AY 2007-2008 Projects - East Asia and Pacific

Country                       Vietnam
City                              Hanoi
Host Institution           Ministry of Education and Training

Project Description
Working within the Ministry of Education and Training at very high levels and with important contacts, the EL Fellow will focus first on assessment, a critical need now in Vietnam, with secondary but also important focus on Curriculum Development, Teacher (Network) Training, and Materials Development. All represent urgent needs now for a rapidly changing Vietnam.

Project Objectives
The current situation in Vietnam makes this a critical time to reinforce commitment to the development of effective English Language training in this country. The EL Fellow will bring particular expertise and background on the area of assessment. Having someone who is an Assessment Specialist is critical in effecting change within the Educational system here. The Minister of Education has spoken recently about the need to create a more competitive academic environment at all levels, and there is a real need for an effective, fair, and transparent assessment program in place. In addition to sound assessment expertise, a good sense of curriculum design would also be important, as Vietnam is recognizing the need to dramatically rework its national curriculum, again at all levels of learning, to address some major shortcomings. An ongoing and critical need within the Vietnamese educational system is effective teacher training and, related to this, Network Training. An important role of an EL Fellow would be development of a broader, systemic program of higher level teacher training. Finally, materials development is another area in which Vietnam has urgent needs. Materials currently being used are often outdated and ineffective and having an EL Fellow within the Ministry working with key individuals there would also have a dramatic, positive impact.

About the Host Institution
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) controls the education system including all materials, curriculum, and assessment for educational institutions throughout Vietnam. A new Minister took over recently - a former Fulbright Scholar who studied extensively in the United States - and is looking at ways to dramatically reform education in Vietnam. In a recent discussion with the Ambassador, he specifically noted the need for appropriate assessment programs to be introduced, as well as redesign of curricula and materials. This is a uniquely opportune time for an EL Fellow to work at the Ministry where s/he could have a real and major impact on education reform in Vietnam.