TeachingEnglish for all | British Council

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, the value of online teacher resources has been increasingly recognised. Equally, professional communities of practice also play a pivotal role in teacher development. A new project sees VietTESOL Association and two higher education institutions (Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 and Can Tho University) using the British Council’s global TeachingEnglish resources to support teacher development across Viet Nam.

This collaborative initiative between the three organisations and British Council Viet Nam seeks to deliver high-quality facilitated massive open online courses (known as MOOCs) but tailored to the Vietnamese educational context through the support of locally run Communities of Practice (CoPs). These support teachers not only in addressing any technical issues, but also foster teachers’ motivation from enrolling, participating and completing the courses through to applying what they have learnt in their classrooms with their learners and sharing that learning and application with fellow teachers. Before, during and after the online courses, teachers are invited to join Facebook pages and Zalo groups, sharing, learning and collaborating with one another.

Learn more about each of the three projects below and how you can take part. Over the next few months, we will update you with more developments and activities from the projects. And of course, remember, if you are an English teacher or teacher educator you can access the British Council’s full range of global TeachingEnglish resources at any time, free of charge.

VietTESOL Association

Viet Nam’s national English language teaching and research association have not only promoted the project via their Facebook page they have also developed a Zalo Community of Practice which has already amassed over 550 members. To support its members, VietTESOL provides online meetings to facilitate in-depth knowledge acquisition and peer learning. A number of orientation and sharing webinars have already been organised to support teachers, with many more planned in the near future. If you are interested in joining a supportive community for teachers, by teachers, why not join VietTESOL’s Zalo Community.

Hanoi Pedagogical University (HPU2) – Sharing and learning

In the north of Viet Nam, HPU2’s 'MOOC Localisation' project, known as ‘Sharing and learning’ has commenced by partnering with Hai Duong DOET to provide its primary teachers with access to the British Council's Motivating Activities for Primary online course, tailored to their local context.

The course offers teachers a variety of interactive ways to increase student motivation and learning, including games, songs, and chants. Teachers learn to incorporate these activities into their lesson plans, creating a more engaging learning environment. The practical approach ensures these ideas are adaptable to Vietnamese primary education.

More than 120 Hai Duong primary teachers took part in a series of online events, including orientation before the course, sharing sessions and Zalo groups during, and a showcase session after the course finished, giving teachers a chance to share their newly acquired knowledge and experiences with their peers and colleagues, further encouraging them to try out new activities and techniques with their learners.

In the future, HPU2 plans to partner with other DOETs to support teachers with accessing, completing and showcasing learning from other TeachingEnglish courses. For more details, please visit the HPU2 project’s Facebook Group where a community of over 1,200 teachers has already been created.

Can Tho University – Mekong Delta English teachers

In the Mekong Delta, Can Tho University is working with DOETs in Ben Tre, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Hau Giang to support over 300 primary, lower and upper secondary teachers to engage with the range of online courses available on the TeachingEnglish webpage.

They have not only established the MD English Teachers Facebook page with almost 450 followers, but they have also used it as a platform to survey the teachers about their professional development needs and wants. Many of the participating teachers have already taken a number of the courses and have taken the opportunity to share their reflections on the courses, what they liked and what they will apply in their teaching practice.

For example, one teacher has already completed two courses - TeachingEnglish: Inclusive classrooms and Gender in language education (both available for free until 21 September) – saying ‘What I like most is that the platform is very easy to use and learn from. Especially, I like the way the courses conduct exercises. When I make a mistake, I can do it again, which helps me remember the lesson more deeply. I apply it to my actual teaching.’

Referring to the Gender in language education course, she reflected ‘After studying this course, I realised that I needed more equality in my classrooms: complimenting and encouraging female as well as male learners. Also, when assigning tasks, it is not necessary for women to play the role of secretary and men to play the role of team leader. Rather, they should all change roles so that they can develop their full potential.’