In light of an increasingly globalized world, it is hard to overstate the importance of English learning. Therefore, who should and should not carry out the teaching of English at school is necessarily a perennial debate. Some assert that schools should employ native teachers to enhance the quality of language teaching, while others advocate for the inclusion of Vietnamese teachers in this process. Both viewpoints are justifiable but I personally lean towards the latter.
There are compelling reasons to engage native teachers exclusively in the teaching process. Granted, students’ communication abilities largely hinge on their exposure to the target language as well as practice times. The current national curriculum in Vietnam, nevertheless, puts a strong emphasis on receptive skills and grammar rather than productive skills. As a result, despite extended time of English learning, many students still lack the ability to flexibly use the language in daily conversations. With the incorporation of foreign teachers who are inherently capable of communicating in English, many believe that there would be a shift in the way English is currently taught in classrooms.
This approach, however, is hardly feasible and overlooks the substantial incurred expenses. To be specific, native teachers generally demand a lucrative income, which can amount to twice as much as the salary of their Vietnamese counterparts. Hence, therein lies the rub: the brunt of this strategy would fall unfairly on the nation’s coffers for education and low-income families who could hardly afford their children’s tuition fees. In addition, the number of foreigners who are qualified for language teaching is also relatively low in Vietnam, meaning that there would not be enough teachers to cover the entire national curriculum.
In conclusion, while the merits of native teachers are widely touted, this approach is far from viable in the short run. Given Vietnam’s socio-economic status quo, I contend that Vietnamese teachers should also be included in the curriculum to ensure better access to education.