Thuy Van - a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - often spends 12 hours a day studying English - Photo: MAI THU
Nguyen Thi Thuy Van - a second-year student majoring in multimedia communications at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) - has her credits limited in the course registration. The reason is that Van did not take the compulsory non-major foreign language course at school, and lacked the foreign language certificate required by the school.
Therefore, in semester 1 of year 2, Van can only register for a maximum of 12 credits/semester, much lower than her classmates.
Can't graduate on time because of English certificate
Having scored 9 points in English in the 2023 high school graduation exam, Thuy Van admitted that she had many difficulties obtaining a foreign language certificate. Van said that she previously focused on learning English grammar and vocabulary for the high school graduation exam, so her listening, writing and speaking skills were not good.
"When listening or speaking English, I often translate it into Vietnamese in my head before switching to English. Because of this habit, it is quite difficult for me to respond and practice English in the TOEIC certificate exam," Thuy Van shared.
Similarly, Duong Trung Tinh - a fourth-year journalism student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - is currently unable to graduate on time because he lacks the required standard foreign language certificate.
"I work from 7am to 5pm. Because of the large amount of work, I continue working when I get home to finish it. Because of that, my time to study English is limited, I can only study from 10pm to 11pm," Trung Tin confided.
Meanwhile, although she has participated in many academic English competitions before, Vu Thi Thom - a first-year student majoring in logistics and supply chain management at Nguyen Tat Thanh University - confided that she still has a fear of English certificates. Thom decided to study for the IELTS certificate to improve her communication skills and submit her English certificate according to the school's output standards.
"I find IELTS really challenging because it is very difficult and takes a lot of time to study. Sometimes I study but don't understand anything. I often confide in my friends when I feel pressured in learning English. However, every time I do that, I feel more pressure from my peers because everyone around me is good at English," Thom confided.
How to learn English effectively?
Having scored 970 points in the TOEIC listening and reading test, Vo Thanh Dua - head of the Foreign Language Club of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) - said that balancing time to study English can be a challenge for many students. However, according to Thanh Dua, students can integrate learning English into their daily activities.
For example, Thanh Dua often watches movies, listens to podcasts, and reads books in English, both for entertainment and to help himself get used to situations in many different contexts. Besides, Thanh Dua also uses English learning applications to practice vocabulary and grammar from basic to advanced without getting bored.
The practice environment is also an important factor in improving English. Thanh Dua and his club members often set a "rule": they are only allowed to speak English for a certain period of time. Through this, members can learn and receive direct feedback from each other, improving their skills quickly.
"Learning English cannot be a sprint but a long-term journey. I had to train myself to have the habit of discipline to study English every day throughout high school. No matter how tired I was, I had to sit at my desk to study for at least 30 minutes every day. This helped me improve significantly after a long period of time," Thanh Dua confided.
MSc. Dinh Van Mai - lecturer of soft skills department, Student Capacity Development Center, Van Lang University - realized that students need to carefully study the school's foreign language regulations from the first year to set specific learning goals and have a plan to take the certificate exam to ensure the time to submit the certificate as required.
There are many methods of learning foreign languages and depending on the student's learning method, they can reduce the pressure of studying for an English certificate. In addition, students can use applications such as Duolingo to learn vocabulary every day, ELSA Speak can help improve pronunciation. Students can do grammar exercises from books or reputable websites, such as Cambridge English or Grammarly.
"Students need to make learning a foreign language as close as possible to their daily lives. Practicing every day, clearly defining learning goals, avoiding procrastination, and persevering on the journey of learning English can help students achieve their goals," said Master Dinh Van Mai.
Avoid learning tricks and memorizing
Mr. Phung Quang Huy - English teacher at the High School of Educational Sciences (Hanoi National University) - said that reviewing for standardized English tests such as IELTS is a long process, so students should have a review schedule early, to avoid the situation of "waiting until the last minute to jump".
When under time pressure, you may learn by learning tips and tricks, and the risk of losing your English is still very high. Some of you may also seek out services that predict questions and memorize. Therefore, according to Mr. Huy, you should start by learning grammar firmly and expanding your vocabulary, then spend time practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. These foundations will help you more easily review any standardized test.
5 Suggested Methods to Learn English
MSc. Dinh Van Mai suggests some methods to help students practice their foreign language learning ability and study for English certificates:
1. Set goals according to the SMART principle. This principle includes the following elements: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound.
2. Make a specific study plan. You can spend at least 20 - 30 minutes a day learning a foreign language. If you have more time, you can apply the Pomodoro method: study in cycles of 25 minutes of focused study, then take a 5-minute break, after 4 cycles take a longer break of 15 - 30 minutes.
3. Optimize your free time. Use your free time to listen to English podcasts, learn vocabulary through mobile apps, or read books.
4. Choose relevant content. Students should study topics related to their major or topics they regularly work with and interact with every day, making it easier to absorb.
5. Be proactive in your studies. Be bold in writing emails, giving presentations, communicating with colleagues, friends or foreigners in English to increase your confidence.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sinh-vien-chat-vat-voi-chung-chi-tieng-anh-ra-truong-20240913085639372.htm
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