Vietnam to Hire 22,000 English Teachers by 2030 in Push to Make English a Second Language

A nationwide plan to make English a daily language of learning

Vietnam is moving to hire 22,000 additional English teachers by 2030 as part of a sweeping plan to make English a second language across its school system. A draft proposal from the Ministry of Education and Training maps out a roadmap through 2045 that would expand English use across all levels, from preschool to university. By the target year, officials aim for English to be widely used in around 50,000 schools, reaching close to 30 million students and one million teachers and lecturers.

The plan breaks into three stages from 2025 to 2030, 2030 to 2040, and 2040 to 2045. Early actions concentrate on hiring, retraining, and building a pipeline of qualified educators. The ministry projects 12,000 new English teachers for preschools and 10,000 for primary schools within the first stage, along with retraining at least 200,000 current teachers to use English in instruction by 2030. English is already part of the curriculum from grade 3, and teachers who deliver lessons in a foreign language must meet set proficiency standards, B2 for primary and lower secondary levels and C1 for high school.

The move follows guidance issued in August 2024 to strengthen foreign language capability and gradually use English in exams, in teaching other subjects, and in daily school communication. The proposal also outlines reforms in teacher training, changes in exams and assessment, development of new materials, and the introduction of digital technology and artificial intelligence to classrooms. Pilot programs have begun to show what this looks like in practice, with more than 112,500 students studying non English subjects in English and about 77,300 enrolled in bilingual programs in the 2024 to 2025 school year across more than 40 provinces and cities.

Why the teacher gap is urgent

Vietnam faces a longstanding shortage of teachers across subjects, which has grown more serious with the newer curriculum that expanded English, arts, and information technology. The shortfall is estimated at close to 120,000 teachers nationwide across all levels, including around 45,000 in kindergarten. Recruiters have struggled to fill approved posts, leaving tens of thousands of positions unfilled. Middle schools face the most acute gaps, and shortages can be severe in remote and mountainous areas.

The strain is felt in major cities and rural regions alike. In Ho Chi Minh City, local leaders have warned that low pay makes it hard to hire teachers in subjects such as English and informatics. In the northern province of Ha Giang, some districts have only a handful of English teachers for thousands of students, which limits access to consistent language instruction.

New requirements set to roll out, such as full day schooling in elementary and middle schools from 2025 to 2026, will add to demand for staff. The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been instructed to accelerate hiring, use quotas more effectively, and propose more posts where needed. The government is also considering teacher policy changes and pay upgrades to make the profession more attractive.

What the plan will change between now and 2045

The proposal centers on four pillars. First, it calls for a complete overhaul of teacher training, from how candidates are prepared at colleges of education to how current teachers develop English skills for classroom use. Second, it seeks to reform exams and assessment so that students are measured on communication and application, not only grammar and memorization. Third, it mandates the redesign of curricula and learning materials aligned with international standards and practical usage. Fourth, it promotes digital tools and artificial intelligence to boost access, personalize learning, and support teachers.

Implementation is staged. From 2025 to 2030, the focus is on staffing immediate needs in preschools and primary schools and on retraining large numbers of existing teachers. From 2030 to 2040, the plan expands English as a medium of instruction in more subjects, scales digital content, and embeds English across daily school activities. The final period through 2045 aims for widespread use of English for teaching, exams, and communication in schools from cities to rural districts.

Teacher proficiency standards are central to quality. Vietnam uses the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which outlines levels of language ability. Primary and lower secondary teachers who teach in English must reach B2, an upper intermediate level that supports independent communication on a range of topics. High school teachers must reach C1, an advanced level that supports fluent and effective communication in complex situations. These requirements will guide hiring, retraining, and professional development plans in the coming years.

How Vietnam plans to find and train thousands of teachers

Meeting the target of 22,000 new English teachers and retraining 200,000 educators is a large logistical task. Education universities and teacher training colleges will need to expand English teacher cohorts while also offering programs that help current teachers reach B2 or C1 and learn how to teach their subjects in English. The ministry has said that organization and deployment are as important as raw numbers, pointing to the use of technology and careful planning to make training more efficient.

Policy shifts around recruitment, pay, and career progression are also on the table. Following passage of the Law on Teachers, authorities are drafting new recruitment rules that move more screening to provincial departments of education, reduce administrative intermediaries, and add a two round process with a practical teaching component. Pay and allowances are under review. Draft regulations under discussion would raise base salaries by at least 2 million dong per month, with a possible increase up to about 5 to 7 million dong depending on position and allowances. Policymakers are also studying incentives for those who teach science and other subjects in English and for those who accept posts in remote communities.

Time to qualification is another constraint. Professional development has to fit teachers schedules and be accessible across regions. Blended models using online modules, coaching, and school based practice can speed progress to B2 or C1. Successful local models will be promoted nationwide, and English learning campaigns will run in parallel to raise motivation and create a supportive environment for teachers and students.

International cooperation and private hiring will play a role

Vietnam is drawing on international partners and a large private education market to expand English teaching capacity. The Peace Corps program has placed volunteers in high schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with the largest group to date arriving in late 2024. Volunteers co teach with local teachers and support communication focused lessons. The United States also runs the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program, which invites Vietnamese high schools, colleges, and universities outside the two biggest cities to host an assistant for an academic year. These assistants focus on speaking and listening and help build cultural exchange. Schools can find information and apply via the Fulbright portal at the program page.

