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English proficiency
I couldn’t secure a job for 4 years despite graduating with master’s degree and 8.0 IELTS

I couldn’t secure a job for 4 years despite graduating with master’s degree and 8.0 IELTS

I graduated with a master’s degree and an 8.0 IELTS score to the cheers of relatives and teachers, only to find that landing a good job was not as easy as I had believed.
If a foreigner can master Vietnamese, why do Vietnamese students still struggle with English?

If a foreigner can master Vietnamese, why do Vietnamese students still struggle with English?

Getting passed over for promotion due to low English proficiency

Getting passed over for promotion due to low English proficiency

Vietnamese university pays students cash for high IELTS scores

Vietnamese university pays students cash for high IELTS scores

Students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education can now pocket VND2.5 million (US$98) if they achieve a high IELTS score.
September 22, 2025 | 06:19 pm PT
Teaching English: opportunity or inequality?

Teaching English: opportunity or inequality?

Lan, an excellent infrastructure engineer, has been involved with major projects in Vietnam, his home country. But after moving to New Zealand more than five years ago, he is still struggling to find a job despite a skill shortage in the construction sector.
September 15, 2025 | 04:44 pm PT
My child pays $11 monthly at school only to learn 'native English' from Filipino teachers

My child pays $11 monthly at school only to learn 'native English' from Filipino teachers

Each student at my child's school pays VND300,000 (US$11.37) a month to learn English with a foreign teacher, but the school hires non-native English speakers.
September 15, 2025 | 02:49 pm PT
When Vietnamese children focus too much on English proficiency they forget their mother tongue

When Vietnamese children focus too much on English proficiency they forget their mother tongue

Many Vietnamese parents are sending their children to international schools where English becomes their dominant language, often at the expense of maintaining their Vietnamese language skills.
June 19, 2025 | 02:00 am PT
British Council defends use of backup IELTS tests amid leak speculations

British Council defends use of backup IELTS tests amid leak speculations

The British Council, which administers the IELTS test in Vietnam, said the use of backup IELTS tests was implemented recently to ensure a safe and transparent testing process, following online claims of test leaks.
February 25, 2025 | 04:29 pm PT
My friend regrets not learning English early after getting promoted to department head

My friend regrets not learning English early after getting promoted to department head

He climbed the corporate ladder to head of sales only to regret not studying English sooner.
February 12, 2025 | 07:12 pm PT
People rush to study English young, believing learning is difficult after 30

People rush to study English young, believing learning is difficult after 30

Many people glorify English and feel an urgency to study it early, only to use it to watch movies and listen to music.
February 11, 2025 | 03:00 pm PT
Being fluent in English doesn't guarantee success

Being fluent in English doesn't guarantee success

I'm 40 years old and fluent in English, and my total assets amount to about VND10 billion (US$393,000). Meanwhile, some of my younger cousins, who barely speak English and only completed high school at continuing education centers, have saved up several times more.
January 22, 2025 | 03:00 pm PT
How English took me from countryside boy to business owner in HCMC

How English took me from countryside boy to business owner in HCMC

While my friends were earning just VND5 million (US$197) per month, I was earning US$600 thanks to my proficiency in English.
January 16, 2025 | 04:15 pm PT
Graduate with high GPA struggles to find employment due to poor English pronunciation

Graduate with high GPA struggles to find employment due to poor English pronunciation

My friend graduated with an excellent GPA from a prestigious university but struggled to find a job afterward due to poor English pronunciation.
January 14, 2025 | 03:18 pm PT
Why English is the key to my success

Why English is the key to my success

I grew up in a poor farming family, where we struggled to make ends meet year-round. Determined to escape poverty, I left my rural village and moved to Ho Chi Minh City in search of a better life.
December 30, 2024 | 03:03 pm PT
My child started learning English at 5

My child started learning English at 5

People who only begin learning English in university often see it merely as a tool to earn money, rather than using it as a key to unlock knowledge.
December 28, 2024 | 03:36 pm PT
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