In an effort to improve the language skills of university students, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha has urged universities to make English the second language on campus.
As part of this new initiative, according to Vietnam Economic Times, students will be required to use English for all class activities such as presentations and discussions. Moreover, university staff are also required to conduct meetings in English.
Earlier this month, during a meeting with higher education directors, Deputy Head of the Vietnam College and University Association Pham Quang Trung told VietnamNet that the association was deliberating a proposal to push for 80% of university programs to be taught in English.
Throughout the years, many local education experts have identified the shortcomings of Vietnam’s teaching methods when it comes to foreign language, especially English. These include an imbalanced emphasis on grammar and reading comprehension while speaking and listening skills are neglected.
Though the call for increased English usage on Vietnam’s campuses was only announced this year, some universities have already been doing it for a while. The HCMC University of Social Sciences started teaching various majors in English as early as 2014.
[Photo via Cong An Nhan Dan]
