How is Ho Chi Minh City preparing for the pilot use of English in teaching?

A science lesson in the integrated English program of students at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted - Photo: NHAT PHUONG

This is the pioneer locality in the country to implement this policy of the Politburo.

Advantages of continuous English programs

Coming to Nguyen Thuong Hien High School (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City), one of the schools with the highest entrance scores in the public high school system of Ho Chi Minh City, many people will easily see students communicating with each other in English.

In English classes, English is the official language for both students and teachers in most classes from regular classes, integrated classes, English specialized classes...

Ms. Tran Van Thy, head of the English department at Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, said that after about 20 years of developing English as a language for reading, writing, communication and as a tool for students to develop themselves, the English proficiency of students at the school is now at a good level.

The percentage of students at this school who can communicate well in English in regular classes (not English specialized or integrated classes) is around 70 - 80%. In English specialized and integrated classes, the percentage of students who can speak English well is almost absolute.

Nguyen Thuong Hien School currently has three types of English teaching: intensive, integrated and regular students. Of which, regular students make up the majority at the school. In the regular class, each week students will have 3 English lessons with Vietnamese people (textbooks), 3 lessons with enhanced Vietnamese teachers and 2 lessons with foreign teachers (intensive).

Commenting on the possibility of making English a second language in this school, Ms. Thy said that for students, listening, speaking, and writing in English has many advantages. Because students in Ho Chi Minh City are currently learning English and improving their listening and speaking skills from primary and secondary school, the "input" of English for students at school is at a good level.

"From my experience of teaching and receiving students over the years, I have seen that students learn English systematically in lower grades. They learn many programs such as integrated English (from grade 1), enhanced English (from grade 1), elective English (from grade 1)... and continue to study like that in middle school.

In addition, English teaching activities in primary and secondary schools are very diverse, so the English ability of Ho Chi Minh City students when entering high school is already good in the top schools. This is concretized by the leading results of English scores in the high school exam for many consecutive years, as well as the results of the national excellent student exam of the city's students," Ms. Thy commented.

According to data from the Department of Education and Training, at the primary level, Ho Chi Minh City implements many English programs with output standards in addition to the English program prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training. These are the elective English program, the enhanced English program according to Decision No. 2769 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and the integrated program according to Decision 5695.

"Implementing a variety of English programs in schools not only helps students in English subjects, but also helps schools get used to managing many programs at the same time; helps teachers and students be active in communication, creating a good foundation when implementing English as a second language in teaching" - an official from the Department of Education and Training commented.

Students learn English with foreign teachers in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NHU HUNG

The barriers

On the other hand, Vietnamese teachers who want to use English to teach subjects need a roadmap. They cannot immediately follow the ideal model of using English to teach all subjects, even in places where students speak English well, such as at Nguyen Thuong Hien High School.

Because, according to the school leader, the barriers to using English for teaching will come from the teachers. Teachers currently have English degrees but because they have not used it for a long time to speak or write, they cannot communicate naturally and will have difficulty when they stand in front of the class to teach.

On the other hand, subject teachers are not trained in an English environment, so teaching subjects in English terms will not be easy to do overnight but requires a roadmap.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Duyen - head of the English group at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted, where in the 2023-2024 school year, there were 4 national valedictorians in English leading the country - said that bringing English into schools faces many challenges.

"Students in different classes in a school, even in specialized schools, are still not equal in English proficiency. Not to mention that most subject teachers cannot communicate in English and their English proficiency is not equal... These are big challenges that need to be solved when wanting to make English the second language in schools," Ms. Duyen commented.

Native teachers talk to students in an English class at a school in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NP

Sufficient legal basis

The Politburo recently announced the conclusion of the implementation of Resolution 29, which requires the education sector to promote international integration in education and training to meet the requirements of improving the quality of human resources to serve the country's development in the new period. Focus on improving foreign language skills of students, gradually making English the second language in schools.

Then, in a conference at the end of August 2024, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong affirmed that Vietnam has a legal basis (conclusion of the implementation of Resolution 29 of the Politburo) to gradually make English the second language in schools.

