FACTORS AFFECTING VIETNAMESE EFL TEACHERS’ TRANSITION DECISION INTO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AS A SECOND CAREER

Abstract

In a time of ongoing shifts and increasing dynamism in English as a foreign language education, this study explores factors behind Vietnamese professionals’ transition into English language teaching as a second career. Employing a qualitative multiple-case study design, it investigates the experiences of three second-career English as a foreign language teachers from varied professional backgrounds. Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews reveal four key themes: misalignment between previous careers and personal identities, English proficiency as an enabling factor, constraints in past career opportunities, and familial or socio-cultural encouragement. These findings show that teachers’ transitions to English language teaching stem from complex personal and contextual factors, adding thickness to existing literature on the phenomenon of career change. The study discussion offers insights for teacher recruitment and provides recommendations to support the entry and retention of English language teaching workforce in Vietnam and similar educational contexts globally. Future research could build on these findings by including a larger, more diverse sample and conducting comparative studies across different educational systems.