Nghe An: Foreign language project contributes to innovation and breakthroughs in teaching and learning

“Low point” in foreign language quality

For many years, Nghe An has been known as a land of learning and has always been in the top of the country in terms of education quality, especially the quality of key education. However, besides the achievements, the province's education work still has difficulties and shortcomings, especially in the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages ​​in schools.

English class of students at Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2. Photo: My Ha

This is also a subject with quite a big difference between regions when in the final exams such as the High School Graduation Exam, the 10th grade entrance exam, the average foreign language score in top schools is always very high (over 8 points), but in schools far from the center, in remote areas, the foreign language score is still very low.

Reality also shows that in recent years, despite efforts, the quality of foreign language teaching and learning has increased slowly, with the average score increasing only 0.25 points per year.

The uneven quality of English teaching in different regions is a difficulty for Nghe An in implementing foreign language teaching and learning. Photo: My Ha

One of the main reasons is that currently in the province, many primary schools have not organized foreign language teaching. The rate of students studying the 10-year foreign language program is still low, especially at the high school level. The facilities and teaching equipment are only at the minimum level. The exploitation and use in some units is still ineffective.

Besides, although the rate of teachers meeting training standards is 100%, the rate of teachers meeting foreign language proficiency standards according to international standards to implement new foreign language programs is still low, there is a lack of teachers to teach foreign languages ​​other than English, to teach enhanced and integrated programs in general schools.

An English lesson at Nguyen Truong To High School (Hung Nguyen). This is a school with remarkable progress in English results in the 2020 High School Graduation Exam. Photo by My Ha.

Currently, Nghe An has more than 100 foreign language centers, but in recent years there has been no connection with schools. Socialization and mobilization of resources to improve facilities and build a foreign language teaching environment in schools have not been effective; they have not attracted qualified and experienced teachers, especially native teachers, to participate in teaching foreign language programs.

Creating a breakthrough in foreign language teaching and learning in schools

Limitations in teaching and learning foreign languages ​​in schools will also affect the quality of human resources in the province in the long term, especially in the period of integration with the region and the world.

Faced with this reality, after nearly 7 months of preparation,Department of Education and Trainingadvised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Project 2445 on "Improving the quality of foreign language teaching and learning in educational institutions in Nghe An province for the period 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030" and officially started implementing it from the 2020-2021 school year.

The foreign language project aims to have 70% of preschools qualified to implement foreign language familiarization programs for preschool children by 2025. In the photo: English lessons for children at Rainbow Kindergarten. Photo by My Ha

The birth of the project is an effort of the education sector to meet the expectations of the people and students in the whole province because the main goal of the project is to create a breakthrough in the quality of foreign language teaching and learning for all levels and training levels; build an environment for teaching and using foreign languages ​​in the area; gradually improve the foreign language proficiency of students according to international standards for all levels of general education and training sectors, contributing to improving the competitiveness of human resources in the context of international integration.

The implementation of the project is also a premise for Nghe An to prepare for the 2018 General Education Program because the new program requires students to learn foreign languages ​​from grade 3. In particular, this project has opened up a policy mechanism to improve the quality of education.foreign language, creating mechanisms and an open environment for centers to coordinate with schools to organize foreign language teaching.

Nghe An aims to have 100% of primary schools qualified to implement optional foreign language programs for first and second graders by 2025. Photo: My Ha.

Through this, we also hope to bring a new wind, change the way of teaching and learning in general schools towards foreign language training with all 4 skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, with output commitment according to international foreign language proficiency certificates after graduating from each level (A1 for grade 5, A2 for grade 9, B1 for grade 12).

This is also a favorable premise, creating conditions for students to study abroad, integrate internationally, increase job opportunities in the ASEAN bloc and the region. Moreover, it is also a premise, creating a foundation to move towards building advanced high schools in line with the trend of international integration.

Positive signals

Immediately after the project was issued, the implementation of foreign language teaching and learning in this school year has had positive changes. In particular, from the provincial project, many localities have also developed plans to implement the enhanced English program, focusing on innovating the form of teaching organization, testing, and evaluation to create conditions for developing thinking capacity, practical skills, and communication skills.Englishof teachers and students.

Up to now, more than 2,000 primary school students in Vinh city have studied the enhanced English program. Photo: My Ha

In particular, Do Luong district has coordinated with local English centers to implement the enhanced English program in 7 secondary schools. In Con Cuong district, from the pilot program in some kindergartens and primary schools in the central area, this year the enhanced program has been expanded to many other primary schools in the district.

Particularly in Vinh city, if previously, only a few primary and secondary schools implemented the enhanced English program, this year the Department of Education and Training has directed it in a more systematic manner.

After many years of implementing the Enhanced English program and increasing the number of lessons with foreign teachers, the foreign language learning of students in Vinh city has had remarkable changes. In the photo: Foreign language lesson with foreign teachers at Trung Do Secondary School. Photo by My Ha

Specifically, to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning, from this school year, the city has a policy of enrolling students in intensive English classes, with entrance exams and output commitments for students participating in the program. During the course of study, in addition to studying the general education program, students will have additional classes at foreign language centers taught directly by foreign teachers.

A good sign is that although it is only the first year of implementation, the number of parents and students registering is very large, exceeding the set target. Up to now, according to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, the whole city has 23 primary and secondary schools implementing the enhanced program with 54 classes and more than 3,000 students participating. The socialization of English teaching in schools is also a policy of the education sector to implement the foreign language project.

To encourage this, the sector has also issued regulations and mechanisms for educational institutions to be autonomous in coordinating with foreign language centers to organize enhanced educational programs in schools in the direction of ensuring quality, committing to output standards and the voluntary participation of learners and parents. Gradually cooperate in teaching both international and Vietnamese programs in parallel; integrated programs for teaching foreign languages, especially English, with other subjects according to international and Vietnamese programs for students in need.

To implement the foreign language project, Nghe An will conduct a survey and re-evaluate the entire teaching staff. Photo: My Ha

To effectively implement the foreign language project, the Department of Education and Training has also advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue mechanisms and policies to promote foreign language teaching and learning. The most recent is the mechanism for direct admission to Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted and Huynh Thuc Khang High School for students withInternational English Certificate.

In the coming years, in order to improve the quality of foreign languages, the Department also identifies the teaching staff as a decisive factor. Therefore, from this school year, the sector will conduct a survey and evaluate the current situation of foreign language teaching staff in schools and centers to have a plan to foster and improve their capacity and qualifications, meeting the requirements of program innovation and improvement.

Thereby, teachers can participate in teaching in enhanced programs, teaching in parallel two international and Vietnamese programs; programs integrating foreign language teaching with other subjects according to international and Vietnamese programs.

The Enhanced English Program encourages schools to cooperate with foreign language centers, increasing lessons with foreign teachers to practice the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Photo: My Ha

At the same time, we will develop programs to enhance, improve, and integrate in parallel; build a foreign language teaching and learning environment in schools and in the whole society to create an environment for teaching, learning, and using foreign languages ​​for students; promote a concentrated foreign language learning environment according to the "Popular Education" method. In addition, we will continue to invest in facilities and enhance foreign language teaching and learning equipment for educational institutions in the province, prioritizing institutions in mountainous areas and areas with special difficulties.

With many important goals, the Foreign Language 2445 project on improving the quality of foreign language teaching and learning in educational institutions in Nghe An province in the period of 2020-2025, with a vision to 2030, hopes to make an important contribution to bringing positive changes in the English quality of Nghe An students and opening up many opportunities for students in the province in the near future.