Improving teaching and learning foreign languages, especially English, is one of the main tasks in education and training in the 2019 – 2020 school year...
Improving teaching and learning foreign languages, especially English, is one of the main tasks in education and training in the 2019 – 2020 school year.
Challenges
The expenditure for the project on teaching and learning foreign languages in Khanh Hoa till 2020 is VND77.3 billion, pursuant to Decision 2392 in 2013 by Khanh Hoa People’s Committee. However, the total expenditure for primary and high schools in the province in the period 2013 – 2018 was just more than VND23 billion spent on teaching facilities at only 54 out of 345 schools and thus the target of the project has not fully met.
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Until now, only 70% of primary schools with foreign language classes have been equipped with essential facilities for teaching foreign languages such as cassette players, projectors, TVs and some visual aids; 20% of junior high schools have been equipped with some devices for teaching and learning foreign languages. 45% of senior high schools have had foreign language labs.
Besides, despite some improvement in teaching quality, some challenges in teaching foreign languages are concerned with teachers’ competence, methodology, and chances to communicate with native speakers.
Objective and solution adjustment supplementation
The Provincial People's Committee's decision on adjusting and supplementing the foreign language teaching and learning project in the national education system in the period of 2019 - 2025 in Khanh Hoa shows renovation in objectives, methods, investment and management of foreign language teaching and learning. Accordingly, 10-year English language curricula will have been applied at all schools in the province by 2025. The Department will also continue preparing conditions and resources for teaching and learning Math and natural sciences in English at Le Quy Don Gifted School, academic year 2020 – 2021; integrating teaching foreign languages in some other subjects, including Math and science, reports Le Dinh Thuan, Vice-Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Education & Training.
The total expenditure for the project in the period 2019 – 2025 for primary and high schools in Khanh Hoa is nearly VND52.9 billion invested in professional development and equipment for teaching and learning foreign languages. The sum includes over VND32 billion from the investment capital for education development and the rest is from the national aid and from the community funding, according to the Resolution 07 in 2018 by Khanh Hoa Provincial People’s Council.
One of the key approaches to improving teaching and learning is assuring sufficient teaching staff and competence. Foreign language teacher assessment will continue together with English language skill training and development jointly provided by reputable universities and institutions approved by the Ministry of Education & Training; with focusing on on-site training with native English- speaking teachers involved.
Moreover, other approaches include strengthening professional training and development, renovation in teaching, testing and evaluation; integrating professional training and development activities; encouraging and facilitating creating conditions for teachers’ self-learning and self-training. English language teacher recruitment regulations will be built meeting the requirement by the Ministry of Education & Training. Eligibility are full-time pedagogical training or higher with required language proficiency certificates in Vietnamese 6-level foreign language competence framework, TOEFL, IELTS, FCI or those equivalent to level B2 for teachers at primary schools, junior high schools; C1 for senior high schools, regular education and vocational training schools.
Khanh Hoa Department of Education & Training has also suggested some solutions to implement the Ministry of Education & Training’s guidance on issuing resources, textbooks and other materials for teaching and learning foreign languages; renovating teaching, testing and evaluation towards international standard. In the 2019 – 2020 school year, Khanh Hoa Department of Education & Training is going to develop the environment for teaching and learning foreign languages at schools, launch a movement on teachers and students learning English together, etc.
H.Ngan
Translated by N.T
