Beyond parsnip: Vietnamese university teacher agency in navigating sensitive topics in a changing ESL context

Vietnam’s language policies, including Decision No. 2371/QĐ-TTg, promote wider use of English. This qualitative study examined how university English teachers conceptualize and navigate sensitive classroom topics from a sociocultural perspective on teacher agency. Data comprised semi-structured interviews with 14 lecturers from five institutions in southern Vietnam and analysis of national policies and professional standards. Reflexive thematic analysis identified four themes: sensitivity beyond controversial topics, involving personal vulnerability and interactional emergence; reading the room and setting boundaries; the conditional educational value of sensitive discussions; and institutional ambiguity concerning professional risk and guidance. Teacher agency was situated and relational, shaped by pedagogical judgment, student responses, and institutional conditions.