THE VIETNAM TEACHER
TRAINING NETWORK
2000-2006
AN EVALUATIVE CONSULTANCY REPORT
Consultants:
Dr Christopher Tribble  King's College, London University
Susan Maingay  Training and Consultancy
Report commissioned by:
Laura Grassick: Senior English Language Teaching Development Manager (British Council Vietnam)
Report submitted:
4 October 2006
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006
Executive summary
A consultative review of the British Council's VTTN project has been concluded following a document
review process and a two-week visit to Vietnam in the period 12-30 September 2006. During that
time interviews were carried out with key stakeholders and classes were observed in 11 of the 20
participating Vietnamese provinces. The focus of the interviews was to find out "what has worked, for
whom, and under what conditions"?
The overall assessment of progress to date is positive. The VTTN project is highly valued by major
stakeholders  MoET + DoET, Trainers, EL Teachers. It is the only significant externally funded ELT
project supported currently under way in Vietnam and has the potential to position the UK and the
British Council as significant partners in the development of the national secondary education system.
(see 0919a_MoET.doc). The methodologies that are presented through the project are considered to
be relevant both by Education authorities and teachers and the Trainer Training sessions are
universally acclaimed as relevant, practical and highly effective.
The primary concern is that, in our opinion, the current phase of the project (Phase 2) has been
expanded beyond the capacity of the BC team to maintain quality and ensure stakeholder
satisfaction. In particular this affects the ability of the project to deliver on what is a key (but ultimately
unrealistic) objective: the use of an effective 'cascade' model to deliver training to all EL teachers in
participating provinces.
Main recommendations from this report, focus on the completion of Phase 2 in such a way as to
minimise Stakeholder disappointment, and the preparation for a possible Phase 3. These are given
below:
PHASE 2 (to 2008)
Recommendation 1
Recommendation 2
Recommendation 3
Recommendation 4
Recommendation 5
Recommendation 6
Recommendation 7
Recommendation 8
Recommendation 9
PHASE 2 - Make an early decision regarding the date of final project
activities. Given the overall concern over impact and sustainability, it would
be preferable to hold at least one more cycle of INSETT workshops during
Summer 2008. There may also be good arguments for holding the last VTTN
Conference in 2008 rather than 2007.
PHASE 2 - Review participation in teacher training workshops, also their
timing and frequency
PHASE 2 - Review overall project staffing as this is currently inadequate to
ensure quality and the achievement of project impact across all 20 provinces
PHASE 2- Review the fit between VTTN workshop themes and the needs of
teachers faced with the new course books (years 10, 11, 12)
PHASE 2 - Review the potential for the inclusion of more full length exemplar
lessons in VTTN workshops
PHASE 2 - Prepare actively for project closure (including the development of
a final phase project plan + messaging to key stakeholders)
PHASE 2 - Start the process of selecting workshop materials for inclusion in
Training Packs
PHASE 2 - Commence (and aim to complete) the process of production of
Video exemplar lessons
PHASE 2 - Revise the 2006-2008 project documentation in the light of these
recommendations and the decisions that are taken over the coming months
PHASE 3 (POTENTIAL AFTER 2008)
Recommendation 10 Post 2008 focus only on Trainer training - with the aim of establishing a top
quality professional group of Vietnamese trainers who can ensure effective
cascading
Recommendation 11 Develop hard copy and electronic archive of training packs for long term use
at DoET level by VTTN trainers and Key Teachers
Recommendation 12 Develop a set of video exemplar lessons for use in on-going and future
training
Recommendation 13 Work with MoET and VTTN team to develop a Vietnamese hosted website
and community for the VTTN trainers
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006
Table of contents
1.
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
2.
Terms of reference for the current review process ................................................................................................ 4
3.
Approach ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Documentary review .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Stakeholder interviews ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Schedule and lesson observations .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Visual documentation of best practice ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
4.
Background and context .......................................................................................................................................... 6
4.1
4.2
4.3
English Language Education in Vietnam ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
The VTTN Project ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Phase 1 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Phase 2 .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Trainer resource packs .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Trainer profile......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Project funding ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Milestones in the development of VTTN ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
5.
Evaluation to date ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.4
4.2.5
5.1
5.2
VTTN Evaluation Meeting 2003 ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
VTTN Evaluation Surveys 2006 ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
5.2.1
Teachers' questionnaire (655 responses) .......................................................................................................................................... 10
5.2.2
Trainers' questionnaire (57 responses) ............................................................................................................................................... 10
5.2.3
Head Teachers' feedback (167 responses) ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Findings  Stakeholder interviews ........................................................................................................................ 11
6.
6.1
6.6
The impact of the VTTN project ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Policy ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Impact on the classroom, beyond metropolitan areas and on through information sharing ............................................................... 12
Minor themes ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Relevance .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
the link to national policy, use of local knowledge, links to earlier projects ........................................................................................ 12
Issues ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
the appropriateness of the VTTN workshops to the local context ...................................................................................................... 13
workshops  numbers, timing, participation, trainer quality ................................................................................................................ 13
the cascade ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Sustainability .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Pre-2008 activities ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Model lessons ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Post-2008 policy ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 16
7.
