Building an effective foundation for children to conquer IELTS from middle school onwards.

More and more families are exposing their children to English from an early age, hoping to give them an early advantage when applying to higher education institutions, studying abroad, or entering the workforce. However, many wonder: Will learning IELTS early put pressure on children? How should we build a foundation for elementary school children?

The process needs to be well-coordinated, and the methods appropriate.

The Starters, Movers, and Flyers classes at DOL English are always full of fun and laughter - Photo: V.SAN

At a recent online exchange in Ho Chi Minh City titled "How to Prepare for Major IELTS Exams?", Dr. Do Huu Nguyen Loc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for English Language Research and Teaching, stated: "To evaluate the effectiveness of an English learning method for children, parents can rely on three main criteria: whether the method is suitable for the child's age (learning through images, games, communicative activities, and familiar situations...); whether the child has the opportunity to listen, speak, and express themselves in English; and finally, whether the child is more confident, makes progress, and has a more positive attitude towards learning."

Speaking about the benefits of mastering English at an early age, Dr. Nguyen Loc said that firstly, children will have an additional "frame of reference," a more diverse range of experiences to view the world around them. This is very important for the development of thinking skills and flexibility in young children.

According to PhD candidate Ha Dang Nhu Quynh – academic director at DOL English and a 9.0 IELTS scorer, who graduated second in the English Pedagogy program (Ho Chi Minh City University of Education) – it is essential to have a foundational learning path before children start studying for the IELTS exam.

“ For example, at DOL English, children take a placement test to enter the Starters, Movers, and Flyers programs before transitioning to IELTS. The curriculum at DOL has distinct differences, such as being designed based on the Linearthinking method. Students don't learn knowledge in a fragmented way, but are guided to systematize their knowledge in a logical manner,” said NCS Nhu Quynh.

After completing the Starters, Movers, and Flyers levels, children have a sufficient vocabulary, grammar, and communicative sentence structure to describe familiar things around them and everyday situations. According to NCS Nhu Quynh, upon completing these steps and moving on to the IELTS Middle School stage, children will begin to approach broader, more academic topics. “With the Linearthinking method at DOL English, children not only learn English but also gain additional social knowledge, expressive thinking, critical thinking, and the ability to understand issues at a deeper level,” she stated.

A program by Vietnamese people, designed specifically for Vietnamese people.

TESOL Master's student Tran Anh Khoa, PhD candidate Ha Dang Nhu Quynh, and teacher Tran Thien Minh (from left to right) at DOL English all achieved an IELTS score of 9.0, graduating as valedictorians from the English Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities… - Photo: V.SAN.

Sharing about the Starters, Movers, and Flyers programs at DOL English, Ms. Nhu Quynh said that this is the result of 4 years of research, compilation, and development by a team of individuals who are former students of the High School for the Gifted (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted in Ho Chi Minh City, etc.

“Because we are Vietnamese, we understand the psychology, learning characteristics, and common mistakes of Vietnamese children, which allows us to design content that is more relatable, appropriate, and engaging for them. This not only makes the Kids and IELTS Middle School programs academically effective but also sparks a passion for learning English in children. DOL also has a modern technology system combined with Artificial Intelligence so children can practice anytime, anywhere,” she explained.

In addition, NCS Nhu Quynh stated that teachers at DOL English must have accurate pronunciation because it is very difficult to correct incorrect pronunciation in children from a young age. Furthermore, to minimize costs and time for both parents and children, the Starters, Movers, and Flyers programs are designed to be streamlined and affordable (under 3 million VND/month).

“ I did some research and found that the Linearthinking method at DOL English is highly effective. Many elementary and middle school students not only achieve high English scores but also show great enthusiasm for learning a foreign language. That’s why I decided to enroll my daughter here,” shared Dr. Nguyen Loc.

Similarly, Pham Vu Thien Di, a 12-year-old student in the 6th grade at Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (Ho Chi Minh City), said that her English skills have improved significantly after studying at DOL English. "Before, I used to get confused when reading long texts or writing complex sentences, but since learning the Linearthinking method, I can do it faster and more accurately, which has made me more interested and confident in learning English," Thien Di said.

Speaking about her reasons for starting to study IELTS at a young age, Thien Di said she wanted to focus on mastering English early so that she would have time to improve other skills.

Thanks to the Linearthinking method, many primary and secondary school students achieve high IELTS scores early on - Photo: V.SAN.

It is known that since December 2025, the Prime Minister has approved the Project to make English the second language in schools for the period 2025 - 2035, with a vision to 2045.

Meanwhile, some localities are gradually raising English proficiency standards for children. Most recently, the Hanoi People's Committee issued new regulations on foreign languages. Specifically, students in high-quality secondary and high schools must achieve a foreign language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 4.0-6.5.

The IELTS program for junior high school students at DOL Dinh Luc is designed specifically for junior high school students (or 4th or 5th graders with a Flyers certificate).

With its exclusive Linearthinking method, the Linearsystem technology developed by DOL, and a team of experienced line instructors, DOL is currently one of the most reputable and prominent English language training centers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Find detailed information about the IELTS middle school curriculum at DOL here.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/xay-nen-hieu-qua-de-tre-chinh-phuc-ielts-tu-thcs-post1846342.tpo