Across Vietnam’s turbulent history, the spoken language has changed often. French, Russian, and Chinese have all been spoken in Vietnam as officially recognized languages. It was only in 1954 that the national language became Vietnamese. However, it’s the English language that has seen the most significant adoption rate in recent years.
An estimated 50% of the country can speak the language. This proficiency in spoken English rises significantly in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Evidence of this can be seen in Independent English language proficiency metrics, such as the one provided by www.EF.com (EPI), show that Vietnam ranks favorably compared to its neighbors (Vietnam – 51.57, Thailand – 47.61, Cambodia – 43.78). Vietnam even performs better than more developed Asian countries like Japan – a testament to language success here.
You might be wondering, how did English become so prevalent here? There are a few reasons.
The Start of English in Vietnam
The early influences of the language came from America’s opposition to the North of Vietnam. This occupation became the first chance for the English language to reach the country. The South’s alliance with America meant that the language spread quickly in this region. The main factors for English’s significance today came soon after.
In 1986, Đổi Mới – a set of economic and social reforms – were introduced. Its goal: to position Vietnam as an international trading partner to the West. These were introduced as a result of Vietnam becoming increasingly less dependent on its traditional allies – China and Russia. This led to increased trade between Vietnam and English-speaking nations, such as America and the UK. These changes have created greater job opportunities for English speakers within Vietnam, and the growth of major industries.
English Centres and Education
The government has invested in the development of some English centres to increase exposure to the language. Companies like VUS, Apollo, and ILA are often a few steps away in a major city like Saigon or Hanoi. These centres have boomed in popularity, and have fed the demand for English teachers from western countries. This demand has even been the reason for people like myself to write and share their teaching experiences here.
This trend has continued into the public schooling system. English is taught as a mandatory subject. This means that most children have relatively good knowledge of the language’s grammar, though spoken English can be more challenging. This is due to most classes being taught by Vietnamese teachers who can struggle with the phonetic characteristics of English. However, English teaching qualifications are becoming more readily available. In turn, this has raised the standards of Vietnamese teachers. In addition, the employment of international teachers continues to rise in the country.
As a result, the country has built a strong expat community. Italian-inspired boutique coffee shops, and gourmet restaurants are now common in expat-centric areas of cities. This has further fuelled the attractiveness of working in Vietnam. The greater the exposure to new cultures, the greater the desire for learning a common language.
Internet Services and Industry
In addition, the quick adoption of internet services has also been a major boon for English’s expansion throughout the country. Internet access is widely available throughout the country, meaning that even rural areas have access to English content.
Services like Netflix and Spotify have made English songs and movies never-more than a few clicks away. Just looking at the top hits list on Spotify highlights the success of English-speaking singers, like Justin Bieber and Cardi B. As someone who has been teaching English in Vietnam for a few years now, I understand the value of using these powerful tools to connect with my students.
As Vietnam’s economy continues to grow a healthy economy, more English service providers will show interest in expanding here. The strength of the English language has been a major pillar in allowing for this to happen. It’s one of the reasons Google has chosen Vietnam as its key manufacturing partner for its latest smartphones.
The tourism industry has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years. In 2019, the country hosted 18 million international visitors. This has created a strong demand for tour guides and tour agencies in the country. It only takes a short walk through the busy streets of Saigon’s Bui Vien to see these thriving businesses. There are even programmes at Universities which encourage students to take part in showing tourists around their cities.
Challenges for English
The rapid development of English centers has had its downsides. The expansion of more centers has created a greater demand for English Teachers. As a result, the employment of untrained English teachers is on the rise. Unfortunately, quality control problems have resulted in Vietnam’s proficiency index score to compare unfavorably to other developing nations in Asia.
The coronavirus has compounded these problems. COVID has led to a mass exodus of teachers who feared higher visa fees. Additionally, many centers suffered from financial losses as a result of the Vietnamese Government’s forced closures of all educational facilities. As a result, many centers have downsized or closed to survive the current economic climate.
The English language has become a gateway to Vietnam’s future as a force for good on the global stage. Most recently, it has used its new international ties to support countries. Governments in need of cheap medical masks, as well as tech product makers now work with Vietnam.
Conclusion
While the language’s presence hasn’t always been welcome, its significance in shaping Vietnam’s future is clear. There are still challenges ahead for the language. But, with the investment from the government and the eagerness of the people, it’s likely to continue flourishing.
If you enjoyed this article and want to read more about how you can teach English in Vietnam, please take a look at our site: VietnamReady.com
This article was made in collaboration between the Nathan, the author, as well as Ivan and Leollyne at travelandfood.net who helped provide many of the picture of the article.
Sources: https://www.ef.com/ca/epi/regions/asia/vietnam/
Cover photo: English teacher Andrew Gyure from the United States, teaching English to his class of young learners in the city of Da Lat, Vietnam.
