UK helps Vietnam fulfill national target for English proficiency by 2025

The British Council has launched a new round of UK-Vietnam partnership to continue exploring a more inclusive and accessible approach to the provision of English language teaching and learning in Vietnam post Covid-19.

The move called “UK-Vietnam: Partners in Innovation 2022” continues strengthening the partnership in research and professional development for English teachers in 2022-2023 and a vision until 2024-2025. 

Kids in an English lesson at the British Council Vietnam. Photos: British Council Vietnam

It contributes to supporting Vietnam’s National Foreign Languages Project (NFLP) in which Vietnam targets that all graduates meet English proficiency requirements by 2025.

The partnership between the British Council and the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) since 2000 has provided a wide variety of projects and programs to improve the standard of English language teaching, learning, and assessment in state primary and secondary schools, universities, and vocational training institutions throughout the country.

English Language Teaching (ELT) development in support of NFLP’s 2025 Strategy includes research and insight, engaging with stakeholders in both Vietnam and the UK, capacity building and continuing professional development, curriculum, and resources and assessment. 

Through this strategic collaboration, the British Council seeks to partner with representatives from both the UK and Vietnam ELT sectors to identify, pursue, and implement various large-scale activities related to reforming English in formal education. The cooperation supports NFLP’s priority to improve the quality of foreign language teaching and learning, where UK ELT sector expertise and experience are well placed to help.

As the UK’s International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith said at the launch of the “UK-Vietnam: Partners in Innovation 2022” held in late April that the UK has a longstanding commitment to supporting the ambitions of Vietnam to raise proficiency in English language, drawing on the expertise and experience of the UK’s world-leading ELT sector.

Addressing the event, Assoc. Prof. Pham Quang Hung, head of MoET’s Department of International Cooperation, said NFLP and British Council Vietnam will continue effective and right-tracked cooperation to ensure effectiveness of Vietnam’s short-term activities in 2021-2022 and positive impacts of the teaching and learning English long-term plans in Vietnam.

English teaching at the British Council Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the British Council Director Vietnam, Donna McGowan, said the lessons learned [from cooperation over many years] could benefit not only the new projects but also the wider Vietnamese education system in terms of research, collaboration, professional development and continued engagement to enhance the teaching, learning and assessment of English in Vietnam.

She said the championing of educational technologies, digital resources, and online teaching reaches more areas in Vietnam

The cooperation 2022 covers three fields namely celebrating Digital Learning Innovation Fund (DLIF) projects 2021-22, launching Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) 2022-23, and launching Research Projects.

McGowan said these projects not only continue the legacy of UK-Vietnam collaboration and expertise but will also showcase the ways in which professional teacher development can be delivered remotely through online modes.

In 2017, the Government of Vietnam approved the revised NFLP for the 2017-2025 period with an aim to boost English teaching and learning from kindergarten and in society.