Lesson observations .............................................................................................................................................. 17
7.1
7.2
7.3
Conditions .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Evidence of good practice ......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Concerns .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
pronunciation model ............................................................................................................................................................................ 20
group work and pair work tasks / communicative language teaching ................................................................................................ 20
teacher centeredness .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
ICT in ELT .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Constraints ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Noise .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Classroom organisation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22
6.1.1
6.1.2
6.1.3
6.2
6.2.1
6.3
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.4
6.5
6.5.1
7.3.1
7.3.2
7.3.3
7.4
7.5
7.5.1
7.5.2
8.
Project management issues ................................................................................................................................... 23
8.1
8.2
2000  2004 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
2004  2006 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
9.
Discussion .............................................................................................................................................................. 25
9.1
9.2
Positive outcomes ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Issues and Concerns ................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
10.
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................ 28
11.
Recommendations .................................................................................................................................................. 29
11.1
11.2
Pre-2008 .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Post Project ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
12.
Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................. 30
12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
Terms of reference .................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Interview Protocol ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Interview records........................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
Observation instrument .............................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Observation records .................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006
1.
Abbreviations
Although we would prefer to avoid acronyms, some of these are so much a part of the education and
management culture in Vietnam and within the British Council that it seems foolish to stick to full
forms for everything. Below is a list of the acronyms and abbreviated forms used in the report. In
most cases, we have attempted to give the full form on first use, and indicated that a shorter form will
be used thereafter..
Abbreviation / acronym
DoET
EL
ELT
GFS
INSETT
MoET
TT
VTTN
2.
Full form
Provincial Department of Education and Training
English language
English language teaching
Grant Funded Services
In-Service Education and Teacher Training
Ministry of Education and Training
Teacher Trainer
Vietnamese Teacher Training Network (Project)
Terms of reference for the current review process
The full terms of reference for this consultancy are to be found in the Appendices to this report. The
main purpose of the review can be summarised as follows:



to identify and evaluate the positive changes the project has brought about (if any)
to assess the extent to which these changes have met stakeholder needs and interests
to review the long term potential sustainability of any positive outcomes which have arisen from
the project.
To fulfil this purpose, during the evaluation we have been asked to:

review key stakeholder1 assessments of the professional content, quality, and sustainability of the
outputs of the Vietnamese Teacher Training Network project (henceforward VTTN). These will
include:
- the current and future financial commitment of provincial departments of Education and
training
- the sustainability of trainer training (will trained staff stay in post? what remit will they have?
what institutional support will they receive?)
- the relevance and sustainability of the newsletter edited by VTTN trainers (to what extent is it
valued / used?)
- the relevance and sustainability of the small collection of resources provided in each province
- the mid / long term commitment and support from MoET
- the relevance of the training packs for trainers (currently being completed)
- the relevance of the training DVD for trainers (currently being completed)
 review key stakeholder2 perceptions of the outcomes of the VTTN project at classroom level in
participating secondary schools. This aspect of the review will focus on:
- the impact of new materials and methods on teacher behaviour
- the impact of new materials on learner achievement
- the impact of new methods and approaches on learner achievement
 if applicable, comment on what is needed in the near future to enhance the VTTN project
sustainability.
 from a British Council perspective, identify learning points for future projects.
It is important to note that within the survey we will not make any direct independent comments on the
quality or relevance of the VTTN training process (including VTTN materials and methods) other than
from the perspective of the VTTN trainers and trainees. As we have not been able to participate in or
observe VTTN training it was agreed with the British Council that it will be more appropriate in this
1
a sample of policy makers, teacher educators, mentors, advisors, inspectors, teachers, teachers' association
members
2 a sample of school principals, teachers, ELT inspectors / specialists, teachers' association members
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006
context to focus on project outcomes, drawing conclusions regarding the quality and relevance of the
training process on the basis of stakeholder assessments.
3.
Approach
Our overall approach to this review process is in the recently developed tradition of scientific realism
advocated by Pawson and Tilley3. Within a realistic evaluation, our main concern is to answer the
apparently simple questions "What works, for whom, and in what circumstances?" We are not
attempting to prove that an intervention such as VTTN has been the answer to the problem of English
teacher education in Vietnam. Most readers of this report would, we are sure, agree that this would
be a futile effort. Rather, we have attempted to provide an evidence based account of which
stakeholders in the project have experienced beneficial outcomes as a result of the investment made
by the British Council, MoET and the participating DoETs, to clarify what the conditions have been
which have made these positive outcomes possible, and to indicate where things haven't worked and
need to be changed.
Each stage in the review process has involved the elaboration of relevant research questions and the
accumulation of an evidence base on which it is possible to form opinions and, eventually, make
recommendations. Our report outlines the stakeholders we have polled, summarises the research
questions we have used, and presents the data collection and analysis techniques we have drawn on.
The Findings section brings together the results of this process, and grounds any comments we make
in the evidence base we have accumulated during the evaluation. Because this accumulated
evidence is presented in the appendices to the report, our findings, conclusions and
recommendations are open to scrutiny and challenge. We feel this is essential and will welcome
comments from readers of this report  whether they agree or disagree with our conclusions.
3.1
Documentary review
Before coming to Vietnam, we undertook a full review of the project documents that were available.
This review forms the basis for the summary of the background to the project (Section 4 below) and
has provided essential background information to the reviewers. It has also revealed some significant
project management issues which we will report on below (Section 8).
