HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam needs a school-specific roadmap to make English a second language, with implementation taking into account teaching capacity, language-use environments and regional differences, experts said.
The issue was discussed at the 17th International Conference on TESOL in Ho Chi Minh City on August 10 and 11, jointly organised by SEAMEO RETRAC and Curtin University, Australia.
More than 150 speakers, researchers, lecturers, teachers, postgraduate students and education managers from Vietnam and other countries attended the two-day conference, which focused on English language teaching in the digital era.
Dr Nguyen Thi Mai Huu, director of the National Foreign Languages Project under Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, said the first step was to establish a clear understanding of what making English a second language in schools would mean, as reported by Tuoi Tre News.
Vietnam does not yet have a community environment where English is widely used as a second language, she said, adding that the immediate goal should instead be to gradually expand English use within the education system.
“This does not mean that 100 percent of activities at schools must be conducted in English,” Huu stressed.
She said the policy should progress along three main areas, namely improving the quality of English teaching, gradually introducing English as a medium of instruction where conditions allow, and expanding its use in communication, educational materials and academic activities.
Schools with sufficient resources could introduce bilingual programmes or content-and-language integrated learning, while schools with fewer resources could focus first on strengthening English teaching before gradually expanding the use of the language.
Huu said teacher development would be another key factor, with English teachers needing to improve both their language proficiency and teaching methods, including their ability to apply technology.
Teachers of other subjects would also need to develop the ability to use English in their respective fields, although shortages remain a major challenge in some parts of the country.
“In some remote and isolated areas, the demand for English teachers remains very high, let alone teachers of other subjects who are capable of teaching in English,” Huu said.
She also called for continued reforms in testing and assessment so that results could be used to support students' learning progress rather than simply measure outcomes.
“We need to promote assessment for learners’ progress, rather than simply assess learning outcomes,” Huu said.
Technology, meanwhile, is expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting both English teachers and students.
Huu noted that teachers had already gained experience using technology during the Covid-19 pandemic, when education shifted significantly towards online platforms.
“Today, digital technology and AI are continuing to open up new possibilities for supporting English language teaching and teacher development,” she said.
Le Thi Thuy Duong, director of SEAMEO RETRAC, said advances in AI, digital technology and new learning environments were changing how foreign languages were taught and learned.
She said the changes required educators to reconsider teaching methods, assessment practices and approaches to teacher development.
However, Duong stressed that technology should remain a tool to support educators rather than replace them, as teachers continue to play an important role in motivating and guiding students.
AI can provide information, she said, while teachers remain essential in helping learners develop critical thinking, communicate confidently and achieve personal growth.
