Three educational levels, three targets
The title of the project clearly defines its purpose: “Introducing English as a second language in schools” to improve English proficiency for children, pupils and students; contributing to developing Vietnamese people in the era of science, technology and the digital age, and promoting international integration.
Besides the target of becoming a second language, the project also aims to expand the regular, effective use of English in educational activities in schools; form an ecosystem for English usage in educational institutions with increasing levels. For pre-school education, the target is to help children experience and become familiar with English, moving towards forming and developing communication abilities as well as preparation for learning English at the general education level.
For general education, the project’s target is to help pupils form and develop abilities and skills in using English to develop thinking, qualities, and competences in learning subjects, educational activities, exchange and experience both inside and outside school. For higher education, the project targets building an effective environment for the use of English in teaching modules, and credits in training programmes; and in training and fostering teachers and lecturers.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the project will be applied in all educational and training institutions, affecting about 50,000 educational institutions with nearly 30 million children, pupils and students and about one million managers and teachers at all levels and sectors. The implementation period is 20 years (from 2025 to 2045), with three main phases. Phase 1 (2025–2030) focuses on building and standardising a solid foundation for English to be used regularly and systematically in educational environment. Phase 2 (2030–2035) expands and intensifies more regular English use. Phase 3 (2035–2045) perfects and improves English use naturally, developing an English-using ecosystem in educational environments, communication and school governance.
Preparing good conditions in line with localities
In practice, English teaching and learning in recent years show that pupils in favourable and urban areas have good learning conditions and English-using ability. However, in some rural areas of Bac Ninh Province, the teaching and learning of English still face difficulties and limitations.
According to teacher Ngo Quang Khai, Principal of Yen Dung High School No.3 (Canh Thuy Ward), one of the school’s biggest concerns is the limited results in English teaching and learning, as most pupils live in rural areas with little contact with and limited early investment in English learning.
At the 2025 High School Graduation Examination, the school had only 84 candidates registered for English, with an average score of 4.98, compared with the provincial average score of 5.28. Therefore, the school is urgently renewing teaching and assessment methods; strengthening pupils’ communication skills; applying differentiated teaching for each group of students; fostering teachers; and encouraging the use of English in school announcements, bulletin boards, group activities and break-time activities.
Teacher Tong Thi Minh Loan, Vice Principal of Dong Phuong Primary School B (Yen Tu Ward, Quang Ninh Province), said that apart from implementing various solutions, teachers now communicate entirely in English during lessons; teach all four skills — listening, speaking, reading and writing, especially listening and speaking, create opportunities for students to practice after each lesson, thereby improving the subject’s quality.
To effectively implement the project approved by the Prime Minister, the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ninh Province has directed educational institutions to improve the quality of foreign language teaching, especially English; and better prepare the necessary conditions to gradually introduce English as a second language in educational institutions.
Luong Van Viet, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Hai Phong City, said the education sector of Hai Phong City has implemented many solutions; gradually built a learning environment using English as a second language; and encouraged educational institutions to implement bilingual programmes and collaborate with foreign teachers in English teaching, suitable with local conditions.
According to Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ninh Binh Province, the locality is carrying out an English familiarisation programme for students at Grade 1 and Grade 2 (two periods per week on a voluntary basis); continuing to implement the project on enhancing English teaching with foreign teachers at some schools (in the former Nam Dinh Province); and encouraging schools to organise connected learning sessions with schools inside and outside the Province and abroad. For higher educational levels, the locality continues implementing plans to improve English teaching and learning quality through English clubs at school level, and organising foreign language festivals such as Halloween and English eloquence contests at school and cluster levels.
