Under the decision, German and Korean languages will be taught as the mandatory first for students from third grade to twelve grade of 10-year formal education in the pilot teaching program ( for formal education consisting of ten years of basic education).
The pilot foreign language teaching program aims to help students improve their communication skills of the two languages to satisfy demand of foreign language interpreters and translators during integration.
Specifically, sixth graders can achieve level A1 ( elementary), nine graders can finish intermediate and 12th grader can reach advanced level. The languages will be taught in a total of 1,155 periods each period lasting 35 minutes.
Upon the decision of pilot teaching program of German and Korean, high schoolers can teach the two languages as the first mandatory foreign language if schools ensure teaching staff and facilities.
Presently, first foreign languages including English, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, German and Korean are being taught in schools in Vietnam. Students who sit for the senior high school graduation examination can opt for English, Russian, Chinese, French, Japanese and German except for Korean.
Additionally, nine graders in Hanoi can opt for English, French, German, Japanese and Korean when they take foreign language tests into senior high schools.
Currently, English is common foreign language taught in high schools in Vietnam.
However, according to the new education program, German and Korean are considered as the second foreign languages. Students from 6 grade to twelve grade of 12-year formal education will be taught the two languages with a total of 735 periods (for formal education consisting of twelve years of basic education and basic education consisting of five years of primary education, four years of intermediate education, and three years of secondary education).
