Navigating Task Selection: Strategies and Challenges for Vietnamese EFL Lecturers in Mixed-Level Classes

Abstract

This study aims to explore the strategies and challenges Vietnamese EFL lectures faced when selecting tasks for mixed-level classes at university level. Adopting an Activity Theory perspective, it reports on data collected from semi-structured interviews with eight lecturers at a Vietnamese university in the Mekong Delta. Results indicate that lecturers used different strategies when selecting tasks such as task differentiation, scaffolding, input modification, and interactional strategies in response to learner diversity. Despite these efforts, they encountered big challenges related to contextual constraints (e.g., time limitation and rigid curriculum), teacher capacity (e.g., preparation demands and fairness concerns), and student factors (e.g., low autonomy and dependence on AI tools). Accordingly, the study highlights the complexity of task selection in diverse EFL settings and calls for institutional support as well as teachers’ training. It also contributes insights into inclusive task design and pedagogical decision-making in higher education.