English as a Second Language in Schools: Are Teachers Responding?

TPO - The Ministry of Education and Training has completed the draft and submitted it to the Prime Minister for approval of the Project to make English the second language in schools for the period 2025-2035, with a vision to 2045. To implement it, the problem is that there must be a team of teachers with sufficient qualifications and capacity to teach English in schools.

English average score is always low

Making English a second language in schools means that English becomes the language of communication and instruction in schools. Then all teachers can teach in English.

Meanwhile, for a long time, the implementation of English teaching in high schools has encountered many difficulties, the results of high school graduation exams and English scores of students are always low compared to other subjects. Students learn foreign languages ​​but mainly for the purpose of testing and exams, so communication is difficult.

Mr. Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Teachers and Educational Managers ( Ministry of Education and Training ) said that the Ministry of Education and Training has completed the draft and submitted it to the Prime Minister for approval of the Project to make English the second language in schools for the period 2025-2035, with a vision to 2045.

After the Project is approved, the Ministry of Education and Training will develop a plan to organize and implement it each year from 2026 to 2030.

Many schools bring in foreign teachers to teach English to students.

Mr. Tuan Anh affirmed that to carry out this task, the teaching staff is the key factor, so the training and development of English for teachers needs to be given due attention. In which, the application of technology and artificial intelligence is one of the key solutions.

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training has developed documents and prepared training for core teachers on artificial intelligence applications with specialized topics and coordinated with the Management Board of the National Foreign Language Project to organize training for teachers through a digital learning resource warehouse.

Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City said that, in reality, the teaching and learning of English in schools is still implemented as a subject. We need to change our thinking, awareness and implement the teaching and learning of English as a language.

Therefore, making English the second language in schools needs to be done systematically and systematically, and requires accompanying teacher conditions.

“For teachers in particular, it is necessary to set clear and specific criteria when implementing. When meeting these criteria and conditions, teachers can enjoy special benefits and policies,” said Mr. Minh.

It is known that recently, most schools in Ho Chi Minh City have English libraries and organize English festival activities. The city has also built English learning materials warehouses, applied AI in teaching, helping students develop good performance skills through technology platforms.

Along with that, the City has implemented a project to diversify English in schools by teaching Math, English, and Science to 100% foreigners. Currently, the locality has 68 schools that have implemented this project.

Do not overload teachers and students

However, for disadvantaged localities, implementing effective English teaching according to the general education program is also a challenge.

A representative of the Department of Education and Training said that for the project to be implemented effectively, localities need to have three good qualities: teachers with good capacity, students with good awareness and a good learning environment. In which, the level of the teaching staff plays a decisive role in success or failure. To implement the project, the first thing is to retrain the staff, which requires time and an implementation plan.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong shared that to make English the second language in schools, the first thing is to focus on developing and improving the capacity of the teaching staff. Only good teachers, teachers who are fluent in English can teach students to use it, and only then can a quality human resource be built. That is, to change the method of teaching and learning foreign languages ​​in general and English in particular.

According to Mr. Thuong, through research, for a long time the English teaching model in Vietnam has been like teaching a foreign language, a subject, not teaching and learning a language. The requirement when teaching English is to develop 4 skills: listening - speaking - reading - writing. In the teaching process, it is necessary to combine testing, checking, evaluating, ensuring output; increasing the application of information technology, applying artificial intelligence, international cooperation in teaching and learning English...

Regarding digital transformation, the application of artificial intelligence and the introduction of English as a second language in schools, the Deputy Minister of Education and Training said that there needs to be a combination and coordination between the state, schools and businesses in policies. Educational breakthroughs here are also breakthroughs in thinking and perception in relationships. Educational activities are not only the responsibility of each education sector but also of the entire political system and society.

However, in the process of coordination, teachers and students must not be overloaded. “This requirement is for businesses, educational institutions and the Ministry of Education and Training. If we do not do it carefully, we will lose all our aspirations to contribute and our responsibility to society,” said the Deputy Minister.

The Ministry of Education and Training determined that to implement the project, it is necessary to add about 12,000 teachers to teach English at preschool level, nearly 10,000 primary school teachers, and at the same time train at least 200,000 teachers capable of teaching in English by 2030.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/dua-tieng-anh-tro-thanh-ngon-ngu-thu-hai-trong-truong-hoc-doi-ngu-giao-vien-co-dap-ung-post1784078.tpo