Teaching and learning English is compulsory from grade 1: Removing the 'bottleneck' in terms of staff

However, implementation practices show that there are still many challenges, requiring synchronous and fundamental solutions, especially in ensuring and developing the teaching staff.

Identify the challenges

Affirming the necessity of teaching English as a compulsory subject from grade 1, Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hanh - Principal of Ha Hoa Primary School (Ha Hoa, Phu Tho ) explained: Grade 1 is the stage when language is developing, if exposed to English early, the ability to acquire a second language will be formed naturally, with better quality, especially speaking and communication skills.

If English is taught from grade 1, it will be systematic from low to high levels, making it easier for students to access. In addition, learning English early will also help students develop their language and thinking skills, supporting other subjects better.

However, Ms. Hanh admitted that implementing this in practice still faces many difficulties, especially in terms of staff. Currently, there is a shortage of primary school foreign language teachers, and localities are trying to arrange enough to teach from grades 3 to 5. If teaching is implemented from grade 1, ensuring the requirements on quantity and quality of teachers is a big challenge.

Nam Cha Primary School (Muong Mo, Lai Chau ) has 2 campuses, but currently there is only one English teacher on contract at the central campus.

Mr. Pham Quoc Bao - Principal said that the lack of teachers is the "bottleneck" in implementing English teaching at the school. Recruiting new teachers, especially English teachers, is facing many difficulties because there are fewer and fewer teachers from the lowlands working long-term in highland schools, especially in places with limited economic conditions.

“The school’s English teacher is a local, and previously studied under the selection system. In addition to her salary, the school also provides additional support so that her monthly income is over 10 million VND,” said Mr. Bao.

With 1,317 students and 48 staff and teachers, Ms. Hoang Thanh Binh - Principal of Tran Nhan Tong Primary School (Dong A, Ninh Binh) said that implementing compulsory English teaching from grade 1 is a big step forward. The school currently has 4 English teachers and is still short of one person to meet teaching needs.

“In reality, teaching and learning English at the unit has many advantages thanks to the attention of management levels, the support of parents, and the dedication of the teaching staff. However, when the Ministry of Education and Training implements compulsory English teaching from grade 1, schools will definitely need to add more teachers. Currently, the recruitment of teachers is proposed by schools to the People's Committee of wards/communes, then the Department of Education and Training together with the Department of Home Affairs develops a recruitment plan to ensure sufficient staff structure,” Ms. Binh shared.

As an English teacher at Chau Son Primary School (Co Do, Hanoi), Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen said that in rural areas like Co Do commune, the human resources to meet this requirement are limited. Many English teachers are trained to teach at higher levels, and have not been trained in pedagogical skills for young students like first graders. Facilities are also a major obstacle. Some schools lack foreign language classrooms, audio-visual equipment or

Stable internet to apply technology. In addition, many parents do not really consider English as necessary for first graders, because they think that learning Vietnamese is not enough, and learning English will cause language confusion. This leads to limited support for their children in learning. All of these factors, if not carefully prepared, will affect the quality of project implementation.

Need fundamental solutions

To make teaching English compulsory from grade 1 effective, Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen recommends synchronously implementing three main groups of solutions: People - program - technology.

Firstly, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to organize intensive training courses for primary school English teachers, especially teachers in rural, remote and isolated areas. These courses should focus on methods of teaching English to young children, skills in organizing interactive activities, language games, and the use of intonation and emotions in the classroom.

Second, it is necessary to develop a friendly and age-appropriate curriculum and learning materials for first graders; in which priority should be given to developing listening and speaking skills, and the ability to perceive phonetics, without emphasizing grammar or academic vocabulary. The goal of the first stage should be to help students love English, confidently communicate in simple sentences, and form a positive attitude towards the subject.

Third, we should promote the application of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in English teaching, especially in areas lacking teachers and equipment. Tools such as interactive animated videos, digital storybooks, or AI characters guiding lessons can help make lessons more lively and stimulate students' natural interest.

Mr. Pham Quoc Bao emphasized the solution regarding the team and said that priority should be given to selecting students with good foreign language skills at high schools, creating conditions for them to study at pedagogical universities. After graduation, they commit to return to their hometown to teach. This is a practical and sustainable solution, because in reality, many teachers from the lowlands who are mobilized to the mountainous areas often only stay for a short time and then ask to be transferred back, causing the team to often fluctuate and lack stability.

Also discussing solutions, Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hanh proposed three options: Mobilizing socialization so that students can access the English program early from grade 1; The State will support funding for contracting English teachers for grades 1 and 2 (if there is no staff) and have a training roadmap to meet the needs of teachers; actively innovate teaching methods, including English.

“In school practice, I have found that the biggest difficulty in implementing compulsory English teaching from grade 1 is the lack of teachers. The solution that Ha Hoa Primary School has had for many years to overcome this is to effectively carry out propaganda work so that parents see the necessity of learning English; choose reputable and qualified centers and teachers; regularly check and evaluate to make timely adjustments if necessary; be public and transparent to create consensus,” Ms. Tran Thi Bich Hanh shared her experience.

“Teaching English to young children is a big challenge because they do not have the ability to think abstractly in language and have a short attention span, so teaching needs to be flexible and lively through activities such as singing, storytelling, role-playing or physical games. This requires teachers to be well-trained in teaching English to young children, a specialized field that is completely different from middle and high school,” said Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/day-hoc-tieng-anh-bat-buoc-tu-lop-1-thao-go-diem-nghen-ve-doi-ngu-post754761.html