Vietnam has opened itself to foreign teachers in the past 5 years.
Expanding needs
Vietnam has come a long way since its last war with China ended in 1989. It went from being one of the world’s poorest nations to a country undergoing rapid economic development.
Today, you can see young people glued to their smartphones and skyscrapers going up at an astronomical pace. With all of these changes, the demand for English-language education has kept up with economic expansion.
The level of bilingualism in Vietnam is incredibly low. Only two per cent of the population knows English, and most of these live in the southern half of the country. It was only a few years ago that English-language education became mandatory in all public schools, and knowledge of English has become tied to the government’s economic development plan.
My classes
Class sizes are huge in Vietnam. I teach classes that average 45 students, so only a few students really remember or even understand most of my lessons. Parents are aware of this, and the few who can afford it send their children to night classes.
Having taught some night classes as well, I have seen the direct benefits of smaller class sizes and notice the difference in my public school classrooms—it is very obvious which students take private English lessons.
That said, Vietnamese children can be incredibly dynamic ESL learners. I will never forget the enthusiastic 7-year-old kid with a lisp who had trouble pronouncing the “TH” sound. He would be the first to run up to the front of the class, stick his tongue out as far as possible, clench it with his teeth, then bare his teeth, and spray spittle as he tried in vain to pronounce the “TH” sound. I had to create a 2-meter perimeter around him! It took a couple of months of concerted pronunciation exercises before this incredible boy managed to pronounce the target sound correctly, but it would not have been possible without his enthusiasm for learning English.
English as the official language
The Vietnamese government is betting heavily that the next generation will be bilingual. With 70% of the population aged 35 and under, it subsidizes English-language programs at the university level as well.
In 2016, the government set an ambitious goal of making English the second language in all 61 universities across the country. It encouraged universities to modernize their English-language programs to meet ASEAN standards, and mandated that presentations be given in English.
In November 2018, Nguyen Manh Hung, Vietnam’s Information Minister, said that English should become Vietnam’s second official language. He argued that this was needed to compete in an increasingly globalized world, and that the initiative should be coupled with robust public education reform.
His remarks have spurred a vibrant public response regarding the feasibility and real-world application of the idea. Hoang Huong, a journalist and deputy director of the Institute for Studies of Society, Economics and Environment, explained:
The problem is that the demands and capabilities of a small group in society are becoming the burden of the rest of the majority. Learning English and being "global" has become the specialty of the rich, but is draining less-advantaged groups. How many families can afford to spend a fortune on their children's English education? For most working class people with a modest income in the city and rural workers whose incomes are still below-average, how many people can access this "global" that is becoming a trend?
Debates around English-language education will likely continue for many years in Vietnam.
What do you think about these debates? Should your government reform English-language education in public schools and universities?
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glued to their smartphones [idiom]—to continue looking at a device for a long time.
astronomical /ˌAS-trə-NOM-i-cəl/ [adjective]—stronger than amazing, and used for pace or numbers.
bilingualism /bai-LIN-gwəl-iz-əm/ [noun]—having two languages.
mandatory /MAN-da-tor-ee/ [noun]—required or needed.
That said [transition phrase]—this means "however" or similar but is used for more complex topics. Take a look at our Transitions Course Lesson 14 for more transition phrases.
subsidizes /SUB-sə-dai-ziz/ [verb]—when a government pays or gives money to support something.
spittle /SPI-t'l/ [noun]—the saliva (liquid) in your mouth that can be spit out or spray out
robust /ro-BUST/ [adjective]—strong and healthy, often used for plans.