Chinese language class at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School.
Excited
The first Chinese lessons at the Chinese Class 1 of Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School opened up many exciting possibilities for the 6th-grade students. From pronunciation and Chinese characters to simple conversational phrases, each lesson offered new discoveries . Many students were delighted to recognize sounds and words they had heard in movies and television, now being taught to read and write by their teachers.
Tran Vu Thien Nhan, a 6th-grade student at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School, shared that although the first few lessons were a bit daunting, they brought her joy as she discovered a new language. She will try her best to learn so she can confidently communicate in Chinese, and also have more opportunities to learn about Chinese culture and people.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuong, a lecturer in the Chinese Language Department at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University, who directly teaches the Chinese language class 1, said that most of the students who registered already had a love for Chinese. “The initial lessons mainly focused on pronunciation and some simple Chinese characters, so the students learned quite quickly. Some students already knew a few simple conversational phrases from movies, so they were very enthusiastic when they learned them again in class.”
In addition to guiding students step-by-step in learning pronunciation, strokes, radicals, and writing rules for Chinese characters, teachers also use illustrative videos during lessons for students to observe and practice.
Aiming for multilingualism
Starting in October 2026, the Department of Education and Training (GD&ĐT) will pilot the teaching of Chinese at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School and Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted - Hue. During the 2026-2027 school year, Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School will organize two classes for 80 sixth-grade students; Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted - Hue will have two classes with 61 tenth-grade students.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Trang, Principal of Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School, said that Chinese is taught as a second foreign language, with an elective nature, based on students' wishes and parental consent. Learning Chinese does not replace the first foreign language and does not affect compulsory subjects or educational activities. The two classes are allocated three lessons per week, focusing on developing the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as the ability to use the language in age-appropriate situations.
To implement the new subject, schools have prepared classrooms, projection equipment, sound systems, and the necessary conditions for using digital learning materials. Support in terms of faculty from the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University, has helped schools ensure the conditions for organizing teaching and learning right from the start. Along with the classroom program, experiential activities, clubs, and exchanges will also be organized to create additional practical learning environments for students.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tan, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Hue City, the selection of two schools to pilot the program is an initial step in the direction of creating more foreign language options for students who need them, building a multilingual and multicultural school environment, in line with the trend of international integration.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tan, for a new foreign language to be implemented effectively, coordination between the education sector and universities is crucial, especially in ensuring teachers, curriculum, and learning materials. After a year of piloting, the Department of Education and Training will work with the University of Foreign Languages and high schools to evaluate the results and learn from the experience to develop a suitable plan for subsequent school years.