English will become a compulsory subject from grade 1.

This is one of the specific goals set out in the Project to make English the second language in Vietnam's education system by 2045.

The Prime Minister approved the Project “Making English the second language in schools for the period 2025-2035, with a vision to 2045”. The Project was issued with Decision No. 2371/QD-TTg dated October 27, 2025.

Help students develop their capacity and integrate internationally

In the world, English is the official language or second language in 54 countries and 27 territories such as UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India, Singapore, Malta, Hong Kong, Taiwan... These are countries and territories with advanced science and technology, strong economic development and a total GDP accounting for 45% of global GDP (2023).

Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen and students of Chau Son Primary School (Ba Vi, Hanoi) during an English class (Photo: Education and Times)

In addition, English is the main language of international scientific publications (accounting for 95% of the number of international scientific publications each year), with up to 63% of information and communication content on international information channels in English. Many leading universities in non-English speaking countries also have advanced training programs in English to help students access advances in science and technology in the world.

In Vietnam, the foreign language proficiency of students is increasingly improved; the team of foreign language teachers and lecturers is always interested in regular and periodic training in foreign language proficiency and pedagogical capacity, basically meeting the requirements of innovation. However, the implementation of teaching English as a foreign language in schools has not really met the language needs of learners (listening, speaking, reading, writing), thereby helping them become global citizens and effectively serving international integration.

In that context, teaching English as a foreign language needs to be upgraded to teaching as a second language to help students develop their capacity, use English in academic activities, exploit documents, use digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI), and integrate internationally in a practical and effective way.

Forming an ecosystem of English use in educational institutions

The objective of the Project is to make English the second language in schools in Vietnam; English is used widely, regularly and effectively in teaching, communication, management and educational activities of schools, forming an ecosystem of English use in educational institutions from Level 1 to Level 3.

Improve the quality of English teaching and learning, teaching in English to contribute to building a generation of global citizens to meet the requirements of Vietnam's international integration.

For preschool education, the goal of the Project is to help children experience and become familiar with English; aiming to form and develop English communication skills, preparing well for learning English at the secondary school level.

For general education, the goal of the Project is to help students form and develop their capacity and skills in using English in developing their thinking and qualities, learning capacity of subjects, educational activities, exchanges, and experiences inside and outside of school, contributing to the comprehensive development of Vietnamese people in the era of deep international integration.

Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen and her students in English class (Photo: Education and Times)

For higher education, the Project's goal is to develop an effective English-language environment in teaching courses, modules, and credits in training programs; in training and fostering teachers and lecturers. Develop higher education into a national leading pillar in the English ecosystem with the capacity for deep integration, knowledge transfer, and innovation in English.

For vocational education, the Project aims to improve English communication and career orientation skills to meet the requirements of the domestic and international labor market. Develop an effective English-speaking environment in vocational education institutions.

For continuing education, the Project's goal is to help improve English proficiency for continuing education learners, diversify the forms and content of English learning to meet the diverse needs of society, and contribute to improving the quality of national human resources.

Need 22,000 more preschool and primary school English teachers

The project is applied in all preschool, general education, university, vocational education and continuing education facilities nationwide. It is estimated that the project will impact about 50,000 educational facilities with nearly 30 million children, pupils and about 1 million managers and teachers at all levels, fields of study and training.

The implementation period of the Project is 20 years (from 2025 to 2045), deployed in 03 main phases.

In particular, phase 1 (2025-2030) will build the foundation and standardize, ensuring a solid foundation for English to be used regularly and systematically in the educational environment.

Phase 2 (2030-2035) will expand and strengthen, promoting the use of English more frequently.

Phase 3 (2035-2045) will be completed and enhanced, English will be used naturally, developing an ecosystem of English use in the educational environment, communication and school administration.

Regarding resource conditions, after the Project is issued, central and local agencies and organizations subject to the Project's regulations are responsible for implementation.

In particular, for preschool education, to successfully implement the Project, there needs to be 1 position of English teacher/1 preschool education facility. Thus, it is expected that there will be an additional 12,000 positions of English teacher in public preschool education facilities nationwide.

For primary schools, to have a solid foundation and ensure the success of the Project's objectives, the Ministry of Education and Training proposes to implement compulsory English teaching from grade 1 of the General Education Program (currently compulsory from grade 3). This will create an additional staff of English teachers in primary schools across the country, approximately 10,000 more English teachers.

In addition, it is necessary to train and foster English and professional and pedagogical skills for at least 200,000 English teachers from now until 2035 to meet the needs and goals of the Project.

Hai Binh (Source: Education and Times Newspaper)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tieng-anh-se-tro-thanh-mon-hoc-bat-buoc-tu-lop-1-ar984009.html