A method comprising the step of: contacting under emulsion polymerization conditions at a temperature in the range of from 30 °C to 55 °C, and at a pH in the range of from 7.5 to 8.5: 1) 75 to 98.5 parts by weight of vinyl acetate; 2) 1 to 20 parts by weight of a cyclic ketene acetal monomer; and 3) 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of a monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; to form an aqueous dispersion of copolymer particles comprising structural units of vinyl acetate, the cyclic ketene acetal, and the monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; wherein the cyclic ketene acetal monomer is characterized by following structure: where n is 0, 1, or 2; R is H or C 1 -C 6 -alkyl; R 1 and R 2 are each independently H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, or vinyl; or R 1 and R 2 together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, form a fused benzene ring or a fused C 3 -C 7 -cycloaliphatic ring; and R 1' and R 2' are each independently H or C 1 -C 12 -alkyl; or R 1 and R 1' and/or R 2 and R 2' form an exocyclic double bond; with the proviso that when n is 1: R 3 and R 3' are each independently H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, or R 3 and R 3' form an exocyclic double bond or a spirocycloaliphatic group or spiro-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane group; with the further proviso that when n is 2: each R 3 is H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, or together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a fused benzene ring, or a fused C 3 -C 7 -cycloaliphatic ring. contacting under emulsion polymerization conditions at a temperature in the range of from 30 °C to 55 °C, and at a pH in the range of from 7.5 to 8.5: 1) 75 to 98.5 parts by weight of vinyl acetate; 2) 1 to 20 parts by weight of a cyclic ketene acetal monomer; and 3) 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of a monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; to form an aqueous dispersion of copolymer particles comprising structural units of vinyl acetate, the cyclic ketene acetal, and the monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; 1) 75 to 98.5 parts by weight of vinyl acetate; 2) 1 to 20 parts by weight of a cyclic ketene acetal monomer; and 3) 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of a monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; to form an aqueous dispersion of copolymer particles comprising structural units of vinyl acetate, the cyclic ketene acetal, and the monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer or a salt thereof; wherein the cyclic ketene acetal monomer is characterized by following structure: where n is 0, 1, or 2; R is H or C 1 -C 6 -alkyl; R 1 and R 2 are each independently H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, or vinyl; or R 1 and R 2 together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, form a fused benzene ring or a fused C 3 -C 7 -cycloaliphatic ring; and R 1' and R 2' are each independently H or C 1 -C 12 -alkyl; or R 1 and R 1' and/or R 2 and R 2' form an exocyclic double bond; with the proviso that when n is 1: R 3 and R 3' are each independently H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, or R 3 and R 3' form an exocyclic double bond or a spirocycloaliphatic group or spiro-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane group; with the further proviso that when n is 2: each R 3 is H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, or together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a fused benzene ring, or a fused C 3 -C 7 -cycloaliphatic ring. R 3 and R 3' are each independently H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, or R 3 and R 3' form an exocyclic double bond or a spirocycloaliphatic group or spiro-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane group; with the further proviso that when n is 2: each R 3 is H, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, or together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a fused benzene ring, or a fused C 3 -C 7 -cycloaliphatic ring. <EOS>