Background/purpose. Interactions encompass various aspects that support group members during collaboration; therefore, maintaining and fostering interactions in collaborative research teams (CRTs) as communities of practice (CoPs) in terms of shared knowledge, collective goals, and participation is crucial. The purpose of this study is to explore the interactions of English studies majors in CRTs perceived as CoPs. Materials/methods. This study employed the phenomenological design, which relied on semi-structured interviews for data collection. The participants of this study consisted of 13 English major students from universities in EFL countries who had either participated in or were currently involved in CRTs for purposes such as graduation theses, publishing research articles, or university-level research projects. Results. The findings from the thematic analysis assist in deliberating proposed interactions related to shared knowledge, collective goals, and participation during the collaborative processes in research groups. Regarding those critical indicators, the interactions are divided into three categories, each accompanied by specific interactions within its respective category. Most of the findings are correlated with theoretical frameworks and related studies. Additionally, several emergent findings are absent in three of the categories. Conclusion. According to the research, English majors' Collaborative Research Teams (CRTs) in Vietnamese EFL contexts operate as socially motivated, goal-oriented learning communities where knowledge is jointly created via candid communication, shared accountability, and encouraging leadership. © The Author(s), 2025.
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