Private language centers and international schools are major employers of English teachers and often serve as an additional pathway for families. Large providers recruit in cities across the country and list positions ranging from English language teachers to academic coordinators. Many international schools and education organizations recruit year round, with peak activity ahead of the September school year start and a smaller wave in early spring.

Common requirements for foreign teachers include fluency in English, a bachelor degree, and a TEFL or CELTA style certificate with 100 hours or more of training. Pay packages in the private sector often include support with visas and work permits, professional development, and assistance with housing searches. Typical pay reported by reputable recruiters can range from about 1,500 to 2,000 US dollars per month, or hourly rates of 15 to 19 dollars, depending on location, experience, and employer. Platforms that connect teachers and schools, along with international recruitment agencies, help match candidates to both public and private roles.

Teaching other subjects in English and reforming exams

Using English to teach math, science, and other subjects is a central part of the 2045 vision. The goal is to make English a tool for learning rather than a stand alone subject that students study in isolation. Vietnam is already piloting this approach at scale. In the 2024 to 2025 school year, more than 112,500 students were taught non English subjects in English, and roughly 77,300 studied in bilingual programs across more than 40 provinces and cities. Expanding that model will require both language proficiency and subject specific pedagogy in English.

Assessments shape how teachers teach and how students learn. Research in Vietnam has long pointed to exam centered culture and large class sizes as barriers to communicative competence. The ministry intends to align exams and classroom practice. That means more attention to speaking, listening, and the application of knowledge in real situations. Changes will take time to settle, but are critical for making English a practical medium in everyday school life.

To support that shift, officials are preparing to pilot computerized national high school graduation exams beginning in 2027. This work includes a standardized question bank, training for staff, and secure systems for test delivery. Computer based testing should create more flexibility for assessing language skills and could enable new formats that better reflect communication in English.

• B2 level: Upper intermediate. A teacher can handle classroom interaction comfortably, understand the main ideas of complex text, and produce clear, detailed language on many subjects.
• C1 level: Advanced. A teacher can use English flexibly and effectively for teaching, understand demanding texts, and produce well structured and detailed language.

Digital tools and AI in classrooms

Digital platforms and artificial intelligence are part of the strategy to close gaps in access, especially where qualified teachers are scarce. AI supported language tools can give students instant feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, keep track of progress, and tailor exercises to individual needs. When integrated into lesson plans, these tools can extend practice time and free teachers to focus on higher value instruction.

For teachers, technology can reduce preparation time through shared lesson banks, adaptive quizzes, and automatic grading for certain tasks. AI can help generate prompts, variations on exercises, and audio materials across different difficulty levels. Care will be needed to align content with the national curriculum, protect data privacy, and make sure tools work well on low bandwidth connections in rural areas.

Reaching rural and disadvantaged areas

The distance between big urban centers and remote provinces is a persistent challenge. Low wages and difficult living conditions often discourage candidates from moving to mountainous or border districts. Some provinces also face limited pools of qualified graduates and stricter admission thresholds for teacher training.

Solutions under discussion include better housing support, travel allowances, and guaranteed placements for scholarship holders who train as English teachers. Policymakers have also explored deploying teachers across multiple nearby schools, decentralizing hiring to speed up decisions, and coordinating with universities to expand cohorts in high demand subjects such as English and information technology. In places with very few teachers, partnerships with volunteer programs and targeted grants for equipment and connectivity can keep students on track while recruitment continues.

Success will depend on accurate staffing forecasts and timely use of approved quotas. The ministry has urged local authorities to fill authorized posts and request adjustments where enrollments surge. Without faster hiring and better incentives, the plan to expand English in classrooms could stall in the areas that need it most.

What families and students will see in the coming years

Parents can expect more English exposure across grades, including in early childhood where 12,000 new teachers are planned. At the primary level, schools will add new English teachers and retrained staff. Students will see more project work and classroom interaction in English, and in many schools they will learn parts of math, science, or other subjects in English. After school clubs, debate teams, and English speaking events will likely expand as schools run campaigns to build a broader language environment.

Teachers will spend more time in training, both for language proficiency and for methods that support speaking and critical thinking. Digital content and AI tools will supplement lessons, giving students more chances to practice and receive feedback. In high school, assessment will gradually shift to measure how students use English in practice, not just how they perform on grammar questions.

Vietnamese remains the primary language of national life and instruction. The push to widen English use aims to add a practical tool for learning and work, not to replace the national language. Policymakers are also working to maintain support for ethnic minority languages in regions where they are taught, while expanding opportunities for students to gain strong English skills that open doors in higher education and employment.

Key Points

• Vietnam plans to recruit 22,000 English teachers by 2030 and retrain at least 200,000 current teachers to teach in English.
• The roadmap runs to 2045, with goals for English to be used widely in teaching, exams, and daily school communication.
• English is taught from grade 3, and teachers who instruct in English must reach B2 or C1 proficiency depending on level.
• Teacher shortages are severe nationwide, with nearly 120,000 posts lacking across subjects and many unfilled positions.
• Draft policies would reform recruitment, add a practical teaching round, and raise base salaries to make teaching more attractive.
• Pilots already have 112,500 students learning non English subjects in English and 77,300 in bilingual programs across more than 40 provinces and cities.
• International support includes Peace Corps volunteers and Fulbright teaching assistants, while private schools and centers continue to recruit.
• Digital exams are slated for a 2027 pilot, and AI tools will support instruction and practice in classrooms nationwide.
• Rural areas require extra incentives, housing support, and flexible staffing to close gaps in access to qualified English teachers.