IELTS marketization and the consequences of a 'pink-painted' certificate

"A hundred flowers bloom" in every corner

In recent years, the IELTS certificate has been the “golden ticket” in university admissions, making the exam preparation market “hotter” than ever. Many parents consider this a “two-in-one” investment: serving both the goal of university admissions and preparing for future studies, work and study abroad. Intensive exam preparation courses and strategic exam preparation courses have flourished, creating a large-scale educational service industry.

According to a survey by Tien Phong reporters in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi , etc., foreign language centers, especially those that prepare for IELTS and TOEFL certificates, are springing up like mushrooms and the number of students is also increasing rapidly.

Even some public and private schools create conditions and encourage students to review and obtain certificates before the high school graduation exam. The number of 70-100% of students in the class having IELTS certificates, especially in prestigious high schools from grade 11 is no longer rare.

Many high schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as other provinces and cities, as soon as students enter grade 10, parents and students are advised to have IELTS classes with different costs in each place.

Not only that, thanks to the "craze" for this certificate, many centers have opened classes and accepted students from grades 6 and 7 to enter "pre-IELTS" classes.

However, the reality shows that not all candidates with IELTS certificates can use English fluently. The story of international students who achieved 7.0 but still "stammer" and have difficulty communicating in foreign countries is still a common story. Or candidates who are admitted with international certificates but in reality when entering university still do not meet the requirements and have to retake the English test is not uncommon.

As Tien Phong reporter has reported, not all students have the opportunity to own that ticket. The difference in learning conditions between urban and rural areas, between well-off families and poor families, makes the IELTS score addition considered not really fair.

The leader of a university in Ho Chi Minh City, an education policy expert in admissions (who requested anonymity), said: “It cannot be denied that IELTS is a proof of foreign language proficiency. However, if we turn it into too great an advantage without a support mechanism for disadvantaged students, we are creating a new gap in education. University admissions need to diversify criteria so as not to miss out on talent."

Consequences of being exaggerated and commercialized

Mr. Nguyen Tran Binh An, a master's candidate in Applied Linguistics for the future at the University of York (UK), pointed out that, in essence, IELTS is a valuable international certificate, but turning it into an admissions tool has caused this value to be exaggerated and commercialized.

According to this expert, studying IELTS also requires time and a high level of commitment. Students must continuously practice and perfect their skills for 2-2.5 years - almost their entire high school years (of course, this number can vary depending on the student's English level, self-study ability, and teaching quality). Some people still mistakenly think that studying IELTS means rote learning, learning by formula.

But to get high scores, you need to study thoroughly, constantly build up your vocabulary, practice to improve your skills and read a lot to improve your knowledge.

"Reality shows that many students study IELTS without being ready, underestimating the effort required and spending most of their time on graduation exams, leading to interruptions or ineffectiveness in their IELTS studies. The learning process therefore has to start over, leading to feelings of discouragement, anxiety and confusion. Another risk is choosing the wrong center with poor quality, exaggerated advertising and unrealistic promises, causing "a waste of money and health" - Mr. An emphasized.

Mr. Nguyen Nhat Hung, co-founder & CEO of SocioLogic Debate and Critical Thinking Company Limited, added that IELTS is a standardized test to assess global English proficiency. Once it is standardized, everything from the format, expectations, and assessment scale are built on an existing standard.

According to Mr. Hung, besides the advantages, there are also concerns. That is, the cost of studying IELTS is not small, with each class or course costing up to hundreds of millions of VND, a huge amount of money that families need to invest so that their children can study and achieve the desired score.

Not to mention, families spend a large amount of money investing in the hope of achieving the best score, which invisibly shortens the period of approaching English in the most natural way, such as when participating in projects and events with foreigners, or simply giving children a long time to understand the language they are learning.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Master of Education, STEM Education major, USA, believes that the IELTS test preparation market in Vietnam is gradually deviating from its original goal. Many centers only focus on teaching test-taking tips and practice tests to help students achieve high scores in a short time, instead of building real English proficiency.

"Currently, IELTS preparation and testing is being painted in a rosy light and distorted by the tricks of many centers. Many centers only focus on teaching test-taking tips and practicing test questions to help students achieve high scores in a short time, instead of building real English proficiency," said Ms. Ngan.