Tran Khanh Trang closes the lid of her laptop after a long discussion with her human resources team, ending just another ordinary day in her life.

Foreign-language instruction could greatly improve the quality of the educational system, but language-proficiency outcomes in recent years have been disappointing, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha has said.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Several universities have included English as one of the criteria in their enrolment plans for the 2019-2020 academic year.

VietNamNet Bridge - Urban parents are sending their children to model and singing classes at a very early age.

Candidates with good foreign language skills can find jobs with incomes 30-50 percent higher than those with no foreign language skills, according to Huynh Diep Tram Anh from the Van Hien University.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has abundant labour resources but many enterprises in the country say they cannot recruit a sufficient number of skilled workers, and as a result, cannot expand production activities. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – It was around 8pm and the lights inside the classrooms of the University of Architecture were still on.

Thousands of people across the nation, including professionals, have improved and are improving their English language skills via activities organised by the IZI English Community for more than five years now.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has made significant headway in English language education in the last few years, but needs to move faster to achieve its targets,

VietNamNet Bridge - Universities complain that it is difficult to find students with good English skills, while employers complain about graduates poor English-language ability.

 VietNamNet Bridge – It’s never too late to learn something new. Though Vu Thi Suu is now 92 years old, she spends much of her time perfecting her English skills.

Five years ago, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) kicked off a pilot 2011-2015 program on teaching math and natural sciences in English at 30 percent of high schools in large cities. However, the target has been difficult to reach.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has risen in the world's ranking of English skills from ‘low proficiency’ to ‘moderate proficiency’. However, educators say the ranking does not reflect the real situation.

A Navigos Search report entitled Challenges in Recruiting and Retaining Mid-level and Senior Employees for Foreign Firms in Vietnam published on November 3 has revealed that even though local employees are considered hard-working,

 VietNamNet Bridge – Schools in Ho Chi Minh City are facing many difficulties in teaching maths and science in English due to a lack of textbooks and teachers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Employers are increasingly looking at working skills and job-hopping probability rather than "competitive salary requirements" when hiring new graduates, a survey has shown.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tran Tuyet Nhung, the mother of two junior high school students, is happy to recognise some changes in the behaviour of her sons in recent days.

VietNamNet Bridge - Transport firms say that a tentative requirement on tour-bus drivers’ English skills will be “more difficult to fulfill than going to the sky”. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – University students’ low level of English has been attributed to poor teaching methods.