On April 12, 2025, iSMART Education (a member of EQuest Education Group) organized the Final Round and Award Ceremony of the iSMART English Champion 2025 contest at two locations: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With the theme "Let's Talk", this year's program is not only a language playground, but also a forum for generations of students to express their personal opinions in English on important social issues such as climate change, school violence and public health.
Launched in December 2024, the contest attracted more than 82,000 students from grades 3 to 8 nationwide - a record number in its 10-year journey. The theme "Let's Talk" opens up opportunities for students to not only develop their language skills but also practice critical thinking, presentation skills, teamwork and global citizenship - essential assets of the 21st century.
Notably, encouraging students to use English to express their thoughts and personal opinions is also a step forward in line with the Politburo's direction in 2024, when it proposed a policy of making English the second language in schools. The contest is a clear demonstration of the capacity, confidence, courage and spirit of integration of the generation of students growing up in the era of globalization.
Mr. David Armstrong, Vice President of the Board of Directors of EQuest Education Group, said that “Let's Talk” has a profound meaning when it conveys the message of encouraging students to actively participate in dialogue and develop critical thinking. According to him, being good at a language is not only about vocabulary or grammar structure, but more importantly, the ability to use language to express deep thoughts on life issues. With “Let's Talk”, the Organizing Committee has built a diverse system of topics, from the richness of Vietnamese culture, environmental issues, to solutions to help maintain physical and mental health. Although the questions may be surprising, students have time to prepare to present their views in English confidently and convincingly.
In the Final Round, 24 excellent candidates representing the regions competed in the form of group presentations. The teams took turns presenting and debating directly in English on topical topics, demonstrating their insightful perspectives and logical reasoning abilities. The event was held simultaneously at Newton Inter-level School (Hanoi) and Canadian International School - CIS (Ho Chi Minh City), connected online via videoconference and broadcast live on the iSMART Education Fanpage, attracting the attention of parents, students and the education community nationwide.
After the draw, the teams will compete in the following order: Group A, Group C and finally Group B. The teams in Hanoi will compete before the teams in Ho Chi Minh City. Each team will take turns presenting and debating directly in English on current topics, expressing profound opinions and demonstrating logical reasoning.
The jury consists of prestigious domestic and foreign experts, ensuring in-depth, objective and international standard evaluation criteria: Mr. Tran Dinh Nguyen Lu - English Specialist, Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Quang Thi Hoan - English Specialist, Department of Education and Training of Hanoi; Dr. Nguyen Thu Le Hang - Lecturer, University of Foreign Languages - Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Mr. Goodwin Wright Bram - Senior Training Consultant iSMART Education; Mr. Valentyn Pokhylko - Senior Training Consultant iSMART Education; Ms. Iuliia Soloshenko - Senior Training Consultant iSMART Education.
After the dramatic competitions, the contest honored the excellent teams with the titles of Champion, Runner-up and specialized awards such as: Innovative Thinker - Contestants with creative and unique thinking and Global Insight - Contestants with a comprehensive view of global issues. These awards are not only a recognition of language ability, but also a testament to the courage, intelligence and integration aspirations of the modern generation of Vietnamese students.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, Head of the Organizing Committee of the contest, shared: “iSMART English Champion is not simply an academic contest, but a place where students can truly express their thoughts and personal opinions in English - the language of global citizens. This is a valuable asset that helps students confidently step out into the world.”
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of EQuest Education Group, David Armstrong, emphasized that today is a special and exciting day for the best candidates at the two locations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, when they have the opportunity to compete, demonstrate their bravery and critical thinking in English. According to him, they not only have the opportunity to win valuable scholarships, but also open the door to promising educational journeys. He expressed his belief that these faces will be outstanding leaders of Vietnam in the near future.
This year's event received the support of many prestigious partners such as EQuest Education Group, Biti's, Canadian International School (CIS), St. Nicholas School, Einstein School, Newton Secondary and High School, and many businesses and educational institutions nationwide.
iSMART English Champion is an annual, national academic English competition for students from grades 3 to 8. The competition is organized by iSMART Education - a pioneer in digital transformation education in Vietnam. Through the method of teaching English integrating subjects such as Math, Science and Social Studies, iSMART Education aims to make English a second language and equip Vietnamese students with 21st century skills - in line with the orientation of national education in the integration period.
Website: https://www.englishchampion.edu.vn
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/english-champion-2025-khi-hoc-sinh-viet-tu-tin-noi-ve-cac-van-de-xa-hoi-bang-tieng-anh-post410093.html
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