The Ministry of Education's Foreign Language Project includes English, French, and Japanese.

"Building a 10-year Russian and Chinese language teaching and learning program to ensure harmony between first foreign languages ​​and if piloted, there will be about 2 to 5 classes depending on the needs of the locality and learners," said the leader of the Project Management Board.

The National Foreign Language Project for the 2016-2020 period aims to pilot Russian, Chinese, and Japanese as the first foreign language. The plan to build a 10-year general education program for Russian and Chinese, from grades 3 to 12, based on the 6-level foreign language competency framework for use in Vietnam in 2017, has sparked mixed public opinion.

- In the Project, there are many concepts such as 'first foreign language', 'second foreign language' that cause many questions. Could the Management Board please explain these concepts more clearly?

- The first foreign language is a language that students must choose to study according to the regulations from 2006 of the general education program. Students can choose one of four languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese as their first foreign language, from grade 6 to grade 12 (7-year system). In 2011, the Ministry issued an additional Japanese language program for junior high school and high school, and included it in high school curriculum as the first and second foreign language, depending on the needs and choices of the locality, school, and student.

The second foreign language is optional, depending on the needs of the learner and the teaching conditions of the school. Students can choose one of the five languages ​​above as their second foreign language. For example, students learning English as their first foreign language can choose Russian, French, Japanese, or Chinese as their second foreign language. Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training has allowed German and Korean to be taught as a second foreign language on a pilot basis in localities and schools that have the need and the conditions.

The Project Management Board explained that the study of Chinese and Russian is currently being implemented in many schools under a 7-year program, and is now moving towards building a 10-year program. Photo: Giang Huy.

-Why did the Project choose Russian and Chinese as the first foreign languages?

-The selection of the first foreign language was regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training since 2006, supplemented in 2011 including:English, Russian, Chinese, French and Japanese. To date, the Project has not selected or considered any other foreign languages ​​other than the above five.

Currently, Russian and Chinese are taught as the first foreign language from grades 6 to 12 under the current 7-year program.To ensure harmony between first foreign languages, the Project Management Board submitted to the Minister the implementation plan for the 2016-2020 period, including the development of a 10-year Russian and Chinese language program, from grade 3 of primary school to grade 12 of high school.consistent with the current 6-level foreign language proficiency framework.

- There was a time when Russian was very popular in both high schools and universities, but then it was "rejected". Many Russian teachers had to go to training courses to switch to teaching English. How does the Ministry view the public's reaction and the difficulties of bringing Russian back?

-The choice of which foreign language to teach and whether it is compulsory (first foreign language) or optional (second foreign language) depends on the needs and conditions of the locality, school, and learner, so there will be no situation of "rejection" or public backlash. In specialized high schools, Chinese and Russian are still taught normally. Chinese is currently taught in the provinces of Lao Cai, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Ho Chi Minh City.

- If we pilot the 10-year Russian and Chinese language program from 2017, what will the scale be?

- If approved, the Management Board of the 2020 Foreign Language Project will coordinate with universities and experts to develop a 10-year Russian and Chinese language program, starting from the 2017-2018 school year.The pilot will be small scale, with 2 to 5 classes per foreign language. This is alsodepending on Ministry approval, local conditions and learners' wishes.

- JobTeaching and learning English is considered ineffective. Adding more foreign languages ​​to general education may increase pressure. What is the Ministry's opinion?

-Foreign languages ​​taught in the national education system are according to the regulations of the general education program. The quality and effectiveness of teaching English in particular and foreign languages ​​in general depend on many factors. Teaching one foreign language has little impact on the quality and effectiveness of teaching another foreign language.

According to VNE