VUS – Professional training for children (28-05-2010)

With its rigorously recruited teaching staff, and the latest textbooks produced by popular publishing houses in the world such as Oxford, Cambridge, and MacMillan to help students access advanced methodology, VUS has shown its professionalism in providing training to all of its students, including children.

Fluent and confident from the beginning

At VUS, children’s English programs have always received special attention to help build up a solid foundation for the children when they first learn English. Children work to develop all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through their interactions with foreign teachers.

VUS teachers have a good understanding of the psychological traits of students at this very young age. They use interactive methods and have various activities in class to create a lively learning environment. Students are encouraged to express themselves confidently in order to improve their language skills effectively. Learning about nature, society, science, music, arts, maths and literature through English lessons provides fundamental knowledge for them and will help them to be successful at their regular schools and develops their independence, communication skills and learning ability.

Students’ high level of performance in prestigious competitions is proof of VUS’s high quality training. Recently, in March 2010, VUS had a sweeping victory in the English speaking contest organized by the HCMC Department of Education and Training offering two first prizes, two second prizes, one third prize and two consolation prizes in all three age groups. Among hundreds of English training centers to send their students to the contest, VUS had the highest number of students that proceeded to the final round (7 out of 14 students) and was the only center to win seven prizes. VUS students were found to be confident, able to arrange their ideas logically, and to speak fluently with correct pronunciation. They totally convinced the judges and audience of their superior ability.

Nguyen Tran Thien Kim, the youngest student (12 years old) to win a first prize in the contest, was awarded a summer course in Singapore by VUS. Kim said: “Learning at VUS helps me develop my English skills a lot. I am becoming more confident in my English.

VUS students not only win big prizes in local contests but also perform really well in international exams. According to statistics from the Cambridge University Testing Center, the average score of VUS children students in Cambridge certificate exams is 30% higher than that of other children in Asia.

Always place students at the center

In order to achieve such amazing results, besides students’ own efforts, it’s worth mentioning the role of the training center which in this case is VUS. Currently, VUS has modern and well equipped campuses across Ho Chi Minh City.

With small class sizes, students are able to have teachers answer every question that they may have. In addition to more than 700 foreign and Vietnamese teachers (nearly 200 Masters and Doctoral degrees holders), VUS also has a strong body of academic administrative staff to support the teachers, and a group of student care and event staff to take care of the students and to organize extra-curricular activities. All of this is to ensure students receive the best care when they study at the center.

Upon completing the English for children programs successfully, students can continue to develop their English in higher level classes to achieve more goals. Here are some of the top VUS students to get high scores in international exams: Nguyen Hang Phuong Dung received 114/120 on the TOEFL iBT (she’s the youngest Vietnamese to achieve this result); Dam Huy Phat received 108/120 on the TOEFL iBT; Nguyen Ha Nguyen Anh received 180/180 on the TOEIC Bridge; Au Duong Tri received 960/990 in TOEIC;  and Do Trong Thanh received 670/677 on the TOEFL test.

Many of these students have been studying at VUS for a long time. For example, Nguyen Hang Phuong Dung has been with VUS since she was in the second grade. She said: “The more I study, the more I enjoy. I rarely skip class unless I’m sick. VUS English courses have helped me to have good English skills. The friendliness and enthusiasm of the teachers are a great source of support for me to develop my communication skills.”

VUS training programs are designed based on the cooperation between VUS and The City University of New York (CUNY) which is the third largest public university in the US and the home of 12 Nobel prize winners. Thanks to this, VUS students have access to the most up to date methodology and are able to progress rapidly.

According to Doanh Nhan Sai Gon Cuoi Tuan (Saigon Businessmen Weekend) on 28 May, 2010