- The UK’s international organisation for educational and cultural opportunities announces the East Asian winners of its prestigious IELTS Prize
- Three talented students from Viet Nam will receive a share of the VND240,000,000 prize fund helping them to realise international study ambitions
- Winners of the 2022 British Council IELTS Prize in Vietnam will pursue their studies in the UK and Vietnam.
- The IELTS top tips sharing with the IELTS Prize winners will be held on 13 October for potential test takers to learn from the IELTS Prize winners’ on how to ace IELTS test and how their lives have and will change as they embark on their new study journey.
Vietnam, 26 September 2022, The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational and cultural opportunities, has announced the winners of the 2022 IELTS Prize. Since 2011, the IELTS Prize has supported more than 330 students in East Asia to date; helping them pursue their dreams of studying international education worldwide. This year, 27 prize winners in East Asia are added to the list, including three outstanding IELTS test takers in Vietnam who have been awarded the IELTS Prize local prizes.
The British Council received over 1,600 applications and interviewed over 70 high flying individuals, who not only excelled at their IELTS test, but explained their intentions to contribute to the society locally or abroad after study.
Heather Forbes, Regional Exams Director, British Council East Asia said, ‘The IELTS Prize recognises those high performing students that demonstrate the academic excellence and commitment to the communities they belong to. More importantly, the winners show the determination to take what they learnt during their time of studying and utilise their knowledge and specialties to benefit their home countries once they return. It is our privilege to assist these ambitious and intelligent individuals in their professional and academic journeys. We believe that promoting international studies is key to helping students thrive in the future.’
Local IELTS Prizes are awarded to three outstanding test takers in Vietnam. They are Vu Hai Truong, Trinh Ngoc Minh Quan and Ngo Phuong Anh.
First Prize winner Vu Hai Truong (IELTS 8.5) feels that IELTS is more than a test and it has been tremendously helpful in many ways which equipped him with necessary skills for an international academic setting. He says, ‘I am very grateful that the British Council has offered us such a generous prize that can aid a big part of our learning journey. I applied for the IELTS Prize because I felt like it was designed for people like me who love English, are passionate about serving the community, and work hard enough to stand out.’
For Second Prize winner Trinh Ngoc Minh Quan, the IELTS test has tremendously supplemented him with essential language skills to utilise in his tertiary education environment. ‘Though the prize funding is attractive and could significantly pull me through the tuition fee and living expenses at university, it still pales in comparison with my intention to share my story of relentless efforts to conquer the IELTS, about how a mountainous-area boy can get an 8.5 in IELTS. My advice for the potential IELTS test takers would be to immerse yourself in the language and learn from mistakes. Try to practice English anytime you can, anywhere as much as possible.’
What lies beyond the IELTS Prize’s financial support is a chance to be part of a global network of forward-thinking individuals, shared by Ngo Phuong Anh, the third Prize winner (IELTS 8.5). ‘To me, the IELTS is an accurate measure of second language learners’ English proficiency, but it is also the perfect gateway to greater academic and professional development. The comprehensive TESOL program at the University of Bristol would give me chance to explore the multi-faceted applications of applied linguistics theories into materials design and testing the effectiveness of ESL materials for Vietnamese college students, thus being able to help our students more effective preparation for the test.’
Millions of students had to readjust their study plans due to the continued disruption of the pandemic. IELTS, the world’s popular high-stakes English proficiency test, has been a crucial part of students’ entry requirements, especially for East Asia which is one of the largest markets for students wishing to study in the United Kingdom, the US, Canada and Australia.
The British Council in East Asia also invites all students planning to take IELTS for education purposes to the IELTS study tips sharing with the IELTS Prize winners which will be live-streamed on British Council IELTS Facebook pages across East Asia on 13 October. The online event is open to anyone, and it will be great opportunity to learn from the IELTS Prize winners’ on how to ace IELTS test and how their lives have and will change as they embark on their new study journey.
For more information about the IELTS Prize, visit www.ieltsasia.org/vn and fanpage IELTS British Council Vietnam.
Local Prize Structure
| Prize | Name | School | Study |
| First Prize (VND150.000.000) | Vũ Hải Trường | Liverpool John Moores University | MSc. in Data Science |
| Second Prize (VND60.000.000) | Trịnh Ngọc Minh Quân | Fulbright University Vietnam | Arts and Media Studies |
| Third Prize (VND30.000.000) | Ngô Phương Anh | University of Bristol | TESOL |