<html><head><title>- Email news</title><link rel=stylesheet href=http://english.vietnamnet.vn/Library/orientnew.css type=text/css></head><body><p align=justify><b>Thư được gửi từ website : </b> <a href="http://english.vietnamnet.vn">http://english.vietnamnet.vn</a> ,<b>bởi email : </b>fmhult@dolphin.upenn.edu,<b> với lời nhắn : </b>Foreign language project faces shortage</p><?xml version="1.0"?>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><b> Foreign language project faces shortage of qualified teachers</b></td>
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<td><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>The VND16tril (US$1bil) <A href="http://english.vietnamnet.vn/education/2006/04/556889/">foreign languages project</A>, if approved, will become operational in 2007. Nguyen Loc, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Educational Strategy and Curriculum, spoke to VietNamNet about the programme.</FONT></P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG><DIV align=left><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><IMG src="http://vietnamnet.vn/dataimages/200604/original/images963001_School.jpg" width=200 border=0> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=1></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV><P align=left>Besides equipment and strategy, the most important issue facing the project is the lack of foreign language teachers, both in quality and quantity. How do you plan to deal with this problem?</STRONG></FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>To implement the project well, the!
quality of teachers should be improved. The project has six levels as per the international system. Students as well as teachers have to follow this system.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>For example, teachers should pass the fifth level to teach high school students at third level. This means teachers should have already graduated from universities specialising in foreign languages.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Currently, we lack foreign language teachers. According to a report, only 8.2% of the teachers are trained in foreign language teaching. Meanwhile, the project is planning to double the number of foreign language classes.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, the number of foreign language teachers should also be doubled. So, we have to train and educate more teachers or employ those from foreign countries. </FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Since almost all foreign language students prefer to stay in !
big cities after graduation, remote areas and regions in the country w
ill face a shortage of teachers.</FONT></P><P align=left><B><FONT face=Arial size=2>Earlier in 2000, the foreign language programme and curriculum were changed. Now, under the project, the whole foreign language sector is proposed to be transformed. Will this be in conformity with the recent education programme?</FONT></B></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Normally, education programmes and content are changed every five to ten years.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>We have earlier revised the education content and curriculum in 2000. With the project to teach and study foreign languages expected to become operational in 2007-08, it is now time to revise the foreign language programme again.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>According to the project, all foreign language programmes will not be revised at the same time. Based on different conditions and demands, the revised programme can be implemented by each province at various times.</F!
ONT></P><P align=left><B><FONT face=Arial size=2>With the project planned to be completely implemented in 2015, will some provinces find it difficult to keep up with the pace?</FONT></B></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Each province will decide to implement the revised programme depending on their own conditions such as availability of teachers and support from local authorities.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>About 40% outstanding universities can immediately carry out the programme, with another 40% of universities to start from 2010 or 2011, and the rest from 2016. </FONT></P><P align=left><B><FONT face=Arial size=2>Experts have pointed out that the project has failed to identify a main foreign language to be universally taught. What is your opinion?</FONT></B></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Government has proposed English to be taught as the main foreign language. In the near future, the ministry will submit its proposal to the Go!
vernment and unify our points of view.</FONT></P><P align=left><FONT f
ace=Arial size=2>We are still poor and must use our resources carefully to teach a foreign language that is most popular around the world. </FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Earlier, provinces had the right to choose the first and second foreign languages. </FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>They could choose two out of four foreign languages, including English, French, Russian and Chinese. </FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>However, we now plan to teach only one foreign language, and will start with the second language from 2020. The provinces have the right to choose the language to teach. </FONT></P><P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Once the project is approved, we will set up a management board which will look into issues like teachers and teaching equipment.</FONT></P><P align=left><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><I><FONT size=2>(Source: Viet Nam News)</FONT></I></SPAN></P></td>
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