Recently, more and more public schools in Ho Chi Minh City have started teaching IELTS to students at affordable costs, in the context that foreign languages will no longer be a compulsory subject in high school exams from 2025, and universities are popularizing the trend of using international certificates as admission criteria. For this program to be truly effective, according to experts, teachers are a key factor.
MUST BE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
As an internationally qualified TESOL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) instructor, Ms. Nguyen Le Tuyet Ngoc, National IELTS Training Director of MTS Testing Agency (UK), believes that in order to teach IELTS classes well, teachers need to be trained in academics and pedagogical skills, not that high scores automatically mean good teaching. Because, IELTS exams can assess teachers' language proficiency, but do not reflect their ability in test preparation.
A session to support teacher trainees in designing teaching activities
"In general, the teacher training program for the certificate includes in-depth knowledge of the test structure, how to set goals for the teaching process, design lesson plans and activities for the classroom, as well as problem-solving methods for both students and teachers. And with the above knowledge and skills, teachers can flexibly apply them to any other certificates such as TOEFL, PTE, FCE, CAE...", Ms. Ngoc commented.
For the training process to be effective, experts note that the most important thing is to foster motivation for teachers to study, especially for teachers with many years of experience. In addition, when teaching exam preparation for students, teachers also need to know how to create inspiration for learning, avoid cramming and creating pressure. "IELTS should not be taught by giving students practice tests and correcting their work continuously, but should focus on building basic skills for students in all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Then, guide them towards taking exams," Ms. Ngoc advised.
"In addition to organizing or creating conditions for teachers to participate in IELTS training courses, school administrators also need to support teachers in other aspects such as testing language proficiency and grouping students according to ability, listening to opinions and finding ways to "solve difficulties" for teachers. Good coordination between schools and teachers will be the "key" to success in teaching IELTS in public schools," Ms. Ngoc concluded.
"There are many methods of teacher training in the world. One of the popular forms is training based on the English teaching framework and from there branching out into smaller branches such as teaching exam preparation for certificates, teaching specialized programs such as business English. Graduating from teacher training colleges or having a related certificate will help teachers have a good foundation to participate in IELTS teaching courses," Ms. Ngoc added.
NATIVE TEACHERS MATTER TOO
Although teaching IELTS in public schools is a move in line with the trend of internationalizing education in Vietnam, according to experts, there are still many difficulties.
"That's because teachers are trained through 4 years of university to master linguistic knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach general English well, not to prepare for professional exams. Not to mention, the current general education environment cannot provide enough conditions and tools for teachers like in centers," Dr. Do Huu Nguyen Loc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City English Research and Teaching Association, explained.
According to Mr. Loc, public teachers can absolutely help students achieve high IELTS scores, the important thing is to have the necessary resources. Accordingly, teachers must be trained to understand the test, how to do the test, as well as be supported to develop the 4 skills.
Training teachers to practice teaching grammar to children using new methods
Master Lu Thi Hong Nham, Director of Duc Anh Study Abroad Consulting and Translation Company, believes that to avoid the situation of IELTS tutoring in public schools becoming distorted, teachers must "meet the standards" in knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach IELTS. Otherwise, the lessons will only revolve around tricks and tips for doing the test, causing both teachers and students to waste time and effort.
Native teachers are also a factor that needs attention. Because there are many foreigners who come to Vietnam to teach without a degree related to the field of pedagogy, but "cope" by registering to study and take an English teaching certificate such as TELF, which only lasts a few weeks. "The quality of native teachers teaching IELTS is also a big question," Ms. Nham raised the issue.
Paving the way for international integration
According to Master Hong Nham, international language certificates such as IELTS are also an admission criterion of schools, but this is only the last factor in the admission process and scholarship consideration in popular study abroad countries such as the US, UK or Australia. "The first and foremost factor is academic ability, demonstrated through grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores (such as SAT, ACT); the second is the candidate's outstanding points, based on leadership ability, dedication to the community...", Ms. Nham noted.
Mr. Andy Pham, senior manager of the Mekong region at the Australian National University, assessed that popularizing IELTS teaching in schools helps students gain more advantages not only in terms of input. "In an international environment, English is the "key" for students to absorb and exchange lecture content with classmates and professors. And creating conditions for public school students to be exposed to IELTS early can help them integrate faster," Mr. Andy shared.
Dr. Nguyen Vinh Quang, Director of Mr.Q International Vocational Education Organization, said that IELTS is an exam to assess English proficiency through different topics. "Therefore, the purpose of schools when teaching IELTS is not only to meet enrollment needs, but more broadly, to improve students' ability to integrate in the context of globalization, instead of just studying to cope as before," said Mr. Quang.
AVOID "INCREASING THE LOAD" FOR STUDENTS INSTEAD OF REDUCING THE LOAD
In addition, this female director also worries about the organization of IELTS tutoring programs in public schools, especially when some schools entrust IELTS teaching activities to affiliated centers. The arrangement of content and number of lessons must also be scientific to avoid "increasing the load" for students instead of reducing the load as directed by the Ministry of Education and Training. "And after the end of the course, there needs to be a comparison between IELTS tutoring schools and schools that do not apply this program for a comprehensive assessment," said Ms. Nham.
However, according to Ms. Nham, it is undeniable that the school's positive efforts to popularize IELTS for students, helping students with difficult circumstances access useful resources. "Improving the quality of teachers and organization, not forcing students to participate in this program, that is what needs to be done to make teaching and learning IELTS in high schools practical and effective," Ms. Nham suggested.
A pedagogical lesson
A survey shows that not all schools implement IELTS teaching in the classroom. What can teachers do to help students understand more about this test if they need it? Dr. Phung Thuy Linh, founder of Eduling International and Director of the English Program at Chatham University (USA), admits that this is also a problem she encounters when teaching English to international students.
"In the classroom, we also incorporate a bit of content about the exams for those who need to practice for certificates. However, students will easily get bored if the study materials only focus on practicing for the exams. Another point worth noting is that the skills required by the exams do not really reflect real language use, nor do they help develop other abilities such as cross-cultural communication," said Ms. Linh.
In addition, according to Dr. Linh, teachers also need to be supported when having to run different programs in parallel to clarify teaching objectives; at the same time, teachers also need to be trained to understand the IELTS test and different types of tests, as well as to have teaching skills, thereby developing English skills, while helping students prepare for the exam.
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