ACET Foreign Language Center, once very famous in the IELTS test preparation field in Ho Chi Minh City, will say goodbye to the Vietnamese market after 2024 - Photo: ACET
Recently, ACET Language Center, a member of IDP Vietnam, announced that it will completely cease operations in Vietnam from December 31, 2024. This farewell concludes the journey of more than 20 years of English teaching of a unit that was once very famous in the field of IELTS test preparation.
IELTS test preparation students at the center get more than 30% discount
In the announcement, ACET wrote: "After more than 20 years of teaching English in Vietnam, ACET will cease operations on December 31, 2024. All current students will be supported to complete their current courses."
Speaking to the press, a representative of IDP Vietnam said the decision to close the ACET system was made due to the decrease in the number of students while operating costs were increasing. In addition, the demand for learning English and the teaching market in Vietnam have changed a lot compared to before, especially in the IELTS test preparation field.
ACET's withdrawal from the market shows the relatively "fierce" level of competition in the IELTS test preparation sector, especially between centers operating under the traditional model and newly emerging small and medium-sized centers.
In particular, according to Ms. Truong Le Quynh Tuong - who used to be the regional director of an online learning platform, since COVID-19, the trend of online learning has become more popular, leading to the emergence of many online IELTS classes and test preparation courses.
Many classes are opened and taught by candidates who have achieved high scores. Many students also like this form of online learning, without necessarily having to go directly to the classroom. "These online classes have very little operating costs, unlike direct learning centers that have costs for premises and facilities," said Ms. Tuong.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre, the leader of a famous English center based in District 1 (HCMC) said that currently, the number of students taking IELTS classes at the center has decreased by more than 30% compared to before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the number of students studying English for children and students is still stable. Many teachers who only specialize in IELTS preparation at the center have had to take on additional English communication classes for working people.
"If in the past you could attract students thanks to the quality of teachers, now it is no longer an advantage, because more and more people achieve IELTS scores of 8.0, 8.5. These people can open their own classes. Therefore, students have more choices than just a limited number of IELTS test preparation centers like before," he said.
Pressure for technological innovation
Thien Thanh (27 years old, living in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City) after completing her bachelor's and master's degree at the University of Houston (USA), chose to return to Vietnam to start teaching English. At first, Thanh taught for centers, but now she has started opening her own online classes.
Thanh's initial investment cost was just to sign up for an upgrade package of the Zoom online teaching application so that the time limit was no longer applied. This cost was less than 500,000 VND/month.
Once he has a source of income, Thanh uses it to develop his social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Thanh creates some content related to learning English and IELTS preparation and posts it on these channels to further promote himself and his classes.
"I will also have free online classes to build a community of interested people and increase the number of people who know me," Thanh said.
According to Thanh, an undeniable fact is that many students are open to online learning. Many students now prefer online courses because of their flexibility and low cost. Therefore, the challenge for traditional centers is that if they do not quickly adapt to the new trend, they will have difficulty maintaining sustainable classes.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Tu - CEO of Power English - said that applying technology to traditional classrooms is a solution that many centers are implementing. Technology here must first have a large enough source of digital learning materials for students to choose from, diverse in both form from articles to videos.
Some units invest more in hybrid platforms (combining online and offline) with many features to support students such as live classes, practice exercises, periodic tests, note taking and document storage...
"There will no longer be a situation where students can take a course but cannot guarantee the results of the course. Even during the learning process, students' data can be synthesized by tools to evaluate their progress, from which teachers can adjust their approach," said Mr. Tu.
The AI "Wave"
Ms. Truong Le Quynh Tuong emphasized that an indispensable wave is the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching. Currently, some centers have applied virtual assistants to the learning process of students.
For example, AI can analyze weaknesses in students' skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc. and suggest appropriate exercises to improve those aspects. "New learning models will help centers gain more attraction," Ms. Tuong said.
Not only IELTS training centers are facing difficulties
Associate Professor Dr. Pham Vu Phi Ho - Deputy Head of the Foreign Language Department of Van Lang University - said that besides IELTS test preparation centers, English centers in general are also facing pressure to change. Learners increasingly prefer diversity in learning methods, which can combine online and offline learning or include technology applications.
Mr. Ho analyzed that this is not a competition between traditional centers or new centers, large or small centers, but ultimately a requirement for integrating technology into education. Units that are slow to apply technology will have a lot of difficulty, not only in improving the quality of teaching but also in the problem of operation.
"When wanting to invest in technology, centers will have to calculate the balance of resources. Because in addition to technology, they also have to worry about the program, teachers, not to mention the costs of facilities. However, if they do not invest in technology, they will be at a disadvantage," said Mr. Ho.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khoc-liet-cuoc-dua-luyen-thi-ielts-thoi-ai-20241023104952475.htm
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