A job interview. Illustration photo by Pexels
My friend graduated with an excellent GPA from a prestigious university but struggled to find a job afterward due to poor English pronunciation.
Achieving a 7.0 on the IELTS was a milestone I am proud of. However, improving my English was a challenging journey. From my experience, I realized that the biggest obstacle was not grammar or vocabulary, but pronunciation.
A friend of mine graduated with a high GPA but struggled to find a stable job in their field due to poor English speaking skills. During job interviews, employers were mainly concerned with candidates’ ability to communicate in English, so my friend repeatedly failed to secure a good position.
This shows that education in our country has not placed enough emphasis on English pronunciation. As a result, many people excel in written English but struggle with real-life communication.
Moreover, when teachers themselves do not pronounce English correctly, it significantly impacts the quality of education in public schools, leading to a generation of students learning incorrect pronunciation. In contrast, private schools often hire native speakers or use creative methods to enhance students’ learning experiences.
To improve language teaching in Vietnam, I believe we need to focus on improving the quality of teachers, especially in public schools. Teachers should prioritize correct pronunciation so that students not only excel in grammar and vocabulary but also gain confidence in speaking English effectively. This should be the ultimate goal of learning a foreign language.
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.
