This policy is considered appropriate by many teachers and experts, however, many people also expressed concerns because they think that the rate of teachers in schools who are fluent in English is very low - a big challenge when implementing this policy.
Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu - Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School (District 1), Ho Chi Minh City - expressed his joy and said that the policy of making English the second language in schools is correct and in line with the trend.
According to Mr. Phu, Ho Chi Minh City has many advantages to implement the above policy, in which, the fact that students are able to learn and be exposed to English from an early age is a huge advantage and so far the rate of students who are fluent in English in Ho Chi Minh City is quite large.The evidence is that for many consecutive years, in the high school graduation exam, Ho Chi Minh City has continuously been the locality with the highest average score in English in the country.
However, Mr. Phu said that the big obstacle when implementing the above policy is that the rate of teachers who are fluent in English in schools is currently quite low."I think that to successfully implement the above policy, the education sector needs to continuously improve teachers' English proficiency, organize concentrated and regular study so that teachers can achieve the required level," Mr. Phu said.
Ms. Thuc Anh (name changed), a teacher at another secondary school in District 1, said that at the school where she teaches, only about 10% of teachers can communicate fluently in English."All teachers have full English degrees and certificates as required.However, the lack of use over a long period of time has caused teachers to "forget" and no longer be able to use English fluently," this teacher said.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Ngai - former Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, to implement the above policy, there needs to be coordination between many related agencies, between schools and parents for consistency and unity.“In the beginning, when implementing, there will certainly be certain difficulties, therefore, we must have a clear direction, do it selectively and not apply it widely.In particular, the human factor (teachers) will be an important factor.Ho Chi Minh City needs to re-evaluate, see how the current teaching staff is and have appropriate investment.The implementation process will be done while learning from experience,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Ngai.
According to Mr. Ho Tan Minh - Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, to make English the second language in schools in Ho Chi Minh City, there needs to be a comprehensive plan based on technology suitable to actual conditions.In particular, Mr. Minh emphasized, Ho Chi Minh City needs to implement integrated programs, applying integrated methods supported by digital content that allows students to learn English naturally through other subjects.
In addition, it is necessary to focus on teacher training and professional development, because teachers play a key and important role.It is necessary to participate in organizing educational activities with international elements.Organize online cultural exchange programs with schools in English-speaking countries, encourage students to participate in international competitions, organize international competitions with the participation of students and countries in the region, thereby helping students gradually get used to using English in the learning environment.
"We also need to deploy an assessment framework, develop standards to recognize the progress and effectiveness of making English the second language in schools.At the same time, there needs to be policy and financial support from the government, this will be a factor for the plan to be implemented effectively and sustainably," Mr. Minh shared.
