Some national assembly deputies questioned why the Ministry has not imported curriculum and textbooks in teaching English, Minister Nha explained that the expensive cost of textbook will prevent poor Vietnamese students from buying it. He suggested mobilizing Vietnamese experts to design curriculum and compile textbooks for Vietnamese students instead. Moreover, “imported” curriculum and textbooks include some improper with Vietnam, said Mr. Nha. He announced that curriculum and textbooks will be designed on the alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Language standards; accordingly, Vietnamese students’ English proficiency is equal to their European peers. The project “ Teaching and Learning foreign languages in schools in the period 2008-2020” was approved by the Prime Minister. It aims at implementing English teaching and learning program at all grade building capacity to increase students’ English proficiency by 2025. … [Read more...] about MoET affirms not to import curriculum, English textbooks
The importance of learning foreign languages
General militaries seek to improve foreign language teaching and learning quality
The seminar saw the participation of Major General Le Duc Manh, Deputy Director of the Department of Personnel under the General Department of Politics (GDP); Stephen Moore, head of the International Policy Division under the Australian Department of Defense, and military officers and lecturers from Vietnam, Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, East Timor and Tonga. Representatives attending at the seminar Speaking at the seminar, Gen. Manh affirmed that RELS is an important forum for troops to exchange knowledge and experience in teaching and learning English. Besides, it was also a great opportunity for Vietnamese officers, and their peers from Australia, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, East Timor and Tonga to meet and exchange their experiences in English teaching and learning, contributing to building their mutual understanding, friendship and trust between the militaries and the peoples of the countries. Emphasizing the role of … [Read more...] about General militaries seek to improve foreign language teaching and learning quality
There’s more to tour guides than language
Viet Nam News Earlier this year my friends and I visited the mountainous town of Sa Pa with a group of Thai friends. It was the first time our foreign friends had visited the town, so we hired a tour guide who could speak Thai to ensure they had the best experience. Everything was fine during our bus trip from Hà Nội to Sa Pa, but when we visited an ethnic village in Sa Pa, our tour guide did not actually ‘guide’ us as we expected. She remained silent the entire time from when we started walking down a road that leads to the village to when we were in the middle of the village itself. No introduction of the place, no instructions to our Thai friends, which left us with an impression that this was her first time being there as well. The outing was not all ruined, but it was disappointing enough to make one of my friends call the tour operator and complain about the guide. As for me, although having gotten used to independent travelling, I felt that our Thai … [Read more...] about There’s more to tour guides than language
April 30 has become the National Day of Solidarity and Reunification
Back in Việt Nam: Mathilde Tuyết Trần travelled to the northernmost point of Lũng Cú flagpole in the north Viet Nam News Mathilde Tuyết Trần* looks back to the events of April 30, 1975 and what that date means for her. She writes exclusively for Việt Nam News. It was a Wednesday. April 30, 1975. A day I’ll never forget. For those of us living in Europe at that time we could be found either working or in college. As we were all in a different time zone, we learned about events in Sài Gòn that day hours after it had actually happened. I was at college in what was still West Germany at the time. The Aachen University. We watched the television reports and listened to the radio open mouthed. Jaws dropped as we took in the news. Sài Gòn was lost or Sài Gòn was liberated. Was the glass of water half full or half empty? My mood back then was hard to put into words. As the crow flies, the distance … [Read more...] about April 30 has become the National Day of Solidarity and Reunification
Promoting the role of OVs in developing the nation
OVs join hands in various fields The consistent policy of attaching importance to the resources from the OVs communities in the national construction and development has been realized effectively, shown especially in the increasingly closer connection between OVs and the homeland, bringing about practical results. There has been increasing participation of OVs in the nation’s political, economic, and social life, as OVs have been making more direct proposals to leaders of both central and local agencies in many fields. At present, there are four OVs from the US, Japan, Singapore and France in the Economic Advisory Board of the Prime Minister and Vietnam has set up an initial database of OVs so as to be able to quickly mobilize resources from OVs when needed. Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam (R) presenting a gift to Prof. Yang Dao Specific policies on attracting and developing resources of OV intellectuals and businesspeople of the Party and State have helped … [Read more...] about Promoting the role of OVs in developing the nation