VTT Lab is an independent, interdisciplinary research lab led by Dr Vu Tran‑Thanh. We work across cognitive science, sociology, psychology, and linguistics to better understand language education and teacher learning, especially where research can support real educational decisions.

We try to hold a simple view of knowledge: no single discipline is enough on its own, and strong research should not live only in the “ivory tower.” We aim for work that stays close to reality, close to classrooms, professional learning contexts, and the constraints educators face.

What we study

Our work connects three overlapping themes:

• Teacher education and professional development: how teachers learn over time, how expertise develops, and how professional learning can be supported responsibly.
• Cognitive science and language education: learning processes relevant to language education (for example, attention, practice, feedback, and task design), interpreted with care rather than quick fixes.
• The sociology of language education: how institutions, identities, policies, and power shape language learning and teaching—and what this means for opportunity and inclusion.

Our goals

We aim to:

• Build interdisciplinary explanations that remain readable and useful across fields
• Produce research that can have life impact (without overstating what evidence can claim)
• Support clearer connections between theory, data, and practice
• Communicate findings in ways that educators and early career researchers can actually use