Step by step to make English the second language in schools

On February 20-21, the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences in collaboration with the Management Board of the National Foreign Language Project and the British Council organized the Seminar "Teaching and learning foreign languages: Gradually making English the second language in schools".

Seminar scene

The seminar was attended by 140 in-person delegates and 50 online delegates, including: representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training, international organizations in Vietnam, representatives of a number of Departments of Education and Training, researchers, policy makers, education managers, lecturers and teachers.

The workshop aimed to assess the context of foreign language teaching and learning in Vietnam, identify gaps and opportunities, focusing on three areas: student achievement, teacher quality and English in education; gather stakeholder opinions on the priorities and feasibility of policy recommendations; and encourage stakeholder participation in the policy development and change process.

Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences , said: The seminar "Teaching and learning foreign languages: Gradually making English the second language in schools" was held in the context of improving foreign language proficiency for students and gradually making English the second language in schools is one of the key tasks set forth by the Politburo in Conclusion No. 91-KL/TW.

Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh, Director of Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, spoke at the seminar.

Conclusion No. 91-KT/TW clearly states: "Focus on improving foreign language skills of students, gradually making English the second language in schools...". The plan of tasks and key solutions for the 2024-2025 school year of the Education sector also sets out the requirement: "Research and develop projects and plans to gradually make English the second language in schools".

“Improving students’ foreign language proficiency is not only an educational task but also an important strategy to promote the country’s sustainable development. In particular, using foreign languages ​​as a means of teaching in different subjects not only helps improve the quality of education, but also helps students practice multidimensional thinking, flexibility and readiness to adapt to new challenges,” said Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh.

Recognizing that this is a difficult task that cannot be done quickly, but to achieve the expected goal, Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh said that we must set out a clear plan and have a specific roadmap. Each educational institution needs to have a plan to incorporate English into the school's curriculum, so that English becomes an educational tool, making English a second language at a certain level.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Huu, Head of the National Foreign Language Project Management Board, Ministry of Education and Training, shared at the seminar.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Huu, Head of the National Foreign Language Project Management Board, Ministry of Education and Training, policies related to foreign language development are an urgent need for all schools from primary to university. With different starting points of each educational institution, with many difficulties, but to achieve the goal of making English the second language in schools, it is necessary to prepare steps to make it a reality in the future. Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Huu hopes that through the discussion, many opinions and contributions from relevant parties will be received to effectively implement the following activities.

On the first day, with an overview of the achievements and challenges of English teaching and learning in Vietnam, delegates at the seminar had in-depth discussions on student learning outcomes, teacher quality and the implementation of teaching subjects in English. Lecturers, teachers, managers, researchers, policy makers and international organizations reported on the current situation, had open dialogues on priorities and challenges, and discussed in-depth policy recommendations.

Delegates attending the seminar

Many experts believe that in order to make English the second language in schools, there needs to be a certain roadmap, a complete legal basis, with specific projects, focusing on improving both the quantity and quality of the teaching staff.

The assessments and recommendations at the seminar will effectively contribute to the roadmap for developing English education in Vietnam in the period 2026-2030, improving the quality of foreign language teaching and learning, meeting the requirements of international integration and sustainable development.

Source: https://moet.gov.vn/tintuc/Pages/tin-tong-hop.aspx?ItemID=10315