All kinds of English courses advertised as 'guaranteed to pass'

From TOEIC to IELTS courses, from VSTEP to even high school graduation exams, it is not difficult to come across advertisements that "guarantee" output for English learners in just a short time.

Advertisement of an English center with different levels of commitment suitable for each type of student - Photo: KY PHONG

According to records, many centers commit to output through documents. Some places promise to increase IELTS score by 1 - 1.5 points within 9 weeks, some even say to increase IELTS score by 1 point after only 12 English lessons.

Output comes with input

Along with the increased score comes benefits. As one center's website writes: "In the event that a student meets the regulations and commitments but fails to meet the output on the actual exam, the teacher will contact the student to find out the cause and provide an improvement roadmap. From there, arrange for the student to retake the weak skills for free or retake the entire course to achieve the committed output."

Nguyen Bao Ngoc - a student at Ho Chi Minh City Open University - shared that she once studied at a foreign language center with an output commitment of 7.0 IELTS. To achieve that commitment, the center requires students to attend classes fully, not miss more than 2 sessions/course and complete all assignments according to the teacher's instructions. Ngoc is given textbooks for each course, with lecture slides and exercises for each session. In particular, skills will be learned separately, not together.

Regarding the reason for choosing the center, Ngoc said that the guaranteed output was not the only deciding factor. This center was also recommended by some teachers and friends. However, Ngoc admitted that the fact that the center has an output commitment makes you feel somewhat assured.

Choosing to take the TOEIC certificate exam, Nguyen Kim Lien - a student at the Banking University - went to a foreign language center recommended by an acquaintance. Lien said that the center where she studied English had an output commitment, but that also included conditions such as attending classes enough and doing enough homework. If the output commitment was not achieved, the center said it would support retaking the course or other forms.

Lien's center provides textbooks, study materials, and especially trial classes to ensure that students can keep up with the roadmap. In addition, the center also organizes regular consultation and evaluation sessions to adjust the learning roadmap if necessary. Lien explains that the center's output commitment not only gives you peace of mind about quality but also helps you have motivation to study.

However, not everyone is lucky. Nguyen TT - a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade - said that he had registered to study at an online center, committing to study for one year in grade 12 to be able to achieve a high school graduation score of at least 8.5. The tuition fee T. had to pay was 4 million VND/month, 8 sessions/month. The center said it would refund 50% if this KPI was not achieved.

The final exam results were not as expected, T. only achieved 7.5 points. But the center refused to refund 50% because it said it had fulfilled its responsibilities, taught enough sessions, provided all exercises and test sets. "At that time, I saw that there was no document proving that the center had said it would refund the money, so I had to accept it," T. said.

Course "insurance"

Mr. Phung Quang Huy - English teacher at the High School of Educational Sciences (Hanoi National University) - said that the IELTS exam has now applied the IELTS One Skill Retake feature, allowing candidates to retake a skill to improve their test scores. Therefore, policies to support students in reviewing and retaking the IELTS test are easier than before, so more and more centers are applying it. "This can be imagined as an accompanying 'insurance' policy for students," said Mr. Huy.

According to Mr. Huy, it is important that students carefully study these policies, and centers need to discuss specific and detailed information with students in many cases. For example, how many times can they review, are there any additional fees, and in which cases will they not be allowed to retake the course? These details need to be clearly stated in the documents signed between students and the center.

As for English courses for other exams in general, Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh Truc - teacher at Nguyen Trai High School (Ninh Thuan) - analyzed that "guaranteed" psychology is one of the factors that greatly affects the choice of center of many students.

"The output commitment also helps learners feel less risky when investing a large amount of money. However, this can also lead to too high expectations or the misunderstanding that just paying money will definitely achieve results," said Ms. Truc.

Regarding the criteria for choosing a suitable center, Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh Truc advises students to clearly define their learning goals, learn about the teaching methods and teaching staff, especially reviews from former students... If choosing a center with an output commitment, students need to carefully read the terms and make sure they can follow the roadmap.

Prefer teachers over "output commitment"

Le Nu Mai Thuy - a student at Ho Chi Minh City Open University - chose a center that does not have an output commitment. Thuy said she chose the center because of the lecturers. She prioritizes centers with teachers who have built personal brands and received good reviews from previous students. In particular, the center must have a clear roadmap.

With the school's output standard of nearly 700 TOEIC points, you do not feel worried enough to need an "output commitment". You believe that the quality of the teachers at the center is the prerequisite to help achieve the goal without any commitment.

Help students achieve output

Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Thang - Head of Training Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - said that the school organizes foreign language proficiency tests for new students to arrange suitable English classes. For students who have not reached the minimum level of proficiency, the school arranges them to take supplementary classes to improve their personal abilities. The school also builds an English learning roadmap for students each year, ensuring that students receive their graduation projects and complete their graduation on time.

In addition, the school spends more money to give software to students learning English, organizes extra classes, organizes extracurricular activities such as clubs, study corners, etc. "Monitoring results in recent years show the progress of the school's students in learning English and meeting English output standards. In the school's strategy to 2030, 72% of the school's students must meet foreign language output standards early and at a higher level than prescribed," Mr. Bui Hoai Thang shared.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-kieu-khoa-hoc-tieng-anh-quang-cao-bao-dau-20250216225656588.htm