English from first grade: How to make it a bilingual asset and not curriculum burden

When I asked him for directions to a nearby village, he hesitated for a moment, turned to his friend to ask in Dutch, then turned back to answer me in fluent English.

When a child speaks English as effortlessly as his mother tongue, it becomes more than a skill. It's a door to the world.

Perhaps that is also the dream of many Vietnamese parents: For their children to be fluent in both Vietnamese and English.

Now, that dream is being written into policy. The government recently announced plans to make English a mandatory second language from grade 1 by 2030. It is an ambitious move, signaling Vietnam's determination for stronger language skills and global integration.

But along with that dream come questions. Many parents worry about how early language learning affects their child's development. Do we have enough teachers and resources to make it work? And will early English instruction actually help if teaching methods and environments aren't ready?

An English teacher in a classroom in Vietnam. Photo by Pexels

For decades, scientists once feared bilingualism caused cognitive confusion in children. But by the late 20th century, studies began to show the opposite: the bilingual advantage. Psychologist Ellen Bialystok's 40-year research revealed that bilinguals often have stronger memory, focus, and cognitive flexibility. In attention tests involving distractions, bilingual children consistently outperformed monolingual peers, showing greater control of thought and information processing.

Linguists Heidi Dulay and Marina Burt (1972) found similar patterns. Analyzing errors made by Spanish- and Chinese-speaking children learning English, they discovered that their mistakes, like simplifying grammar or overextending rules, often mirrored those made by native learners. This showed that early exposure to a foreign language does not affect native language learning; instead, it activates the same natural learning mechanism, making learning more intuitive and efficient than for adults.

Another benefit of early learning is pronunciation. According to linguist James Flege (1999), the later someone learns a foreign language, the heavier their accent tends to be. Children who begin before age 10 can pronounce more like native speakers because their brains are still flexible and better at distinguishing and producing new sounds.

Still, the bilingual picture is not entirely rosy. Some studies find no strong advantage, and early learning does not always equal effective learning. In Vietnam, where the school curriculum is already heavy, if English becomes just another test subject, students may feel exhausted rather than inspired.

Countries that succeed with bilingual education, like the Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, and Finland, use immersion methods. Children learn through play, media, and real-world communication. Dutch kids hear English daily through TV, songs, and video games, so by the time they enter school, it feels natural. Singapore has mandated bilingualism since the 1960s, meaning English plus a mother tongue, to promote both global competitiveness and cultural identity. Canada and Finland integrate foreign languages into creative activities, nurturing flexible thinking, which is the foundation for innovation.

Some Vietnamese schools have started experimenting with similar models, by teaching math or science in English through games and small projects. When children live the language instead of memorizing it, results improve significantly.

But is that environment widespread yet? Most classrooms still revolve around textbooks and test prep. For many, "learning a foreign language" still means learning grammar and how to use the language as a living, expressive tool.

The real question, then, is not whether children should learn English early, but how it is taught. Kids need to be immersed in the language naturally, not through dry drills on the simple present tense.

Another challenge lies in the rural–urban gap. Many rural schools lack qualified teachers, modern materials, and sufficient instruction time, creating stark differences in speaking and listening skills. Imagine a primary student in Hanoi taking creative lessons with native teachers, while another in a remote province learns from a dedicated but undertrained local teacher with poor pronunciation. The difference is night and day.

At the same time, Vietnamese must remain the language for thinking and identity. The American Linguistic Society (2022) found that bilingualism benefits children only when their mother tongue remains dominant, ideally 60% of learning time in primary school. English should be a bridge to new cultures, not a barrier to one's own.

I once taught at an international university in Vietnam, where two bilingual students, Nam and Lai, stood out. Both spoke English confidently in class. But outside, when I switched to Vietnamese, Nam continued chatting naturally, while Lai fell silent, uncomfortable with his native language. Cases like Lai's are rare, but they show that bilingual success depends not only on environment but also on personality and how each child relates to the two languages.

If taught with care and understanding, English won’t just be another subject on a first-grader’s schedule. It can become a bridge connecting Vietnamese children to the world, while keeping them grounded in who they are and where they come from.

That vision may still seem distant, especially for children in rural areas who lack both teachers and equipment. But if adults stop turning learning into pressure, and instead make it a joyful, natural journey, as effortless and fair as sunlight reaching every schoolyard, then the door to the world will open, not just for individual children, but for an entire nation learning to speak to the world in its own voice.

*Pham Hoa Hiep is an English lecturer at the Waikato Institute of Education in New Zealand. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.