-Lem, N. (2025). Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 27(1), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309

ACM

[1]
Cong-Lem, N. 2025. Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development. 27, 1 (Jan. 2025), 151–167. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309.

ACS

(1)
Cong-Lem, N. Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms. Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev. 2025, 27, 151-167.

ABNT

CONG-LEM, N. Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, [S. l.], v. 27, n. 1, p. 151–167, 2025. DOI: 10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/116309. Acesso em: 13 mar. 2026.

Chicago

Cong-Lem, Ngo. 2025. “Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development 27 (1):151-67. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309.

Harvard

Cong-Lem, N. (2025) “Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms”, Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 27(1), pp. 151–167. doi: 10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309.

IEEE

[1]
N. Cong-Lem, “Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms”, Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 151–167, Jan. 2025.

MLA

Cong-Lem, N. “Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2025, pp. 151-67, doi:10.15446/profile.v27n1.116309.

Turabian

Cong-Lem, Ngo. “Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms”. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development 27, no. 1 (January 13, 2025): 151–167. Accessed March 13, 2026. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/116309.

Vancouver

1.
Cong-Lem N. Intuitive to Strategic Translanguaging: Insights From Vietnamese EFL Classrooms. Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev. [Internet]. 2025 Jan. 13 [cited 2026 Mar. 13];27(1):151-67. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/116309

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CrossRef citations8

1. Ngo Cong-Lem, Huong Vu, Thi Thanh Hoa Duong. (2026). Translanguaging in generative AI prompting among Vietnamese EFL learners: an exploratory mixed-methods study. The Language Learning Journal, , p.1. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2025.2612180.

2. Azwar Abidin, Fuad Abdul Hamied, Emi Emilia, Ahmad Bukhori Muslim. (2026). Strategic translanguaging and critical dialogue in EFL: evidence from pre-service teachers’ reflective experiences. The Language Learning Journal, , p.1. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2026.2613702.

3. Juan Gabriel Belén Reinoso, Juan Bautista Peña Soriano. (2025). Moral values ​​education through cognitive, social, and organizational learning. Pedagogical Constellations, 4(2), p.691. https://doi.org/10.69821/constellations.v4i2.136.

4. Azwar Abidin, Nenden Sri Lengkanawati, Ika Lestari Damayanti. (2026). Mapping the Ecological Dimensions, Embodied Practices, and Epistemological Tensions in Translanguaging Pedagogical Research (2020–2025): A Scoping Review. Research Synthesis in Applied Linguistics, , p.1. https://doi.org/10.1080/29984475.2026.2633392.

5. Juliana Shak. (2025). Evolving classroom language use: how translanguaging practices emerged in bilingual preservice teachers. International Multilingual Research Journal, , p.1. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2025.2607366.

6. Ngo Cong-Lem. (2026). “Is this Really your Work?”: A Qualitative Study of Teacher-Led Interviews and Student Accountability in the Age of Generative AI. Journal of Academic Ethics, 24(1) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-025-09704-1.

7. Canh Võ, Nhung Luu, Phuong Le. (2026). Translanguaging in EMI Courses: A Study at a Tertiary Education. EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 4(1) https://doi.org/10.59652/bt1bzw49.

8. Khursiah Mohammad Sauffi, Marinah Mohd Sani, Fatiha Senom. (2026). Translanguaging and identity preservation in English language learning: multilinguals’ voices from a Malaysian University. International Journal of Multilingualism, , p.1. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2026.2619880.

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