Also at this conference, Mr. Thuong directed Ho Chi Minh City to soon prepare a project to submit to the Ministry of Education and Training to pilot the introduction of English as a second language in public schools, with a number of schools selected to implement it first.

Besides, the important factors to promote the introduction of English as a second language in schools are the wishes of parents, the needs of students and the abilities of students in this subject.

According to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the city currently has nearly 800 foreign language and information technology centers in operation (including about 100 short-term educational institutions with foreign investment). The total number of courses implemented is more than 23,000 with about 182,000 students participating. Of which, the number of students under 18 years old is about 156,000 people, accounting for more than 85% of the total number of students.

That data also reflects the reality of students' need to learn English in Ho Chi Minh City, especially communication, when many parents, in addition to sending their children to study English according to school programs, also send their children to study at centers.

"The class I am in charge of follows an intensive English program, but when I asked parents, about 80% of the students attend English courses at the center every week, several sessions a week," shared an elementary school teacher in District 10.

According to Ms. Do Ngoc Chi, principal of Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), teaching children English is a high demand of parents today, because they want their children to have the opportunity to develop and adapt to an increasingly globalized society.

On the other hand, the 2018 general education program requires teaching English from grade 3, so in some schools in Ho Chi Minh City, the percentage of parents supporting the introduction of English as a second language in teaching will be very high.

"At our school, a high percentage of students participate in programs related to English use, and although they are still in elementary school, a large number of them can communicate well in English," said Ms. Chi.

Top 10 localities with the highest average foreign language scores in the 2024 high school graduation exam in the country - Graphics: N.KH.

Advantages from the teaching staff

According to Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, head of the English Department (Ho Chi Minh City University of Education), the biggest advantage of Ho Chi Minh City making English the second language in teaching is the team of experienced, well-trained, highly qualified English teachers. Many teachers have had the opportunity to participate in international training programs and have access to modern teaching methods. Moreover, the city has also attracted a large number of foreign teachers, contributing to improving the quality of English teaching in schools.

Mr. Binh commented that Ho Chi Minh City has local resources to implement the program according to the roadmap and can use these resources to support teachers of other subjects in improving their English proficiency and speeding up the process of approaching English in teaching.

* Mr. NGUYEN VAN HIEU , Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training:

Will build a set of criteria

* Sir, how has Ho Chi Minh City prepared for the implementation of the policy of schools using English as a second language?

- Currently, in meetings, I have assigned specialized departments to draft criteria for schools using English as a second language. For example, how many subjects are taught in English? How often do students speak English in school for a school to achieve English as a second language in school?...

First of all, the department wants to increase the number of hours taught in English. For example, currently in Ho Chi Minh City, there are many schools teaching math and science in English, some schools are teaching subjects in English according to project 5695 (integrating the English program into Vietnam with a duration of 8 hours/week).

Students in this program can use English as a language and means of communication. They communicate confidently in English and when they finish high school, they have enough English proficiency to study in university programs taught in English through international partnerships, international schools teaching in English in Ho Chi Minh City or study abroad in English-speaking countries.

The Department will develop a set of criteria to recognize schools that use English as a second language. This will include criteria on teaching, activities, and use of English in communication...

* When is the department expected to complete the draft criteria set?

- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training is promoting the organization of a workshop to gather opinions from experts and scientists to come up with a set of criteria for schools using English as a second language from preschool level.

Once this set of criteria is formed, it will be submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for promulgation. It is expected that this set of criteria will be completed in the 2024-2025 school year and will be implemented from the 2025-2026 school year.

* What are the advantages of Ho Chi Minh City in making English the second language in schools?

- The most favorable thing is that people are very supportive of teaching in English. Currently, up to 99% of first graders in Ho Chi Minh City learn English. Ho Chi Minh City has done this since the new general education program of the Ministry of Education and Training required teaching English from grade 6 and above.

Currently, the 2018 general education program teaches English to students from grade 3, but Ho Chi Minh City has covered it from grade 1 with many English programs that are evaluated to have good output standards.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thi-diem-dung-tieng-anh-day-hoc-tp-hcm-chuan-bi-ra-sao-20240915222528129.htm