Shadowing Practice: The push for English for All| Vietnam Today - Learn English Speaking with Video
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It's been quite a bit since the introduction of Politburo Resolution No. 71 on Breakthrough Education Development.
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And among the most notable goals, the resolution sets a target of achieving initial results by 2030 in improving English proficiency at the general education level
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and calling for stronger foreign language teaching and learning.
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So this is a big plan we're talking about, Lina.
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That's right, Dylan.
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And Vietnam needs to make the move right now.
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So far, the government has launched the scheme to make English a second language
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or ESL in schools for 2025 to 2035 with a vision to 2045.
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Already in its first phase of implementation, the scheme spans all levels of education from preschool to higher education,
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vocational training and continuing education, affecting more than 50,000 institutions,
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30 million learners, and 1 million teachers and education managers.
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But it also lays a bear some of the biggest challenges ahead, training more than 200,000 teachers,
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attracting educators to disadvantaged areas,
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and applying new technologies, especially AI in English teaching and in teaching subjects in English, just to name a few.
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And behind all of those challenges lies one critical question.
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Can this ambitious rollout reach every classroom equally?
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From cities to remote areas, how can Vietnam make English a true second language in schools without leaving some students behind?
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Our reporter, Lộc Dương, has more.
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As Vietnam pushes ahead with education reform, English is being positioned as a key pillar of the country's long-term development strategy.
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Researchers say ESL is no longer an academic subject, but a tool that shapes competitiveness, innovation, and access to global knowledge.
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If it's success, Vietnam Education may have a chance to catch up with the top-ranking education system in the world.
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And we aim to have some universities among the top 100 and top 200 universities in the world.
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However, not every school begins this journey journey from the same starting line.
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While urban and well-funded schools are adapting quickly, many rural and public schools are facing limited resources,
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uneven connectivity, and challenges in applying AI-powered learning, widening the equity gap that educators warn must be addressed early.
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Looking at local languages and how that integrates into new education reform,
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societal pressures such as housing and the integration of international students,
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and also quality of teaching and equity of access to all people.
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UNICEF has been working with the Ministry of Education and Training to finalize,
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to develop and finalize the AI competency framework in education for both teachers and students.
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Amid these challenges, Vietnam is increasingly turning to international cooperation as part of its broader ESL rollout,
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with supports focused on teacher capacity, localized curriculum and technology deployment beyond major cities, giving learners a fair chance at English medium opportunities.
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We're looking at capacity building with teachers.
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So we are introducing a new professional development framework
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that we have built alongside with Moet to address particularly the needs of the ESL strategy.
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It's the opportunity to practice their English with an AI environment which they otherwise would not have been able to do.
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Turning English into a true second language will require more than new curricula or slogans.
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It demands long-term investment in teachers, smart using technology and a commitment to equity so that no province is left behind.
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Reporting from Hanoi, Lập Dương, from Vietnam Today.
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So we've established that one of the key components to Vietnam's English project success hinges on teachers.
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Improving teaching quality requires not just initial training but ongoing support, known as CPD, Continuing Professional Development,
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which helps teachers update skills and improve classroom practices.
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Our reporter Lục Dung spoke with Byung Sujarat, Head of English and School Education for East Asia at the British Council,
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on how strong CPD can transform English teaching in Vietnam.
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Mr. Sutraja, thank you for joining us.
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Can you explain how a robust CPD system will transform English teaching at the school level
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and what specific teaching teachers will need to shift from teaching
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English as a foreign language to establishing it as a true second language?
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So I think how the robust CPD system could help improve the teaching quality
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and then later the successful implementations of the ESL strategy is that by having a robust CPD system, teachers know that they have a pathway.
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They have a tool for them to assess where they are at, what areas they need to develop,
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and then what pathways or steps that they can go through to improve their professional practices.
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You have regional languages as well in different contexts such as the mountainous area.
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So the teachers also need to be aware of the students' language
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or linguistics repository so that they can help build their capacity to learn in English.
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Based on your regional experience across East Asia,
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what kinds of CBD support or models have proven most effective in helping teachers sustainably improve their English medium instruction skills?
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Here in Vietnam,
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we have tried to pilot what is called teachers' activity groups with several doets in some provinces in Vietnam
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and that has shown evidence that peer learning groups, such as through TEQTS, can be applied
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so related educational stakeholders can look at the evidence
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that has been generated from those pilots and then maybe consider
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that as one of the means in order to bridge that gap.
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What does it take to ensure this initiative doesn't stall after the first decade
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and how can can Vietnam build institutional capacity so that English proficiency becomes embedded in the educational culture, not just a policy mandate.
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So I think the key to that is to ensure that all educational stakeholders have the ownership towards the policy, that they feel like, oh,
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I have a role to play in this.
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It's not something that is only mandated or instructed to me, but they can see the real value of that strategy.
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And the second point would be continuous improvement through evidence.
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So there has to be a mechanism to evaluate what has been working and then refine that for continuous improvement.
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That, when it's done regularly and then continuously,
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it will then generate the real evidence and the right model that will fit with the Vietnam context
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and makes the ESL strategy a lasting process for schools.
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Thank you so much for your valuable insight.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “The push for English for All”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: English, teacher, Vietnam, teaching, language. This video has 75 sentences and 1056 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:44. The speaker talks at a steady 137 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| robust adjective | /ɹəʊˈbʌst/ | Able to withstand adverse conditions. |
| finalize verb | /ˈfaɪ.nə.laɪz/ | To make final or firm; to finish or complete. |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| proficiency noun | /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/ | Ability, skill, competence. |
| rollout noun | An act of rolling out; gradual deployment. | |
| stakeholder noun | /ˈsteɪkˌhəʊl.də/ | A person holding the stakes of bettors, with the responsibility of delivering the pot to the winner of the bet. |
| educator noun | /ˈɛd͡ʒəkeɪtɚ/ | A person distinguished for their educational work, a teacher. |
| pathway noun | /ˈpæθˌweɪ/ | A footpath or other path or track. |
| mandate noun | /ˈmændeɪ̯t/ | An official or authoritative command; an order or injunction; a commission; a judicial precept; an authorization. |
| transform verb | /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/ | To change greatly the appearance or form of. |
| curriculum noun | /kəˈɹɪk.jə.ləm/ | The set of courses, coursework, and content offered at a school or university. |
| classroom noun | /ˈklɑːsɹʊm/ | A room, often in a school, where classes take place. |
| competency noun | /ˈkɑm.pə.tən.si/ | The ability to perform some task; competence. |
| competitiveness noun | /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪvnəs/ | The state of being competitive. |
| instruct verb | /ɪnˈstɹʌkt/ | To teach by giving instructions. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| leave behind verb | To abandon. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | has been working |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | It's been · has launched · have built |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being positioned · must be addressed · is left |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 4 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, doesn't, we've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: proficiency /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/, institutional /ˌɪn.stɪˈtju.ʃə.nəl/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: proficiency /pɹəˈfɪʃənsi/, educator /ˈɛd͡ʒəkeɪtɚ/, curriculum /kəˈɹɪk.jə.ləm/, competency /ˈkɑm.pə.tən.si/, competitiveness /kəmˈpɛtɪtɪvnəs/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like robust, finalize, learner.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.