British Council's journey to improve teacher capacity in Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - The British Council accompanies the Vietnamese English teachers to contribute to realizing 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 Teaching and Research Association, the National Foreign Language Project ( Ministry of Education and Training ) and Can Tho University, with the theme "Innovation in English teaching and learning: Sustainable development and readiness for global integration".

The event attracted hundreds of teachers, experts and educators from home and abroad.

Teacher capacity development roadmap

One of the highlights at VIC 2025 was the speech by Ms. Eilidh Hamilton, Regional Development 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 capacity.

Overview of the VietTESOL 2025 conference with the participation of domestic and international teachers and experts (Photo: British Council).

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

Accordingly, CPD 2025 includes 11 groups of competencies and 4 levels of development, from changing from awareness and understanding to applying and integrating into teaching practice, for teachers, lecturers, managers and policy makers.

According to Ms. Eilidh, combining the CPD Framework with the TeachingEnglish open learning resource will help teachers proactively learn and adapt to changes in technology and new educational program requirements. “The most important thing is to adapt, adapt and adapt to diversity, new technology and the spirit of lifelong learning,” she emphasized.

Ms. Eilidh Hamilton, British Council, shares about the CPD framework (Photo: British Council).

Practical initiatives in teacher training

In parallel with the strategic orientation, the British Council has implemented many practical initiatives to improve teaching capacity, typically the Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) model launched in 2022.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat, Head of the English Department, Hanoi National University of Education 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 TAGs groups still operate independently after the project ends, spreading hundreds of practical teaching ideas. Online meetings via Zalo help teachers connect, exchange difficulties and solutions flexibly.

Another initiative is a project to support teachers in participating in massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the TeachingEnglish platform. Can Tho University is coordinating the implementation, focusing on four topics: inclusive teaching, progress assessment, digital competence and communication methods.

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

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

Committed to accompanying Vietnamese English teachers

For more than 30 years of operation in Vietnam, the British Council has always been involved in the field of English teacher training, from research, needs assessment to organizing nationwide training programs.

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

The value of the TAGs model, he said, lies not only in the professional community it creates, but also in its ability to maintain engagement and practicality. “Teachers need to feel part of the community, empowered to lead, and the content of the activities must come from real-world needs,” he said.

British Council commits to accompany Vietnamese English teachers (Photo: British Council).

In the context of AI and digital technology strongly impacting education, the British Council said it continues to invest in research and development of technology application solutions in teaching and assessing English, and cooperates with management agencies in policy advice and teacher training.

“Our commitment in the coming time is to continue to provide stronger support for the goal of making English the second language in Vietnamese schools, focusing on teacher training, research and supporting policy development,” affirmed Mr. 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