3.2
Stakeholder interviews
In order to fulfil the requirements of the TOR, we agreed with the project manager that the main data
collection activities within the review would be the administration of a standardised interview protocol
(see appendices). With the VTTN team we identified the following major stakeholder categories:





VTTN Teacher Trainers
English Language Teachers (VTTN participants)
School principals
DoET ELT specialists and managers
MoET ELT specialists and managers
To ensure that this process was as representative as possible of the project as a whole, the British
Council undertook to identify appropriate interviews in as many provinces as was feasible. In the end,
interviews were carried out in 12 out of the 20 participating provinces. We feel that these interviews
and observations have enabled us to report against the following main headings:






the impact of the project
the relevance of the project to stakeholder interests and local conditions
issues and learning points associated with the project
the sustainability of the project's outcomes
the focus of the remaining two years of VTTN (pre-2008)
the best role for the British Council (and for VTTN trainers) after the formal end of this phase of
the VTTN project
3
a key source for this approach is: Pawson, R. and N.Tilley, (1997) Realistic Evaluation, London: Sage
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3.3
Schedule and lesson observations
The schedule for the visits in the project is summarised below, along with the locations for the lesson
observations we conducted during the review:
September 18
September 20
September 20
September 21
September 21
September 22
September 22
September 26
September 27
September 27
September 28
Hanoi, Quang Trung Senior Secondary School
Thai Nguyen, Chu Van An Senior Secondary School
Thanh Hoa, Ham Rong Senior Secondary School
Danang, Phan Chau Trinh Senior Secondary School. Senior Secondary School
Hue, Hai Ba Trung Senior Secondary School
Quang Ngai, Tran Quoc Tuan Senior Secondary School
Quang Tri, Dong Ha Senior Secondary School
HCMC, Trung Vuong Senior Secondary School
Can Toh, Senior Secondary School
Khanh Hoa, Nguyen Van Troi Senior Secondary School
Vung Tau, Vung Tau Senior Secondary School
During the review process we made use of a standardised lesson observation instrument (see
appendices) as well as making evaluative field notes. We will draw on these observations when
commenting on the effectiveness of the teacher training process, and the relevance of VTTN to
current classroom conditions and teacher capacities. We fully recognise that these observations are
in no sense a snapshot of everyday practice in English Language classrooms around Vietnam. What
they do provide is a valuable insight into what a set of teachers and trainers from around the country
consider to be good practice in ELT.
3.4
Visual documentation of best practice
Alongside the observations we took photographs 4 of the majority of classes we saw. Chris Tribble
has also prepared a set of publication quality images which have been archived in two formats:


a web-ready CD which can be used for training and public communication purposes
an archive of publication ready TIFF images (3072x2048 pixels). These can be reproduced up to
A4 size5.
Susan Maingay has provided a set of lower resolution images (2272x1704 pixels) using a compact
digital camera (09_20_Thai_Nguyen / 09_27_Khanh_Hoa). These have been archived as TIFFs
along with the main set.
These images have a double value. First, they enable the British Council in Vietnam (and globally) to
communicate, in a very direct way, the value of what is being achieved through VTTN. Using either
web, print or other forms of reproduction the images can enhance the advocacy case for the
importance of English language teaching in the economic and social development of Vietnam.
Secondly, the images can form the basis for a training resource. If they are linked to an informed
commentary on the practices they exemplify, they can be used by trainers (in print or electronic form)
as a basis for awareness raising and instruction. Methodologies for exploiting this resource can be
found in the Looking at ELT CD (sometimes known as Snaps 2004) which Chris Tribble prepared for
the British Council in an earlier project.
4.
Background and context
4.1
English Language Education in Vietnam
The VTTN project should be seen within the context of the on-going reform of Secondary Education in
Vietnam. The British Council GFS ELT Research Project (prepared in 1999) reviewed the provision
of both pre- and in-service English language teacher education in Vietnam and concluded that the
current provision for in-service Teacher Education and Training did not meet the needs of teachers.
4
All images remain copyright either Chris Tribble or Susan Maingay, but are available to the British Council to
use free of charge so long as appropriate acknowledgements are made of authorship and copyright.
5 n.b.  if the British Council needs large format images for poster / banner reproduction (up to A0 or higher),
please contact ctribble@clara.co.uk.
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As a result of this survey, a decision was made to support a project which focused on the
development of a cadre of INSETT trainers able to meet the needs of English language teachers in
Senior Secondary schools.
4.2
The VTTN Project
4.2.1
Phase 1
The VTTN project was initiated in April 2000 as a partnership between the British Council and the
Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training. The stated purpose of the network was:
"to facilitate the dissemination of best practice amongst trainers and teachers of
English at upper secondary school and university level. The long-term objective is to
provide access to professional development for ELT practitioners working within the
upper secondary school and university sectors". (Vietnam's English Teacher and
Trainer Network) Proposal Document, 10 April 2000)
Key assumptions within the project can be summarised as follows:
-
-
-
VTTN participants should be active, motivated English teachers and trainers with a
commitment to quality and the use of creative approaches to language teaching.
The project would focus primarily on upper secondary level teachers, but university English
teachers would also be invited to participate in the network.
