The Philippines has long used English as the medium of instruction from primary school through university. Recently, the country’s English immersion and intensive learning models have gained popularity, attracting students from various nations, including Vietnam.
These students enroll in 2-4 week courses, or even longer programs, where they study English 8-10 hours a day. This high-intensity approach, where students eat, sleep, and breathe English in a country where American-accented English is widely spoken, has proven effective compared to the slower, years-long process common in Vietnam, where many learners still struggle to achieve fluency.
There is an ongoing debate regarding the Philippines’ impressive English proficiency, often delivered in an American accent, and the fact that the country still has a lower per capita income compared to less English-proficient nations like Japan, South Korea, and China. This raises questions about the link between English fluency and national prosperity, suggesting that while mastering English may open doors to global opportunities, translating those opportunities into tangible success requires a myriad of other factors.
As a high school English teacher since 1998, I have had the opportunity to design English programs for students from preschool to university levels. My master’s thesis in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from an American university focused on the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) bilingual education model, specifically for Vietnamese students. The study concluded that bilingual teaching yields more positive results in developing English proficiency than traditional methods that treat English as a mere foreign language subject.
In Vietnam, the first bilingual program in public schools post-1975 was the French-Vietnamese bilingual program launched in 1994, with support from the French government. After the program ended in 2006 and was fully handed over to Vietnam, English language programs became more widespread, with the emergence of international schools, bilingual schools, and English language centers teaching subjects through English. Notably, the Cambridge International Program has gained popularity, offering a flexible international curriculum that allows for bilingual education.
At its core, this program represents the CLIL model, which integrates English language learning with academic content, a successful approach widely adopted across Europe. CLIL students learn English not because adults insist it is vital for global integration, as was the case for previous generations, but because they use English as a tool to explore scientific content in subjects like mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts.
Vietnam’s current education system has evolved significantly, particularly in foreign language instruction. The emphasis is now on outcomes, with a B1 level of English proficiency targeted for students completing grade 12. The focus has shifted toward enabling students to communicate effectively and use English as a lifelong learning tool, rather than merely analyzing its linguistic structures.
There is no one-size-fits-all model that Vietnam can import wholesale to apply across the country in terms of language policy. Success will require experimenting with and evaluating various models and methods before each learner, school, and nation can choose the most suitable approach to achieve their goals.
Even without implementing bilingual education in all public schools, merely teaching foreign languages effectively and producing generations of English-proficient learners will undoubtedly position Vietnam to seize development opportunities and gain advantages over nations with less foreign language proficiency.
Vietnam is on the right track in internationalizing its workforce by improving foreign language skills without sacrificing the strength of the national language.
Adapted from: Bui Khanh Nguyen (vnexpress.net)