ICT training and ICT use among Vietnamese foreign language teachers

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Information and communications technology (ICT) devices have become increasingly available for teaching and learning in Vietnam. However, availability of ICT facilities and ICT use are two different issues. Teachers’ ICT integration often depends on their level of ICT competency, which is closely linked with ICT training. This paper presents the results of a case study that investigated ICT training for foreign language teachers at a university in Vietnam. Survey participants (n = 222) were asked to report on ICT use in lesson preparation and classroom teaching, and provision of ICT training opportunities. Subsequently data were collected from semi-structured interviews (n = 43), during which interviewees addressed their ICT use, training in ICT and access to suitable technology. The findings of the study provide insights into the relationship between ICT provision and training, and ICT use in foreign language teaching in the Vietnamese context. Consideration of the findings suggests a need for on-going and regularly updated professional development programs with a focus on specific ICT skills for which language teachers profess a need.