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The first Korean language course in a high school in Dong Nai

(News Portal – Dong Nai) – Recently, Luong The Vinh Specialized High School (Dong Nai) held the opening ceremony for the pilot Korean language class for students.

This could be the foundation for developing the teaching and learning of a second foreign language, besides English, in high schools. In fact, besides Korean, students also want to learn other foreign languages, such as Chinese and Japanese​.  
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Mr. Huynh Thanh Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party, Head of the Provincial Party's Inspection Committee, and Chairman of the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Association of Dong Nai province, conversing with students participating in the Korean language course.

Hundreds of students participate in the pilot program

In June 2024, the Pilot Project to support teaching Korean in high schools in the province was signed. Three units are coordinating to implement this project: the Department of Education and Training, Visang Vietnam Education Company Limited, and Lac Hong University. The project is supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Association of Dong Nai province.

Accordingly, the teaching of Korean is organized outside of regular school hours. The teachers involved are Korean language lecturers from Lac Hong University and teachers from Visang Vietnam Education Co., Ltd.

The project aims to diversify foreign language education in schools through extracurricular activities, meeting the demand for human resources in the province's socio-economic development. It also helps high school students learn Korean if they wish. The project also aims to create the first smart Korean language education model for high school students in Dong Nai.

Since the project was launched during the summer, when high schools made the announcement, there were almost no student registrations. However, in reality, the demand for learning a second foreign language other than English among high school students is significant. This was evident through discussions between Mr. Huynh Thanh Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party, Head of the Provincial Party's Inspection Committee, and Chairman of the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Association of Dong Nai province, and students from various high schools.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Binh, along with lecturers from the Department of Oriental Studies at Lac Hong University, directly visited Luong The Vinh Specialized High School, Chu Văn An High School (Bien Hoa City), and Dau Giay High School (Thong Nhat District) to discuss and explore the students' demand for learning a second foreign language. These are also the three schools where the pilot Korean language program will be implemented.

During these meetings, students expressed great enthusiasm for learning a second foreign language besides English. Not only Korean, but students also wanted to learn Chinese and Japanese. Although they are interested in learning foreign languages, students have limited access to these languages due to a lack of language centers offering Chinese, Japanese, or Korean; a shortage of teachers; and high tuition costs. Therefore, when they learned that their schools were offering Korean language classes for free in the first course, with reasonable fees for subsequent courses, students were very excited.

Nguyen Thi Quynh Anh, an 11A5 student at Chu Văn An High School, shared: "I think it's very appropriate to offer Korean language courses in schools. Young people who know more languages will have many opportunities to develop themselves. I feel lucky that my school is offering this additional foreign language course."

As of the opening day, nearly 300 students had registered for the pilot Korean language classes in high schools. The highest number of students came from Dau Giay High School, followed by Chu Van An High School and Luong The Vinh Specialized High School. Some students also came from other schools such as Vinh Cuu High School, Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School, and Long Thanh High School.

Combining in-person and online learning

With nearly 300 students participating, the teaching unit decided to organize the classes in two formats to accommodate the students. Accordingly, Luong The Vinh Specialized High School and Chu Van An High School will hold 70% of their Korean language classes in person and 30% online. For Dau Giay High School and students from other schools, 70% of the lessons will be online and 30% will be in person. When in-person lessons are held, lecturers from Lac Hong University and teachers from Visang Vietnam Education Co., Ltd. will go to the high schools to teach, making it easier for students to attend.

Being deeply invested in the project, Mr. Huynh Thanh Binh shared: "At the beginning of the project, we thought that student interest would be low, but after engaging directly with the students, we realized that it is in fact the opposite. I hope that students themselves will recognize the value of learning a second foreign language besides English and feel inspired to study foreign languages."

In addition to organizing Korean language classes, the units implementing the pilot project to support teaching Korean in high schools in the province will also organize experiential activities, allowing students to learn about Korean culture.​

Mr. Binh added: "In the early stages of the project, I will personally attend the lessons and study alongside the students. With an open-minded approach, we will listen to feedback from parents and students, and review the balance between online and in-person learning. After Korean, we may implement courses for Japanese and Chinese, as these are also foreign languages that students are interested in learning."

Author: Hoang Giang

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