Learning English needs to extend beyond classroom settings, argue specialists.

Here's the revised, restructured, and reworded article:

Title: Embracing English: The Roadmap to Enhancing Real-Life Learning in Vietnamese Schools

feverishly typing away on their laptops amidst the buzz of scholarly discourse. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Thương

HÀ NỘI, Vietnam — As Việt Nam seeks to transform its educational landscape, one of the key strategies is making English the second language in schools. However, experts warn that achieving this goal requires more than just classroom instruction; it necessitates creating authentic opportunities for students to use English in everyday life.

To set the stage for success, experts propose overhauling the evaluation methods to focus on essential skills like listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

On August 12, 2024, the Politburo published Conclusion No 91-KL/TW, outlining a continued commitment to modernizing education and training in Việt Nam. One of the critical points revolves around enhancing students' foreign language proficiency and gradually implementing English as the second language in schools.

In response, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is developing a national initiative to establish English as the second language in schools for the period 2025–2035.

Professor Dr Lê Anh Vinh, Director General of the National Institute of Educational Sciences, emphasizes that improving foreign language skills is not just an education sector responsibility, but a strategic imperative for sustainable national development.

By using English as a medium of instruction in various subjects, educational quality can be enhanced, and students can develop flexible, multidimensional thinking and adaptability to emerging challenges. However, Vinh acknowledges that this task is formidable and demands a clear, practical roadmap.

Schools must develop customized plans to incorporate English into their curricula, gradually establishing it as the second language of instruction.

Meanwhile, Dr Nguyễn Thị Minh Loan, head of the English Department at the School of Foreign Languages at Thái Nguyên University, underscores several current hurdles to English language teaching, including inadequate numbers of qualified teachers, subpar facilities, and inconsistent teaching methods.

To tackle these obstacles and establish English as the secondary language on campus, international teacher recruitment, substantial investments in qualified teaching staff, and comprehensive lesson planning that caters to all educational levels and practical requirements of students are essential. Early focus on English communication skills, blending language learning with practical skill development, is equally crucial.

Proposing practical solutions to implement English as a second language on school campuses, Davide Guarini Gilmartin, senior academic manager at the British Council in Hà Nội, proposes devising short-, medium-, and long-term plans. For instance, short-term training programs can be designed for English teachers and teachers of other subjects, along with the introduction of language certificates for varying proficiency or training levels to improve teaching staff capacity.

Apart from this, he advocates for scholarship policies that encourage student learning, evaluate the existing general education curriculum, and extend support to underprivileged schools to ensure equitable access to education. Integrating English into other subjects and implementing a monitoring and evaluation framework are additional areas of focus.

Victoria Clark, manager of the Assessment Solutions Group for Global Assessments at British Council, stresses the importance of shifting student assessment methods to prioritize listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and extending these skills beyond the classroom to promote real communication opportunities for students.

Policy implementation, Clark notes, goes beyond the drawn-up blueprints but requires rigorous assessment to ensure adaptability based on real data, statistics, results, and accurate calculations.

The MoET collaborates with experts to formulate a national project aimed at making English the second language in schools over the next decade. Deputy Minister of Education and Training Phạm Ngọc Thưởng concurs that prior English education was primarily focused on grammar and vocabulary, with less emphasis on practical communication.

Thưởng believes that this initiative will empower students to communicate effectively inside and outside of school, fostering a vibrant language development ecosystem.

"English is one of the seven foreign languages taught in schools in Việt Nam. It is the language most students choose to learn, the majority of schools teach it, and it is widely used both in and out of the classroom," explains Thưởng.

"Empowering students to become global citizens necessitates making English the second language in schools, thereby having a profound impact on numerous generations of Việt Namese citizens," he concludes. - VNS

Enrichment Data:

Vietnam's success in integrating English as a second language in schools relies on overcoming several hurdles:

Approaches toward Successful Implementation of English

1. Teacher Training and Recruitment

Invest in educator training, focusing on enhancing communication and pronunciation skills, teaching cultural subjects in English, and leveraging technology in education.
Increase the pool of qualified English teachers by recruiting internationally and offering competitive salaries and benefits.

2. Infrastructure Development

Provide modern educational facilities, such as classrooms equipped with technology for interactive learning and AI-based online platforms for remote students.
Utilize technology to extend English language resources to disadvantaged areas and allow access to extended learning opportunities.

3. Consistent Teaching Methods

Develop a standardized English curriculum that emphasizes practical communication skills, such as debating and presenting.
Implement consistent assessment methods that evaluate real-life language application rather than just theoretical knowledge.

4. Real-Life Application Opportunities

Employ project-based learning involving international collaborations and local business partnerships for language exchange programs and internships.
Encourage community engagement opportunities, including workshops and bilingual programs to involving families and communities in supporting English language education.

5. Societal Support

Implement policies promoting bilingual education and supporting educators in their efforts to improve English language instruction.
Foster parental and community involvement through workshops, and bilingual programs designed to support English language education.

Students during an English lesson at Lý Thái Tổ High School in the northern province of Bắc Ninh. - VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Thương

By adopting these strategies, Vietnam can effectively integrate English as a second language in schools, create authentic opportunities for student practice, and overcome the challenges faced by the education system.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the education sector can significantly enhance the learning processes by offering AI-based online platforms for remote students, thus promoting the efficient use of English as a second language.
To foster effective English communication skills, there should be a focus on personal growth and learning opportunities outside the classroom, such as employing project-based learning that enables international collaborations and local business partnerships for language exchange programs and internships.
Educational policy should prioritize the development of students' essential skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as part of a long-term approach to making English the second language in schools. This can be accomplished by revising assessment methods and incorporating real-life language application in evaluations.
The roadmap to embracing English as the second language in schools should include initiatives aimed at society-wide support, such as implementing policies that promote bilingual education and encouraging parental and community involvement through workshops, bilingual programs, and English self-development classes.
The efforts to make English the second language in schools should not be confined to the education sector alone but should be seen as an integral part of the nation's overall sustainable development policy, with a strategic emphasis on education and self-development. This approach will empower students to become global citizens, equipping them with the skills necessary to adapt to a world where English is increasingly prevalent in various sectors, including science and technology.