The project would last for three years and support (in the first instance) the professional
development of teachers and teacher trainers in six provinces: Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Nghe An,
Hue, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Teacher development would be delivered at national, provincial and institional levels through a
mix of UK ELT specialist led workshops for Vietnamese Teacher Trainers, and locally
delivered cascading workshops for Secondary School Teachers (with the occassional
participation of UK ELT specialists)
Participating trainers would be expected to provide:
- attend national and provincial planning meetings as appropriate
- organise and attend provincial training workshops and meetings
- co-facilitate methodology and ideas training workshops
- contribute to the network newsletter
- give feedback on ideas and materials to colleagues and network members
By the end of Phase 1 VTTN activities had been extended to 10 provinces:
- Binh Dinh
- Danang
- HCMC
- Hue
- Khanh Hoa
- Nghe An
- Thai Nguyen
- Thanh Hoa
- Yen Bai
- ?
Some key numbers for Phase 1 are:




the total number of trainers = 50
total number of trainees = 1000
total number of workshops = 7 (per province = 63 over three years)
main themes of workshops
- Adapting textbooks
- Teaching vocabulary
- Teaching writing (1)
- Grammar games and activities
- Teaching reading skills
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006
4.2.2
Phase 2
Following an internal review in 2003 and discussions with the Ministry of Education and Training, it
was agreed that the VTTN project should be extended to cover 20 provinces in the north, centre and
south of Vietnam. Although the project still does not have national coverage, this does mean that
major centres of population are now included. The provinces involved are:
Ba Ria-Vung Tau
Binh Dinh
Can Tho
Danang
Ha Tinh
Haiphong
Hanoi
HCMC
Hue
Khanh Hoa
Kien Giang
Nghe An
Phu Tho
Quang Ngai
Quang Ninh
Quang Tri
Soc Trang
Thai Nguyen
Thanh Hoa
Yen Bai
Some key numbers for Phase 2 are:



total number of trainers = 100
total number of trainees = 4000
total number of workshops = per year 6 (120 workshops delivered across 20 participating
provinces)
 main themes of workshops
- Teaching listening skills
- Promoting communication (large classes / mixed levels)
- Writing skills (2)
- Making grammar communicative
- Teaching speaking skills
4.2.3
Trainer resource packs
By the end of Phase 1 each province had a collection of 20 relevant ELT teacher education resource
books. During Phase 2 new provinces have received 15 additional titles. Original provinces have all
35 titles.
4.2.4
Trainer profile
The range of skills and experience amongst the VTTN trainers is wide. Several have excellent
English language skills and are very well qualified and competent trainers (in particular those who are
Provincial ELT specialists), having either been trained through earlier projects (notably the DFID
funded ELTTP for lower secondary school teachers), having received professional development
through Hornby Scholarships, or having participated in Hornby ELT Summer Schools. It is clear,
however, on the basis of discussions during the review process, that others have much more
restricted capacity to use spoken and written English and are less effective as trainers.
This variation arises mainly from the fact that DoETs have had control over trainer selection, although
it is probable that the pool of potential trainers is more limited in remoter and poorer provinces. If there
is to be any future trainer-training for an advanced group (see Section 6.6 below), it will be important
that the British Council is able to work with MoET and participating DoETs in setting criteria for the
selection of "expert-trainers" and, if possible, in the selection process itself.
4.2.5
Project funding
An important feature of the design of Phase 2 has been the increasing transfer of the funding load to
DoETs6. However, this has brought problems in terms of the disappointment of stakeholder
expectations as well as raising long term sustainability issues for key aspects of the VTTN process
(see Section - below)
6
see _Financial commitment between BC and DoETs for VTTN programme from Feb Mar 04 onward.doc in the
appendices
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4.3
Milestones in the development of VTTN
The tables below provides an overview of the development of the project and summarises some of
the contrasts between Phase 1 and Phase 2.
2000
2001
PHASE 1
- Project start
- 6 provinces
- 26-30 trainers (5 per province)
- 1 UK ELT specialist manager +
support from BC TC or other locally
based trainers
- 2 national trainer training sessions
per year
- 2 x 3 day workshops per province
per year
- 40 participants per workshop
PHASE 1
- End 2001  10 provinces included
in project
- 45-50 trainers
- 2 national trainer training sessions
per year
- 2 x 3 day workshops per province
per year (supported by UK ELT)
Specialists)
- 40 participants per workshop
- peer observation and support
between local trainers funded
through the project
2004
PHASE 2
- 1 original province withdraws
(unwilling to take on financial
burden in later stages of the
project)
- 1 UK specialist supported by
specially designated BC trainers
from TC
- 6 extra provinces included in the
project
- UK ELT specialist support
transferred to Phase 2 participating
provinces
- old trainers still take part in twice
yearly trainer development
workshops
- peer observation / support
continues
5.
2002 / 2003
PHASE 1
Same as 2001
2005
PHASE 2
- 5 further provinces included
- same training pattern as before
- 4 Phase 1 provinces no longer
supported by ELT specialist
participation in W/s but peer
support / observation continues
2006
PHASE 2
- additional "top-up" 30 hour trainer
training workshop to support Phase
2 trainers
- Guided Trainer Notes developed
to support Phase 2 trainees
Evaluation to date
5.1
VTTN Evaluation Meeting 2003
A stakeholder forum was held in 2003 to take stock of progress since the project's commencement in
20007. This meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training, the
Departments of Education and Training at Provincial Level, VTTN co-ordinators and trainers from the
University departments of Education and Training and from Secondary Schools, along with British
Council ELT managers.
