Vietnam has entered a new phase of English-language policy in which improving English teaching quality is increasingly connected to national human-capital development and international integration. Yet policy expansion does not necessarily produce corresponding improvements in teacher preparation, professional development, assessment, or institutional accountability. This study examines four interconnected dimensions of English language teacher professionalisation in Vietnam: teacher-entry pathways, continuing professional development (CPD), institutional alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and accountability mechanisms linking teacher standards to student outcomes. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 50 English language teachers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, while qualitative evidence comprised interviews with 15 teachers and administrators in leadership roles and analysis of 12 institutional policy documents. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including analysis of variance, logistic regression, and effect-size estimates. Qualitative data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis and integrated with the quantitative findings using a confirm–extend–challenge framework. Forty-two percent of participants had entered English language teaching through non-specialist pathways without formal pedagogical bridging. Specialist and non-specialist entrants differed substantially in perceived pre-service preparation (d = 2.12), while 71.4% of non-specialist entrants reported fewer than 40 hours of pre-service pedagogical training. City of employment accounted for 60% of the variance in annual CPD hours (η²= .60). Only 38% of participants reported mostly or fully aligned institutional CEFR practices, while CEFR-specific institutional training was a significant predictor of reported alignment (OR = 5.63). Documentary analysis further showed that 67% of institutional policies lacked explicit accountability provisions linking teacher qualifications to student CEFR attainment. Qualitative findings revealed six themes, including Compliance Without Conviction, Geography as Destiny, Institutional Amnesia, and the Accountability Vacuum. Drawing on Human Capital Theory and Institutional Theory, the study argues that Vietnam’s ELT challenge is fundamentally one of systemic alignment. The findings support nationally coherent entry pathways, geographically equitable CPD, substantive CEFR implementation, and outcome-oriented institutional accountability.

Keywords: English language teaching; teacher education; professionalisation; Vietnam; continuing professional development; CEFR; language policy.