The fact that foreign languages are no longer a compulsory subject in the high school graduation exam from 2025, and that more universities are using international certificates, such as IELTS, as admission criteria, has made the IELTS preparation market increasingly vibrant. Not limited to English centers or private schools, many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City are now joining the "race" to teach IELTS at affordable costs, but only for students in the new general education program.
It attracts many students.
At Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), 10th and 11th grade students currently have 8 English lessons. Of these, 5 lessons follow the new general education curriculum. The remaining 3 lessons include one IELTS preparation session with a school teacher and two sessions with a native speaker. "The school teachers mainly teach grammar and vocabulary, while the native speakers focus on speaking and writing skills," shared Nguyen Thi Thanh My, a student in class 11A12.
Most schools organize English classes with native speakers.
One unique aspect, according to the US, is that the IELTS classes use a separate book called Complete IELTS Bands 5-6.5 and also include passing and failing tests, similar to physical education. The test structure and time allocation are similar to the actual exam, covering four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and are conducted over several consecutive classes. For example, students complete the writing section over two days. Similarly, in the speaking section, each student receives direct instruction from a native-speaking teacher.
Currently preparing for the IELTS exam at a center, My assessed that what was taught in class was mostly nothing new, but useful for those who had never encountered the exam before. "Studying is mandatory; even students who score 7.5 or 8.0 on the IELTS exam aren't exempt. But the school doesn't charge extra for IELTS classes; they only charge 210,000 VND per month for the enhanced English sessions with native English teachers, as agreed upon with parents at the beginning of the year," the female student said.
"Most of us support teaching IELTS in school because it allows us to familiarize ourselves with the exam without the high costs of studying at a center, and it fits the context of university admissions as more and more schools are opening up admission methods that combine foreign language certificates. IELTS classes in school are also serious and interactive, not just for show," My added.
Ha Duc Cuong, a student in class 11A5 at Tran Khai Nguyen High School (District 5), said that the school doesn't teach IELTS during regular class hours, but offers after-school classes for students who voluntarily register, with tuition fees varying depending on their desired score, ranging from a few million dong. "This activity attracts a large number of students and helps them improve their test-taking techniques significantly," the male student, who is currently studying at a test preparation center, commented.
According to Cuong, many centers only know how to promote themselves through gimmicks and cannot help students achieve the results they promise. Therefore, studying IELTS in school offers many advantages. "Firstly, the information is transparent and reputable. Secondly, families can cooperate with the school to monitor and discuss their child's academic results. Finally, studying in a familiar environment helps students adapt more easily," Cuong commented.
N. LIMITATIONS
Surveys of students from several schools in the city revealed that many students stated that teachers at their schools do not teach IELTS classes; this task is handled by foreign teachers or affiliated centers.
P., a 10th-grade student at Nguyen Huu Tho High School (District 4), said she is learning IELTS speaking skills in native-speaking classes, twice a week. "The teacher corrects my pronunciation and teaches me how to develop ideas so I can speak at length without stumbling," P. said.
However, P. said that only a few students actually studied, a small fraction of the nearly 50-person class. For the rest, the foreign teacher bluntly said, "Do whatever you want, as long as you don't make any noise." "I was among those who wanted to learn, so I frequently interacted with the teacher. This helped me communicate better and more systematically. This was also my first time encountering IELTS because I hadn't intended to take the exam," the male student recounted.
Meanwhile, at Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School (District 1), DH, a student in a specialized class, said that teachers at the school will teach 4 English lessons according to the general education curriculum for specialized classes (except for the English specialization). Simultaneously, Vietnamese teachers from outside the school will come to teach IELTS for about 3 lessons, using the book "Mindset for IELTS " as the teaching material.
DH further stated that IELTS classes are included in the Monday-to-Friday timetable, are considered mandatory, and exemptions cannot be requested even if a high IELTS score has been achieved. The school also does not charge additional fees for IELTS instruction.
Having previously prepared for the IELTS exam, DH found the school's classes to have many shortcomings, not only in terms of the teachers. For example, the school doesn't divide classes by level, forcing those who have already studied IELTS to listen to old material, leading to wasted time. Classes are short and spread across many skills. Furthermore, the curriculum is quite basic, unclear, and lacks challenging exercises like those in the official exam...
"I was quite surprised to be given IELTS preparation courses at school for the first time, and it also shows the necessity of preparing for the certificate nowadays. However, since all students are required to study, I hope the school will have more measures to overcome the limitations," DH expressed.
Many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City offer IELTS courses as part of their curriculum.
WHY TEACH IELTS IN SCHOOLS?
Mr. Nguyen Van Ba, Vice Principal of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School, said that the school has been teaching IELTS for the past two years, applying it to grades currently studying the new curriculum. The aim is to further develop English communication skills and prepare students to compete for admission to universities both domestically and internationally, especially in the context of an increasing number of international schools offering direct admission to Vietnamese students.
"Many of our teachers have experience in preparing students for the IELTS exam and often take the exam themselves to understand the exam trends in recent years. The school also invites native English speakers to teach to improve students' listening and speaking skills. We also regularly make adjustments to the content, teaching methods, and teachers after listening to feedback from students to continuously improve the program," Mr. Ba shared.
A high school teacher explained that the reason for not teaching IELTS to 12th-grade students under the old curriculum was due to insufficient class time. This is because students now have to study all subjects, instead of just a few subjects in the combination like 10th and 11th-grade students under the new curriculum. "Another reason is that the new curriculum focuses on developing students' communication skills through the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This is also the assessment goal of the IELTS exam and other international certificates," the teacher added.
The school teaches international certifications; the school only teaches communication skills.
A leader from the High School for the Gifted (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) stated that at the beginning of the school year, the school conducts a survey of English proficiency for all students. Based on this, they implement appropriate policies to support specific groups of students.
According to the school's leadership, since May 2023, the High School for the Gifted has been approved by the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City to pilot the organization of the AP (Advanced Placement Test) international certificate exam in collaboration with the College Board. In addition, the school also collaborates with other educational institutions to organize classes to improve SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) test-taking skills, and review classes for foreign language certificate exams such as IELTS, Japanese, and German.
According to school leaders, these supplementary skill-building activities are designed to meet students' needs, providing them with convenient learning conditions at subsidized tuition fees.
Meanwhile, Ms. Pham Thi Be Hien, Principal of Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted (Ho Chi Minh City), said that students in specialized English classes and non-specialized classes follow the curriculum of the Ministry of Education and Training, while the school implements a communicative English program for specialized classes in Chinese, French, Japanese, etc., with a daily timetable designed to be as convenient as possible for students.
Bich Thanh
What does the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training say?
Regarding the fact that some high schools are implementing international foreign language certification programs in their curricula, a leader from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training stated that schools provide educational services with the goal of adhering to the 2018 General Education Program. Furthermore, the unique characteristic of Ho Chi Minh City's education system is training high-quality, highly competitive human resources for the city and the southern region, so school programs are designed to closely approximate and align with international standards. Simultaneously, the city has foreign language and computer science projects with specific output standards, which schools strive to implement. Therefore, if school programs are implemented effectively, with the consensus of parents and the active participation of students, they will achieve a "dual objective."
Bich Thanh
The average IELTS Academic score in Vietnam in 2022 was 6.2, lower than the world average of 6.3.
99% of Vietnamese people scored 4.0 or higher, only a few achieved a perfect score of 9.0, while the majority (22%) scored around 6.0.
The target group for IELTS preparation is getting younger, mainly consisting of high school and university students aged 16-22.
According to a survey by the British Council,
IDP Education and Cambridge Assessment English
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