Through a series of minuted discussions, stakeholders were asked to comment on 8 questions. The
questions and key responses are summarised below:

How has VTTN led to improved standards of teaching and learning in upper secondary schools?
- Teachers have become more confident in teaching communicatively.
- Teachers are better able to help each other and work cooperatively in
professional development.
- Students in classes given by VTTN trained teachers are more actively engaged
in learning and have more opportunities to speak and use English in
communicatively valid ways than their peers in other cohorts.
7
Stott, B., October 2003, VTTN Evaluation Meeting Report, British Council, Vietnam
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VTTN Evaluative review  September 2006







How effectively has VTTN given support to the curriculum / textbook change agenda?
- VTTN trained teachers and are better prepared to work with new text books
than their peers in other cohorts
How has VTTN helped to create improved links between different educational stakeholders and
sectors?
- The impact of VTTN has been positive. It is the only forum in which
representatives from institutions such as DoET, MoET, universities, colleges and
schools, along with external trainers from the British Council are able to meet and
exchange experiences, skills and knowledge.
What gaps exist in the current VTTN programme?
- There was a concern over a continuing lack of training resources
What has been the value of British Council input to the VTTN project?
- This was highly evaluated, both in terms of professional and managerial inputs.
How sustainable will project outcomes be across the country?
- There was a general concern that unless there was continuing external financial
and professional support for VTTN it would be impossible to maintain the
programme into the future.
To what extent have the trainers and coordinators made professional progress as a result of
participation in VTTN?
- This was highly evaluated with trainers and coordinators feeling they had gained greater
professional confidence, skill and knowledge.
What should the future role of VTTN be across the participating provinces?
- There was an overwhelming desire for VTTN to be continued and to be expanded.
It was seen as having a central role in the preparation of teachers to teach with
the new text books.
In the light of this positive assessment of the VTTN project the British Council and the MoET agreed
to continue and extend VTTN with the target of 20 participating provinces by 2006.
5.2
VTTN Evaluation Surveys 2006
A series of questionnaires8 were sent to teachers and teacher trainers from the 18 provinces which
had participated in VTTN training
5.2.1
Teachers' questionnaire (655 responses)
Feedback was very positive, with 95% reporting improvement in their teaching as a result of attending
workshops. They also cite a range of ways in which they 'cascade' learning and share their
experience with other teachers. 89% say that they would like further support in the form of refresher
workshops etc.
5.2.2
Trainers' questionnaire (57 responses)
Feedback was also very positive, with over 98% confirming the effectiveness of both planning
meetings and the teachers' workshops delivered in their province. (56% thought the planning
meetings Very Effective for trainer training; 42% thought the workshops Very Effective for teacher
development, with all respondents reporting evidence that teachers are implementing ideas from the
workshops). As with the teachers, trainers also ask for further training and support - including one
request for a VTTN Network website.
Feedback was also collected from Head Teachers in participating schools, through a mix of meetings 9
and questionnaires10
5.2.3
Head Teachers' feedback (167 responses)
Feedback again is generally positive, especially in as much as Heads can see that the VTTN training
equips their teachers to deal with the 'new teaching methodologies' which they appear to recognise as
8
Final Teacher VTTN Evaluation of 18 Provinces; Final Trainer VTTN Evaluation
Head Teachers' Meeting - Feedback Summary
10 Head Teacher Questionnaires - Quang Tri, Phu Tho, Quang Ninh, Vung Tau
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the way forward. Many of them refer to the importance of English as the key to job opportunities for
their pupils. Concerns expressed by some Head Teachers include coverage of the project (does it
reach all schools, especially in rural areas?); the lack of modern educational technology in the
classroom; and the lack of fit between the new methodologies and the current graduation exams.
Findings  Stakeholder interviews
6.
We will report findings from the stakeholder interviews against the headings listed in section 3.2:






the impact of the project
the relevance of the project to stakeholder interests and local conditions
issues and learning points associated with the project
the sustainability of the project's outcomes
the focus of the remaining two years of VTTN (pre-2008)
the best role for the British Council (and for VTTN trainers) after the formal end of this phase of
the VTTN project
Interview data for each respondent or group of respondents has been reviewed against these
headings and relevant field note extracts have been transferred into an Excel data base. These
extracts have themselves been re-coded following a manual scrutiny in order to enable a systematic
categorisation of the responses into associated clusters. Results of this analysis are tabulated at the
beginning of each sub-section and constitute the basis for the presentations of findings which follow.
All comments quoted in the text are attributed to the stakeholders we interviewed using the filenames
for the Interview Record field notes. These Interview Records are printed in the appendices to this
report.
