English as a Second Language: The 'Revolution' from the Team

GD&TĐ - To achieve the goal of making English the second language in schools, improving the quality of the teaching staff is a key factor.

This requires a synchronous strategy, from selection, training, capacity assessment to effective use of the teaching staff.

The most important condition

The English lesson taught by Ms. Tran Hong Hanh - Phan Dinh Phung High School (Ba Dinh, Hanoi ), at Tan Lap High School (O Dien commune) has attracted the attention of students and colleagues thanks to her many useful teaching skills and experiences.

This is an activity in the movement "Schools join hands to develop, teachers share responsibilities" that the Hanoi Department of Education and Training is implementing, aiming to share teaching and management experiences between inner-city and suburban schools, contributing to improving the quality of education , including English.

In parallel, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has organized training courses to improve the qualifications of domestic and international English teachers. In 2024, 1,900 teachers participated in the international IELTS training course. In addition to 400 official lessons, students also received professional support from a group of teachers who had participated in previous training courses.

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has also trained English and teaching methods for teachers of Math, Science , Physics, Chemistry, and Information Technology according to the Cambridge dual-degree program for about 500 teachers. After being trained, the teachers have the capacity to teach subjects in English according to the Cambridge dual-degree standard - a model that is being effectively implemented in many high schools in Hanoi.

Mr. Tran The Cuong - Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, said that the department has established core clubs, including the English Club which operates very effectively. Teachers who have met foreign language standards have been trained abroad and participated in professional activities to help teachers in disadvantaged areas, improve their foreign language skills, and meet current teaching needs.

Recently, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City surveyed the English proficiency of about 47,000 public teachers from primary to high school. The survey aimed to collect real data, build a comprehensive view of foreign language proficiency in the education sector, and from there, orient appropriate development strategies.

Training and surveying English proficiency among teachers is necessary, helping to build a database for the development of public education in the future. In the integration trend, English is an important tool, so improving the quality of teaching is a basic requirement for the young generation to master this foreign language.

Photo illustration INT.

Leading the teaching trend

Implementing Resolution 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development, the Ministry of Education and Training is drafting the Project "Gradually making English the second language in schools", with the general goal of English being widely and regularly used in communication, study, research, and work; at the same time, improving the competitiveness of human resources in the new era.

The project aims to make English the second language in the education system by 2045, widely used in teaching, management and educational activities. The implementation roadmap is divided into three phases (2025 - 2030, 2030 - 2040, 2040 - 2045) with a set of 7 assessment criteria for each level of education.

Key tasks include: Raising social awareness; perfecting mechanisms and policies; developing teaching staff; building programs and learning materials; innovating exams, tests and assessments; applying technology and artificial intelligence; enhancing international cooperation and socialization; promoting emulation and rewards.

According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, the project is expected to be implemented in the entire education system with nearly 50,000 establishments, about 30 million students and 1 million officials and teachers. Of which, it is necessary to add about 12,000 preschool English teachers, nearly 10,000 primary school teachers, and at the same time train at least 200,000 teachers capable of teaching in English by 2030.

Resources for implementation include the State budget and the participation and contributions of businesses, organizations and individuals. The Ministry of Education and Training affirmed that the success of the project requires social consensus and persistent implementation for 20 years, aiming to improve national competitiveness and deep international integration.

Ms. Tran Thi Huyen - Acting Director of the Department of Education and Training of Can Tho, commented that making English the second language is a major policy, receiving high consensus, but when implemented, there will be difficulties in the uneven teaching staff between regions, especially at the preschool level, when there are not enough resources to add one teacher per school. In addition, preferential allowances for teachers in difficult areas must also be taken into account.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that no subject is as interested as English. Previously, the State had many policies to invest in foreign languages ​​but they were not implemented synchronously and drastically as in the spirit of Resolution 71. To implement the project, Ho Chi Minh City has many advantages, but also faces difficulties, especially in terms of teaching staff.

Therefore, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City recommends that pedagogical schools research and train teachers who are teaching Math and Science to approach English. Students studying these majors will enjoy the same treatment as students in the gifted class. Teachers who are qualified for the foreign language test will be recognized as talented students who have graduated with excellent grades.

Evaluating the carefully prepared draft project, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Son - Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, commented that the implementation roadmap is appropriate, has calculated regional characteristics and many scenarios. Training and development is completely feasible because current human resources and technology can meet the requirements if organized and exploited properly.

To gradually make English a second language, improving the quality of teaching is a big challenge. The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has determined: The most important condition is to improve the quality of the teaching staff, because if you want good students, good teachers are required.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/tieng-anh-thanh-ngon-ngu-thu-hai-cuoc-cach-mang-tu-doi-ngu-post753950.html