Nearly a 3rd of teachers in Vietnam's largest city have low English proficiency

The Department of Education and Training study included 4,700 English teachers.

A majority of the surveyed teachers, with nearly 22,300, teach at the elementary level, while secondary and high school teachers numbered over 10,000 and 8,200.

To ensure objective and accurate evaluation, the department analyzed the initial survey data in depth and divided the results into three categories based on reliability: reliable data, moderately reliable data and data lacking sufficient information.

The "reliable" group includes English teachers, teachers of other subjects whose test results in two language skills matched or was only one level below their self-declared proficiency or certification and those without any language certificates whose test results were below the B1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The six levels of the CEFR are: A1 (Beginner), A2 (Elementary), B1 (Intermediate), B2 (Upper Intermediate), C1 (Advanced), and C2 (Proficient).

B1 refers to a candidate with a degree of independence in using the language for everyday communication and able to handle situations likely to arise in daily life or while traveling.

The "moderately reliable" group includes teachers of other subjects who completed the test in an unusually short time but scored high and whose test results differed by two levels from their self-declared proficiency.

The reliable data shows that 41% of teachers have an English proficiency level of B1, 31% are below this level and 28% at B2.

According to the 2020 Education Law, teachers from elementary school onward must have at least a university degree and to graduate from university, they need to achieve foreign language standards (English, French, Chinese, Russian, etc.) equivalent to at least B1 level according to the European framework.

When categorized by school level, the proficiency of elementary and secondary school teachers is similar: 30-33% have proficiency of below B1, 38-43% are B1 and 27-29% are B2 or higher.

Among high school teachers, none is at C2 level (level 6—the highest) but 45% of teachers are B2 or C1, or higher than the levels in elementary and secondary schools.

The proportion of teachers below B1 is 30%.

The survey also shows a disparity between those teaching English and other subjects: While 8% of the former are at C2, none of the latter achieved this level.

Besides, 45% of English teachers are at C1 level but only 2% of other teachers.

If the data is considered as a whole, 17% of teachers have proficiency below B1, which is much lower than for the reliable data subjects.

Teachers with proficiency levels of B2 and C1 account for 28% and 29%, respectively, which is twice the percentage of the reliable data group.

The public-school English proficiency survey, conducted by the education department at the end of April, had teachers take an online test in 90 minutes, covering listening, reading, and writing skills according to the European Framework (CEFR) from A1 to C2. The test was designed by the University of Cambridge English Testing Council.

The department said the survey results would not be used for ranking, performance evaluation or salary and bonus assessments, only for providing an overall picture of the English proficiency of the teaching staff.

Based on this, it would develop plans and training pathways to improve foreign language proficiency in line with the proposed educational reforms, it said.

It would also serve as a foundation for the education sector to develop the project "Gradually making English the second language in schools," it added.

Nguyen Van Hieu, the department's director, said teachers in need of improving their English skills would be allowed to choose suitable forms and methods of training or self-study.

Teachers with good English proficiency who wish to teach certain subjects in that language would be sent abroad to study by the department, he added.