6.1
The impact of the VTTN project
Theme
close relation to national policy
impact at classroom level
ability to reach teachers beyond metropolitan centres
sharing experience
quality of materials
access to native speakers
quality of trainer training
transformation of attitudes of head teachers
impact on listening and speaking skills
links to earlier projects
Total comments
Instances
24
17
8
8
2
2
2
1
1
1
66
Table 1 - Impact
6.1.1
Policy
Table 1 shows very clearly that a large part of the impact of VTTN derives from its close linking to the
national policy to encourage learner centred teaching in all school subjects, and the accepted need to
make students more active in the learning process than has hitherto the case. Comments such as
the following are typical:
-
VTTN has brought benefit to teachers - timed to coincide with MoET's policy on
training for new methodologies (_09.20b_ThanhHoa_DoET.doc)
VTTN has made a start in the process of innovation in Vietnam - part of MoET
policy (09.27a_Khanh Hoa_DoET.doc)
Importantly, one respondent also commented:
-
Because of this even though the budget of VTTN has been very small, the impact
has been high  it's been a low cost high impact project (0919c_Hanoi_VNU_Le
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Van Canh.doc)
6.1.2
Impact on the classroom, beyond metropolitan areas and on through information sharing
The second group of major themes which emerge from the survey are associated with the unique
ways in which VTTN brings trainers and teachers together, and reaches beyond metropolitan centres.
While we will see below that this feature of the project has brought significant problems along with it, it
must be recognised that the way in which VTTN enables teachers and trainers to work together has
been a highly valued component of the project.
6.1.3
Minor themes
Of the minor themes under the heading of impact, and one which bears further consideration, is the
high value that teachers and trainers give to the involvement of native speakers of English in the
training process. This is not a surprise  but will be commented on later in the report as an issue both
in project design and in the move to project closure.
6.2
Relevance
Theme
link to national policy
use of local knowledge
links to earlier projects
practicality of training
Total comments
Instances
10
6
2
1
19
Table 2 - Relevance
6.2.1
the link to national policy, use of local knowledge, links to earlier projects
Although a relatively small number of comments from informants were identified under this theme,
they are highly significant. The development of VTTN arises from the British Council's long term
engagement with Vietnamese teachers of English, its sponsoring ministry, MoET, and the provincial
DoETs, and is seen as engaging very closely with major national priorities in education reform and
renewal. As such the project receives strong approval from some of the British Council's most
significant T1s and T2s.
Because of this close linkage of VTTN with national priorities, the British Council is also seen as an
organisation which listens to and respects its Vietnamese partners. This view came out very strongly
in one comment from the HCMC DoET:
-
BC tries to understand what is needed most in the Vietnamese context. This is
then used as the basis for the priorities in the workshops and has led to the
themes that have been adopted. This compares very favourably with US and
Australian workshops - the BC has tried to find the needs first and then design the
programme.
It is also worth noting that the synergy between the earlier Centre for British Teachers (CfBT)
managed English Language Teacher Training Project (ELTTP) and VTTN itself is appreciated by the
trainers who have taken part in both projects and by MoET and DoETs who are pleased to see
continuity between these two UK funded programmes.
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6.3
Issues
Theme
appropriateness
number of participants / workshops
cascade
timing
language level
trainer quality
cooperation issues
accessibility issues
dependence on native speaker
communications
materials
reach
resources
selection
Total comments
Instances
28
23
14
10
5
5
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
97
Table 3 - Issues
Although there was much good news about the project in our discussions with stakeholders, several
important issues were raised. Some of these are so significant that they militate not only against the
long term sustainability of the project's outcomes but may actually jeopardise the British Council's
overall reputation for effectiveness.
6.3.1
the appropriateness of the VTTN workshops to the local context
Although we were able to identify marginally more comments in the survey which related to the
appropriateness of VTTN, concerns were also raised??? (Not sure I have understood your point
here). Many of these concerns were part of a "good news, bad news" commentary on the project.
The examples below are typical:
-
-
6.3.2
[aspects of the VTTN approach are] not appropriate because of the local context
(fixed seats; lack of equipment; complaints re noise). But we should not give up keep on going!
Many head teachers support English language but this is not universal. When the
head is interested in ELT this makes it much easier for teachers to participate.
However, there is a general recognition that foreign modern languages are central
to the curriculum. VTTN was causing problems in the school because of the noise
generated by group work, but now head teachers are accepting the need for group
work and discussion, and VTTN methodology is beginning to have an impact on
other subjects.
workshops  numbers, timing, participation, trainer quality
More critically, we identified at least 38 negative comments on either the numbers of teachers or
trainers allowed to participate in teacher- or trainer-training workshops, the number of training
sessions provided through the project, or the number, length or timing of the training workshops.
Comments such as the following give an impression of the feelings of the respondents. Managers
may wish to review the full field notes to get a stronger sense of respondents' assessments of this
aspect of VTTN:
-
-
Not enough workshops. Teachers take turns to attend and so no-one gets a full
programme (school policy will not allow one teacher to go several times
(09.27a_Khanh Hoa_DoET.doc)
Teachers … at each workshop we can only have 40 teachers. … there should be
80 or 100 to have impact ((0925a_HCMC_DoET.doc)
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-
-
-
There are serious frustrations around the maximum number of trainers that can be
trained through the project. 40 out of over 1000 teachers is to few
(0925a_HCMC_DoET.doc
It is a problem because so few teachers can participate… There was also the idea
that older teachers should not be selected. (0920a_Thai Nguyen_ELTs.doc)
The trainers haven't had enough input and time to learn how to deliver all the
packages (0918d_Hanoi_ELTs_TTs.doc)
Only 40 teachers can participate in VTTN workshops - we have to make a mix of
new and old participants in the group - we would prefer to let all the teachers
participate and not have to use a cascade.
