Vietnam.vn - Nền tảng quảng bá Việt Nam

Teaching and learning English: For exams or for use?

The 2025 high school graduation exam has initially been oriented towards innovation according to the 2018 general education program. Therefore, teaching and learning in general education needs to catch up with this requirement. However, we must review the difficulty level of the specialized English exam as above.

Báo Tiền PhongBáo Tiền Phong14/07/2025

Test questions are suitable for specialized English

The 2024-2025 school year marks an important milestone as the 2018 GeneralEducation Program completes its implementation cycle. According to Dr. Scott McDonald, Faculty of Business, RMIT University Vietnam, the high school graduation exam has changed significantly, becoming more flexible. Allowing students to choose subjects that match their strengths is considered a positive step forward, opening up a personalized approach to an exam that was previously completely standardized.

z6760483794783-09cf54a44c3ff667abcdd81cf05b10a0.jpg
Students taking the 2025 high school graduation exam. Photo: DUY PHAM

Mr. McDonald argues that the traditional testing model, which is heavy on “all or nothing” and rote learning, fails to assess depth of learning or practical application. He proposes a more balanced approach, reducing multiple-choice questions and replacing them with assessments based on real-life situations, analysis exercises, and problem-solving in context.

“For a long time when foreign languages were a compulsory subject in the national high school exam and high school graduation exam, students were “pampered” with the exam pattern according to the 2006 education program. That was a trick trend in exam preparation and practice”. Teacher Bui The Phuong

According to him, high school education needs to focus on training fundamental skills for college and work, especially critical thinking and problem-solving skills. He asserted that these skills are often overlooked in traditional exams. If we shift the focus from rote learning to application, exams will actually help students better prepare for the challenges ahead.

Mr. Melvin Fernando, Senior Manager of Careers and Industry Relations, RMIT University Vietnam, proposed expanding the form of assessment, reducing pressure by regular tests during the school year, integrating career-focused subjects such as life skills, digital skills or entrepreneurship, and investing more in students' mental health. According to Mr. Fernando, these changes not only reflect the diversity of students' abilities but also help reduce the heavy pressure from a single decisive exam.

Dr. Yulia Tregubova, Head of the Academic English Program and Acting Head of the English Program at British University Vietnam (BUV), commented that this year's English exam focuses more on academic skills, in line with the goal of preparing for specialized English.

“I noticed that this year’s exam has been adjusted in terms of structure, and is different and more difficult than previous years. However, in my opinion, this exam is closer to the academic English orientation, a subject that we often teach to students who wish to study in English at university level,” said Dr. Yulia Tregubova. The exam does not stop at simply testing vocabulary or grammar, but goes into aspects such as word combination, language functions such as coherence and cohesion in the text. It is clear that the emphasis is on critical thinking skills, which are essential at university level.

Exam for gifted or general students?

Dr. Yulia Tregubova said that, based on the requirements of this year's exam, some schools have begun to incorporate skills development elements into their teaching for students. However, according to Dr. Yulia's experience, most schools still focus on the national general education program and IELTS preparation. "Unfortunately, IELTS does not really prepare for such types of questions, because this is a standardized academic exam, only assessing certain skills, and those skills are not completely within the scope of this year's high school graduation exam," Dr. Yulia informed.

She believes that the reforms needed to meet the current demands of foreign language learning are to promote the integration of academic skills into teaching. Specifically, the ability to infer meaning based on context, summarize the main idea of a paragraph, build a coherent text, identify the role of cohesive devices in sentences and paragraphs - along with many other skills that support future academic learning. Focusing on developing these skills helps students not only pass exams, but also adapt and succeed better in the university environment.

Mr. Bui The Phuong, an English teacher at Hoc Mai Center, affirmed that change must come from two sides: teaching and exam making. He suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training should adjust the difficulty of the exam. The current output standard for high school students in foreign languages is to reach level B1 (European reference framework), so the exam should only stop at level B2, which is appropriate. Through evaluating the recent English graduation exam, Mr. Phuong affirmed that there are many vocabulary words in the top 10,000 - 25,000 rare word combinations in English. The exam requirements are beyond the ability and do not reflect the true level of the learner's ability. It can accurately measure good and excellent students, but the rest are disadvantaged. The exam length should be shorter to suit the students. In addition to the assessment, the exam also has a social aspect.

Some English teachers advise students who will take the 2026 high school graduation exam to start developing a habit of learning English in a competency-based way. Students need to increase reading practice, expand their academic vocabulary, and pay special attention to information analysis skills, text processing, and language selection appropriate to the communication context.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/day-hoc-mon-tieng-anh-de-thi-hay-de-su-dung-post1760182.tpo


Comment (0)

No data
No data
Magical scene on the 'upside down bowl' tea hill in Phu Tho
3 islands in the Central region are likened to Maldives, attracting tourists in the summer
Watch the sparkling Quy Nhon coastal city of Gia Lai at night
Image of terraced fields in Phu Tho, gently sloping, bright and beautiful like mirrors before the planting season
Z121 Factory is ready for the International Fireworks Final Night
Famous travel magazine praises Son Doong cave as 'the most magnificent on the planet'
Mysterious cave attracts Western tourists, likened to 'Phong Nha cave' in Thanh Hoa
Discover the poetic beauty of Vinh Hy Bay
How is the most expensive tea in Hanoi, priced at over 10 million VND/kg, processed?
Taste of the river region

Heritage

Figure

Business

No videos available

News

Political System

Local

Product