On April 4, 2026, the People's Committee of Hai Phong City issued Plan No. 107/KH-UBND regarding the implementation of the project "Strengthening foreign language teaching and learning for the 2025–2035 period, with an orientation to 2045" on the city's territory. This is considered a step toward modernizing education and preparing a generation of dynamic Hai Phong citizens with high competitiveness in the international labor market in the new era.
Strategic Vision: Foreign Languages as the Key to Integration
Amidst globalization and the rapid development of technology, Hai Phong identifies enhancing foreign language proficiency as an urgent task to access global knowledge, culture, and science. The overall goal of the Plan is to build a young generation with strong language skills to meet the requirements of innovation and the city's sustainable development. The city focuses not only on English but also on diversifying other languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Russian. This aligns with Hai Phong's position as a top destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from industrial powers.
Implementation Roadmap: From Piloting to Comprehensive Coverage
The plan is divided into three ambitious implementation phases:
- Phase 2025–2030: Laying the Foundation and Piloting: Hai Phong will pilot familiarization programs for languages like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for preschoolers and students in grades 1 and 2 at eligible facilities. The city strives for at least 15% of general education institutions to implement the teaching of these languages as a first or second foreign language. Notably, 100% of students in specialized foreign language classes at specialized high schools will learn a second foreign language. For higher education, 100% of city-managed schools must implement language programs besides English.
- Phase 2030–2035: Acceleration and Expansion: Hai Phong aims for at least 25% of general education institutions and 70% of vocational and continuing education centers to effectively implement non-English foreign language programs. The rate of institutions implementing integrated content and language teaching or teaching subjects/majors in foreign languages must reach at least 20%.
- Orientation to 2045: Completion and Sustainability: The city aims to improve the quality of integrated programs and specialized teaching in foreign languages across the entire national education system to meet the long-term development requirements of the city.
Human Resource Development: The Pillar of Success
To realize this roadmap, Hai Phong identifies teacher development as the key factor. The city will build annual recruitment plans, including attracting foreign teachers with pedagogical capacity to teach at public educational institutions. Key policies include:
- Attracting Talent: Striving to recruit 100 new foreign language graduates to work at educational institutions with a total projected budget of 10 billion VND for the entire period.
- Core Training: Organizing overseas training for 100 core teachers and lecturers to serve as the leading force.
- Broad Training: The plan expects to train language and pedagogical skills for 200 preschool, 600 general education, 80 vocational, and 100 university teachers.
- Inter-school Professional Groups: Building groups of language teachers for shared professional activities.
Methodological Innovation and Industry 4.0 Application,
Hai Phong is determined to strongly innovate teaching and learning methods, shifting from passive learning to the comprehensive development of practical communication skills. The city will focus on personalized and learner-centered techniques.
- AI and Digital Transformation: The Plan sets the task of building an internal digital ecosystem, including websites, digital libraries, and social media channels (YouTube, Fanpages) to create a "learning anytime, anywhere" environment. The city will implement online teaching, learning, and assessment systems with a goal of 100% participation from educational institutions. Notably, Hai Phong will invest in smart classrooms for foreign language teaching, aiming for 100% coverage by the 2025–2030 period.
- Assessment Reform: The city will build question banks and shared data. By 2030, full 4-skill (listening, speaking, reading, writing) assessments will be implemented for foreign languages in the 10th-grade high school entrance exam. Annual online surveys of students' language proficiency will be conducted to adjust teaching methods promptly.
Foreign Language Environment and International Cooperation,
Foreign languages must be used in daily life beyond the classroom. The city requires 100% of institutions to organize effective language clubs and annual city-level competitions, such as rhetoric or presentation contests.
- Expanding Cooperation: Hai Phong will promote international agreements and teacher/student exchanges with countries in the region and the world. The city aims to attract at least two foreign teachers or volunteers per foreign language per year to support schools. The Department of Foreign Affairs will serve as a crucial bridge in attracting these native experts and volunteers.
Financial Resources and the "06 Clears" Management Mechanism,
The total projected budget for 2025–2035 is 155.15 billion VND. For the 2026–2030 period, approximately 84.275 billion VND is estimated, focusing largely on teacher development (over 32 billion VND) and infrastructure/technology (14 billion VND). Funding will be mobilized from the state budget, integrated capital, and socialization from domestic and foreign businesses.
Regarding organization, the "06 clears" motto is strictly applied: clear people, clear work, clear time, clear responsibility, clear products, and clear authority. A Steering Committee will be established, and an online management system will be used to monitor and evaluate implementation at each unit.
This roadmap represents the long-term dedication of Hai Phong's leaders. With systematic investment in human, financial, and technological resources, Hai Phong is gradually removing language barriers to open the door to international integration and become a center for high-quality human resource training.