(0927b_Can_Tho_Trainers&Teachers.doc)
If VTTN only gives a teacher one chance to attend, they don't have enough
aspects of methodology
We cannot send enough teachers to regular workshops - this is not enough and
we cannot keep track of the teachers and find out what has been applied by them
back at school (0925b_HCMC_ELTs_TTs.doc)
If these comments reflect the opinions of a larger community beyond those polled in this survey, they
represent a challenge to the long term credibility of the British Council as an organisation able to offer
serious support to the development of ELT in Vietnam. The comments demonstrate that at the
moment British Council is at risk of over-promising  either in terms of its own aspirations in the
project, or, much more seriously, in terms of stakeholder assessments of its capacity to deliver. What
has been promised through VTTN is a programme which provides a serious and thorough
professional update to English language teachers across the 20 participating provinces. Although
what is provided through VTTN is warmly appreciated by those who experience it, the experience is
not being offered to enough people.
6.3.3
the cascade
This concern is compounded by the generally critical assessment we received with regard to the
project's capacity to institute an effective cascade of VTTN training to a wider population of teachers.
We identified 14 concerned comments on this theme  again, the opinions reported below have been
selected to give a flavour of the feedback we received. We strongly recommend a further review of
the Interview Reports for those who wish to gain a fuller appreciation of what is happening in the
cascade process:
-
-
-
-
From MoET's perspective, teachers with 10 to 20 years experience are best
placed to benefit and to disseminate their experience more widely. (Older
teachers are more change-resistant; younger teachers may lack the
confidence/authority to cascade.) However, it has not always been possible to
nominate this group to attend the workshops (0920a_MoET.doc)
one important point to remember is that it is very difficult for young teachers to
work as multipliers as they don't have the authority in the school system.
(0920a_MoET.doc)
Although the cascade is there our teachers want to attend workshops with native
speaker trainers (0928a_Vung_Tau_ELTs_TTs.doc)
the major issue is the quality of the cascade - are genuinely useful training
courses being offered? Some are not as good as they should be…. in some
instances there are issues that relate to local Vietnamese culture - in particular,
because of the hierarchic nature of society it's difficult for one member of a cohort
to train other members of the same cohort. In this context a university teacher
may be more easily accepted as a trainer because the university staff member
has authority. In a cascade it’s critical that the right person is selected to transfer
down to others. (0919c_Hanoi_VNU_Le Van Canh.doc)
The greatest difficulty comes from the fact that not all teachers have participated
in the whole VTTN cycle. If teachers haven't shared with their colleagues the
process does not work - and this is often the case because participants can't
share everything with their colleagues. What we need to do is to have more VTTN
workshops so that all can benefit (0921a_Hue_DoET.doc)
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Although these comments represent a serious reflection on the difficulty of instituting an effective
cascade with a training programme such as that offered by VTTN, there are some constructive
suggestions for a way forward. One is offered by MoET:
-
It will be better if the same teachers are nominated for each course rather than
one teacher on one course and a different one on another. Head teachers want to
be fair to participants, but this does not give the benefits we would hope for.
Because of this, head teachers should be more directly integrated in the process
and more thoroughly briefed. There is a need for head teachers in all participating
provinces to be more fully informed and involved. (0920a_MoET.doc)
The problem here is that such a change in policy may be too late within the project timescale to
achieve significant impact.
6.4
Sustainability
Theme
DoET as main agent
BC as main agent
MoET as main agent
Private sector
Total comments
Instances
16
9
2
1
28
Table 4 - Sustainability
We have categorised the responses on sustainability in terms of which agency is best placed to make
use of the human resources which VTTN has been able to develop. Here our respondents identified
the DoETS as the bodies with the greatest capacity to ensure a degree of sustainability. As the ELT
Specialists in each DoET have an institutional responsibility for the professional development of
teachers in their Province, and as existing VTTN trainers can be drawn on to run locally funded (and
officially sanctioned) INSETT, this is a strongly positive endorsement of one aspect of VTTN's project
design. Comments which indicate the strong sustainability of the trained cohort of trainers as a
project output include:
- If VTTN does not continue, there will still be INSETT training - though this will
most probably take place once per year … Hanoi DoET willing to maintain its
present commitment to VTTN - also willing to enlarge the programme BUT timing
has to be carefully arranged (e.g. July will be better) so that there can be
continuity of participation (0918c_Hanoi_DoET.doc)
- there is an obligation for all teachers - but especially teachers of English - to
participate in INSETT / Vietnamese educational law requires teachers to teach the
periods they are required to deliver, but also to participate in INSETT / INSETT
takes place in the summer for all teachers and all subjects - at the moment the
Vietnamese education system is introducing new text books - 6,7,8,9 have been
introduced. 10 has just been brought in. It is an obligation for all teachers to learn
how to use these new resources (0920b_Thai Nguyen_DoET.doc)
- If MoET keeps pressure on DoET there is a good chance that things will continue,
but it will also depend on the right people having been selected as Key Teachers
and Trainers - this will also depend on consistent and systematic training that
meets the needs of teachers in practical ways. (0919c_Hanoi_VNU_Le Van
Canh.doc)
There remains, however, a worryingly strong expectation of continuing British Council participation
beyond 2008 in order to sustain the key elements of the VTTN process:
-
MoET wishes to build on earlier investments (VTTN and ELTTP) and is committed
to continuing to support competent trainers in INSETT activities, so long as DoETs
and BC can fund (0920a_MoET.doc)
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-
-
-
6.5
the newsletter is highly valued by VTTN and seen as a major element in the
programme. However, MoET has no capacity to produce such a newsletter
without significant BC involvement (0920a_MoET.doc)
If BC support ends, the VTTN trainers should continue to run workshops
themselves / ELT Specialist comment - key trainers are strong enough to deliver
courses, but will need new content. If the BC is there this helps. We need the
support (0920c_Thai Nguyen_ELTs_TTs.doc).
