The British Council's journey to enhance the capacity of teachers in Vietnam.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The British Council is partnering with Vietnamese English teachers to help realize the goal of making English the second language in the education system.

Recently, the VietTESOL - VIC 2025 International Conference was organized by the VietTESOL English Language Research and Teaching Association, the National Foreign Language Project ( Ministry of Education and Training ), and Can Tho University, with the theme "Innovation in English Language Teaching and Learning: Sustainable Development and Readiness for Global Integration".

The event attracted hundreds of teachers, experts, and educators from both within and outside the country.

Teacher competency development roadmap

One of the highlights at VIC 2025 was the presentation by Ms. Eilidh Hamilton, Regional Director for East Asia, British Council, introducing the updated version of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework – a tool to support English teachers in developing their professional competence.

Overview of the VietTESOL 2025 workshop with the participation of teachers and experts from Vietnam and abroad (Photo: British Council).

Established in 2013, the CPD framework has been continuously updated to meet modern teaching trends. Accordingly, English is no longer limited to TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language), but has expanded to include areas such as EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction), CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), and ESP (English for Specific Purposes).

Accordingly, the 2025 CPD comprises 11 competency groups and 4 levels of development, ranging from changes in awareness and understanding to application and integration into teaching practices, for teachers, lecturers, administrators, and policymakers.

According to Eilidh, combining the CPD Framework with the open educational resource TeachingEnglish will help teachers proactively learn and adapt to technological changes and the demands of new educational programs. "The most important thing is to adapt, adapt, and adapt to diversity, new technologies, and the spirit of lifelong learning," she emphasized.

Ms. Eilidh Hamilton, from the British Council, shared information about the CPD professional development framework (Photo: British Council).

Practical initiatives in teacher training

In parallel with its strategic direction, the British Council is implementing many practical initiatives to enhance teaching capacity, most notably the Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) model, which was launched in 2022.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat, Head of the English Department at Hanoi Pedagogical University 2, TAGs help form a learning community where teachers share experiences, design, and adjust lessons to suit the new curriculum. “TAGs not only help teachers improve their skills but also change their professional mindset – from passive to active, from learning to leading,” she shared.

Many TAG groups continued to operate independently after the project ended, spreading hundreds of practical teaching ideas. Online meetings via Zalo helped teachers connect, exchange difficulties, and find solutions flexibly.

Another initiative is a project supporting teachers' participation in open online courses (MOOCs) on the TeachingEnglish platform. Can Tho University is collaborating on this project, focusing on four themes: inclusive education, progress assessment, digital skills, and communication methods.

From April 2024 to February 2025, over 360 teachers participated in these courses, significantly improving their digital skills and professional autonomy. Many teachers reported that classrooms became more engaging, and students were more proactive and interested.

Teachers exchange teaching experiences within the TAGs model (Photo: British Council).

Committed to supporting Vietnamese English teachers.

For over 30 years operating in Vietnam, the British Council has been committed to the field of English teacher training, from research and needs assessment to organizing nationwide training programs.

At VIC 2025, through discussions and thematic workshops, the British Council continued to share new directions in teacher competency development. Davide Guarini Martin, Senior Academic Director of the British Council, affirmed: “The CPD framework encourages a spirit of lifelong learning. Teachers can use this competency framework at any stage of their career.”

He stated that the value of the TAGs model lies not only in forming a professional community but also in its ability to maintain cohesion and practicality. "Teachers need to feel a sense of belonging to the community, empowered to lead, and the activities must stem from real-world needs," he said.

The British Council is committed to supporting English teachers in Vietnam (Photo: British Council).

In the context of AI and digital technologies having a profound impact on education, the British Council stated that it will continue to invest in research and development of technology-based solutions for teaching and assessing English, while also collaborating with regulatory bodies in policy advice and teacher training.

"Our commitment going forward is to continue providing stronger support for the goal of making English the second language in Vietnamese schools, focusing on teacher training, research, and policy development support," affirmed Davide Guarini.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/hanh-trinh-nang-cao-nang-luc-cho-giao-vien-tai-viet-nam-cua-hoi-dong-anh-20251028215942429.htm