Vietnamese students prefer French and Japanese over English

Of the more than 60,000 students studying languages other than English at school, the majority choose French and Japanese.

In the draft report summarizing 10 years of implementing Resolution 29 on fundamental and comprehensive education innovation (2013-2023), the Ministry of Education and Training said that foreign language teaching and learning has had many positive changes.

To date, 61 provinces and cities have implemented English introduction programs for preschool children. All provinces and cities have taught English for 10 years, starting from grade 3. The number of students studying the 10-year program increased by 39% compared to the 2013-2014 school year, to 68%, equivalent to about 12.2 million students.

In addition to English, 41 localities organize the teaching of other foreign languages with more than 60,000 students studying. Of these, French is taught and studied the most with nearly 30,800 students. Next are Japanese and Chinese. These are also foreign languages taught at all three levels: primary, secondary and high school.

The remaining foreign languages including German, Korean, and Russian are only taught in a few middle and high schools.

Previously, Foreign Language was not a compulsory subject in primary school but in secondary and high school. According to the new general education program (2018 program), Foreign Language is a compulsory subject from grade 3 to grade 12. In addition to English, the list of Foreign Languages also includes Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, French, and Russian.

According to the Ministry's guidance, schools, based on actual conditions and the needs of students and parents, choose one of the above foreign languages to teach as a compulsory subject (called Foreign Language 1). In addition, schools can teach another foreign language to students (Foreign Language 2).

In fact, most schools choose English as their first foreign language. Some schools in border areas choose Chinese, while French, Japanese, and Korean are taught mainly in big cities.

In Hanoi , Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, Vice Principal of Lomonosov Secondary and High School, said that most foreign languages other than English taught in general schools will be as "Foreign Language 2" - an elective subject, depending on the needs of parents and the conditions of each school.

For example, at Lomonosov School, three Foreign Language 2 subjects are taught, including German, Japanese and Korean. Of which, German has been taught for a long time because the school is a partner of the Goethe Institute, while Korean and Japanese were introduced when the 2018 generaleducation program began to be implemented. The introduction of these foreign languages is also to meet the needs of society.

"We want students to have the opportunity to learn more foreign languages so that they can access world knowledge more easily, become global citizens, and be able to work in many fields," said Ms. Nhung.

A class with a foreign teacher at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted (HCMC) in 2019. Photo: Le Nam — A class with a foreign teacher at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted (HCMC) in 2019. Photo: *Le Nam*

The Foreign Language 1 program in general education has a duration of 1,155 periods. Of which, primary school has 420 periods (4 periods/week), secondary school has 420 periods (3 periods/week), and high school students study 315 periods (3 periods/week).

Foreign language 2 is an elective subject, schools can organize teaching starting from grade 6 and ending at any grade, depending on the needs of students and the ability of the educational institution.

Duong Tam

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