VNExpress-Aug 2
Ho Chi Minh City is building on nearly three decades of experience in English-language education as it prepares to gradually make English a second language in schools, with a focus on improving teaching quality, investing in educational infrastructure and creating an English-speaking learning environment. The southern metropolis became the first locality in Vietnam to launch an intensive English language program in 1998, before gradually expanding it across the school system. It subsequently introduced elective and universal English courses and programs to improve English proficiency. In 2014, the city took another pioneering step by implementing an integrated English-Vietnamese curriculum under Project 5695, allowing students in public schools to study mathematics and science in English alongside the national curriculum. The program has produced encouraging results by equipping students with subject knowledge and language skills while fostering the ability to use English naturally as a second language. English education has been expanded across all levels, including preschool. More than 206,800 preschool children, accounting for over half of those enrolled in early childhood education institutions, now participate in English familiarization programs. At the general education level, English is taught under the 2018 national curriculum, while more than 90% of public schools offer enhanced English or bilingual programs. Many schools also teach mathematics and science in English through Project 5695 or socialized education programs involving native-speaking teachers. Beyond increasing English teaching hours, a growing number of schools have begun piloting lessons in other subjects taught in English, helping students develop confidence and familiarity with the language through everyday classroom use.
Marie Curie High School is among the schools creating an English-speaking environment across its campus. According to Principal Nguyen Tran Khanh Bao, bilingual Vietnamese-English signs, administrative documents and school forms enable both teachers and students to interact with English daily. With more than 3,400 students in 80 classes, the school has expanded. English clubs and international exchange activities while assessing the English proficiency of teachers and students to develop appropriate training and teaching plans. Despite these achievements, the municipal Department of Education and Training acknowledges that expanding English education evenly across the city remains challenging. Read more at:
