VietNamNet Bridge – Teaching English in primary and secondary schools in Can Tho under a Government project called Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System between 2008 and 2020 still faces hurdles, according to schools.

Teaching English in primary and secondary schools in Can Tho under a Government project called Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System between 2008 and 2020 still faces hurdles, according to schools.— Photo sggp.org.vn

Nguyen Van Loc, rector of the Vinh Thanh Town secondary school, told a recent conference on reviewing the project that its students do not have a lot of time for learning English during school hours.

Even if free extra classes are offered outside school hours, students do not have time to attend because they have to help their parents in the fields, he said.

The school does not have own rooms for English classes, and teaching aids are also in short supply, he said.

Other school officials complained that red tape related to accepting foreign volunteers teaching English is a barrier.

Most students are unable to communicate in English, they admitted.

Vo Minh Loi, deputy head of the Can Tho City Department of Education and Training, said that many schools do not organise extra-curricular activities to give their students the opportunity to communicate in English, he added.

Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System is divided into two phases: The first began in 2012 and finished in 2015, the second began in 2016.

Under it, students learn English from third grade to 12th.

The city Department of Education and Training has tied up with the British Council and Can Tho University to organise courses to improve the teaching skills of English teachers.

In 2017 it chose seven schools to set up English teaching models for the project.

The schools were each provided with VND200 million (US$8,771) for improving facilities and organising activities for practising listening, speaking and other skills.

Most of them have also set up an English club and English-speaking contests and their students have extra lessons with foreign volunteers.

Source: VNS