Introducing English as a Second Language in Schools: Elements for Success

EXPERIENCE FROM EAST ASIA

Increasing the teaching of subjects in English or even considering English as a second language as Vietnam aims to do is a topic of interest in Southeast Asia. One of the notable points is that all ASEAN countries have issued their own legal framework for teaching English at the secondary level, according to a study by Professor Emi Emilia (Indonesia) and colleagues published in January in the Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics.

However, according to the research results, the status of English varies between countries. In Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Malaysia, English is the second language with different rates and levels of use. Indonesia and Thailand, although they value English, only consider it a compulsory subject and not a language to teach other subjects. Meanwhile, in Cambodia and Laos, English is an elective subject.

Những yếu tố thành công trong dạy tiếng Anh tại việt nam và Đông Nam Á - Ảnh 1. — Conclusion No. 91 and Resolution No. 71 of the Politburo emphasize the solution for the education and training sector to enhance foreign language teaching and learning, gradually making English the second language in schools.

The study also highlighted that Singapore’s success in making English its second language came from the fact that it introduced a bilingual policy in the 1960s and now teaches all subjects in English. The country also established the Lee Kuan Yew Foundation to foster a love of bilingualism in young children. The Philippines is teaching core subjects such as math and science in English.

Dr. Thana Kruawong, lecturer at the Faculty of Education , Kasetsart University (Thailand), said that in this country, public high schools usually teach English 3-4 hours/week, while public universities like his unit require students to study 2-3 general English courses and then can continue to study specialized English, depending on the department. In addition, many large public universities have implemented training for some majors entirely in English.

POLICY FRAMEWORK AND REGULATIONS TO PROMOTE THE USE OF ENGLISH

To successfully make English the language of instruction, according to Mr. Kruawong, there needs to be a policy and regulatory framework to promote the use of English, starting with the teachers themselves. This is a big challenge in Thailand. "I believe that if there is a clear statement that this subject must be taught in English, teachers will be motivated to improve themselves to meet the requirements," Dr. Thana Kruawong stated.

One of the solutions for Vietnam to enter the top 20 countries in education

From Conclusion No. 91 (August 2024) on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training to Resolution 71 (August 2025) on breakthrough development of education and training, the Politburo has mentioned the foreign language factor. In Resolution 71, the vision goal by 2045 is for Vietnam to be in the top 20 countries in terms of national education system, with at least 5 universities in the world's top 100... One of the tasks and solutions clearly stated in Resolution 71 to achieve this goal is to "strengthen the teaching and learning of foreign languages, gradually making English the second language in schools".

Another issue is that Vietnam needs to continue to develop and promote domestic English tests aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) such as Malaysia's MUET, which is being used by all universities in the country, according to Dr. Abdullah bin Mohd Nawi, a senior lecturer at the University of Technology, Malaysia. MUET is even recognized by many universities around the world as an alternative to IELTS, and this number continues to increase.

"According to current regulations, general teachers in Malaysia must meet the C1 level according to CEFR and we are applying all measures to achieve this, including financial factors first. Because teachers can take the MUET exam at an affordable price, without having to take expensive exams like IELTS. That is why Vietnam should have its own assessment tool to avoid dependence on foreign countries," he said.

DESIGN A CLEAR ROADMAP

To make English the second language in schools, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Hoa, working at the School of Education, University of New South Wales (Australia), said that Vietnam needs to design a clear roadmap through a specific framework, and at the same time connect it with key stakeholders such as learners, teachers, policy makers, educational leaders..., from which it can be well oriented for the implementation process.

Những yếu tố thành công trong dạy tiếng Anh tại việt nam và Đông Nam Á - Ảnh 2. — Ho Chi Minh City students learn English with foreign teachers. The city plans to gradually make English the second language in schools by 2030.

Having a specific framework also helps us know where to impact effectively, instead of just viewing the problems in the educational ecosystem as separate pieces and handling them separately in the direction that if teachers are poor in English, they should take extra English classes. "This only solves part of the problem," Ms. Hoa shared, adding that in the process of building the framework, it is also necessary to refer to scientific bases and theories in the world in the context of Vietnam.

In addition, implementing English as a second language in schools also needs to pay attention to two factors. One is the story of social inequality because not everyone has English ability, especially students from mountainous, remote and isolated areas. "If we introduce this program, what support will we provide so that they can understand the lessons and keep up with their peers?", Ms. Hoa asked.

The second story is about preserving national identity, because language is closely linked to culture, according to Dr. Hoa. Therefore, policy makers also need to pay attention to the role of Vietnamese and English in the school environment. In fact, research by Professor Emi Emilia and colleagues shows that despite considering English as a second language, the Philippines still teaches in its mother tongue for the first 3 years of primary school and after this time, some subjects are taught in its mother tongue.

Regarding the work of supplementing educational human resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education has implemented bilingual training programs in mathematics pedagogy, primary school pedagogy and has developed a plan for bilingual training in physics, chemistry, biology and natural sciences. This is the basis for teachers to teach in English, according to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Director of the Center for Research and Application of STEM Education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) of this university.

However, the current difficulty is that many teachers will not be able to teach subjects in English, partly because the previous training process only required teachers to learn general English, not specialized English, and the previous education program did not require teachers to teach in English. Therefore, similar to Ms. Hoa's opinion, Ms. Trang also believes that there must be a step-by-step roadmap to introduce English as a second language in schools.

"This requires the coordination of many parties, including leaders at all levels and teachers. But in my opinion, first of all, we need to make schools and teachers clearly understand the benefits of students accessing subjects in English, making teachers feel the need to do this instead of feeling forced. Then, we need to build a coordination mechanism between English teachers and teachers of other subjects, and determine how much time to start teaching in English and how to gradually increase it," she said.

Regarding the pedagogical approach when considering English as a second language, Associate Professor Dr. Rhonda Oliver, Head of the School of Education, Curtin University (Australia), proposed two approaches: using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) and content and language integrated teaching (CLIL). The difference is that EMI focuses on teaching content and teachers play the role of imparting knowledge while CLIL emphasizes both language and content, and teachers often teach both aspects.

"EMI is popular at university level and is now also applied in primary and secondary schools in Vietnam, while CLIL is often applied in general education," Ms. Oliver shared.

The big challenges

Speaking at the international conference on English research and teaching organized by the Regional Training Center of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization in Vietnam (SEAMEO RETRAC) in mid-August, Mr. David Fay, Director of the Regional English Language Office (RELO) of the US Embassy in Vietnam, said that in addition to linking English with academic knowledge, teachers also need to link it with soft skills training such as teamwork, negotiation, conflict resolution...

Another issue raised by Mr. Fay is that not only Vietnam, many countries and territories are also looking to increase the rate of English use in high schools and universities such as Türkiye, Finland, Taiwan... However, the prominent challenge is the lack of teachers confident in teaching subjects such as math, social sciences... in English, along with the risk of lack of understanding from parents and education managers.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-tieng-anh-thanh-ngon-ngu-thu-hai-trong-truong-hoc-nhung-yeu-to-de-thanh-cong-185250907213715805.htm