The most important issue is the sustainability of VTTN. We need to continue the
programme when the British Council finishes its support. But we want to continue
and we will want to have the materials. Maybe this is an area where British
Council can continue to support (0921a_Hue_DoET.doc)
Pre-2008 activities
Theme
focus on model lessons
focus on preparing for the new textbook
focus on teacher training
focus on workshop handbooks
focus on teacher language
focus on materials development
expand the project
maintain the project
focus on baseline research
focus on teacher development
change the timing
Total comments
Instances
5
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
22
Table 5 - pre-2008
6.5.1
Model lessons
Participants in the Stakeholder Interviews had relatively few comments on how best to focus the
activities in the remaining stages of Phase 2 of the project. One point which did emerge strongly,
however, was a general wish for the programme to offer more in the way of exemplary lessons (this
was one of the reasons for the general wish for training workshops to be longer). In Vietnamese
educational culture, the demonstration lesson is an extremely important part of the process of the
establishment and transmission of best practice. While we fully endorse the VTTN policy of not
imposing a single model on practitioners, we would still maintain that the expressed need for further
examples of good practice be responded to and will mention this in our recommendations.
6.6
Post-2008 policy
Theme
focus on trainer training
maintain the project
develop web resources
develop training materials
focus on key teachers
maintain the newsletter
support policy makers
focus on pre-service
focus on re-qualification of teachers
gain sponsorship
Total comments
Instances
7
4
4
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
23
Table 6 - Post 2008 policy
Apart from the overall sense of denial amongst many respondents on the question of VTTN coming to
an end:
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-
we don't want this project to end - we don't want this at all - it has been working
well and teachers of English need more help and we expect it to last longer. Like a
young man and a young girl - we have fallen in love and don't want to stop. We
still need to look after the baby (0920b_Thai Nguyen_DoET.doc)
… the strongest overall opinion appears to be that if there is any extension of VTTN activities beyond
2008 it should focus on Trainer Training and the consolidation of VTTN outcomes through specific,
sustainable products. The more interesting of these products include:
-
7.
DVD of example lessons given by Vietnamese teachers
A VTTN web-site which could be used to host locally developed resources and lesson ideas,
and which would provide links with appropriate resources from British Council global products.
Lesson observations
The lessons we observed provided us with a different opportunity to gain insights into the outcomes of
VTTN and the context into which the results of VTTN training have been transferred. Our comments
below draw on this experience and can be related to the field notes and observation instruments
which are in the appendices to this report. We will comment on the findings obtained from the lesson
observation process under the following heads: conditions, evidence of good practice, concerns, ICT
in ELT, and constraints on future development.
7.1
Conditions
While we stress that our comments should not be taken as having general validity for the whole of
Vietnam  we were visiting urban schools staffed by (on our observation) qualified and very effective
teachers  in the light of discussions with British Council staff and the teachers and trainers we met
throughout the visit, we do feel that they offer a glimpse of what is happening in many well managed
and maintained schools across the country.
Photo 1 - Ho Chi Minh City
Photo 2 - Can Tho
Photo 3 - Hue
Photo 4 - Quang Tri
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The Vietnamese schools we saw compared very favourably with those we have seen in other
countries in transition. Basic resources such as furniture, assured electricity supply, curtains, and
good quality chalkboards were available in all instances. In many of the lessons we saw, more
sophisticated resources were also available. These ranged from ceiling fans and window blinds
through to laptop computers and LCD data projectors. We should also say that although salaries for
teachers are insufficient to support a family, it is generally recognised that English language teachers
are privileged in having a skill which is in high demand and which they can profit from through private
lessons, salaries are paid regularly and teachers have access to the full range of benefits (pension,
education for children, health care) which are available throughout Vietnam.
The main complaint we heard from teachers (apart from low salaries) was class size. The average
appears to be in the high 40s  with a tendency to be larger in senior secondary schools where there
is competition for places. Although the situation in Vietnam is better than that in many other countries
in the region (notably China, where class sizes tend to be above 60), we also sympathise with the
teachers who complain about the numbers of students they are asked to teach. It should be stressed,
however, that the methodologies proposed by VTTN are specifically designed for this context. When
teachers say they cannot apply the new approaches because of class size, this suggests a need for
more example lessons which show how it can be done.
7.2
Evidence of good practice
During observations we looked for the following examples of good practice:
-
more than one skill is addressed during the lesson
pair work is used appropriately
group work is used appropriately
the teacher uses English most of the time.
the teacher has adapted the textbook (appropriately).
the teacher uses a variety of focus and types of activities.
the students are given an opportunity to “think” rather than “parrot”.
the teacher shows creativity in the use of limited resources.
the students are challenged and there is clear learning.
the teacher has planned an effective lesson – evident through actual lesson plan and effective
delivery of the lesson.
By and large, all the lessons we observed provided good to strong evidence of the embedding of most
of these practices. We were particularly impressed by the teachers' management of their classes,
their use of English throughout the lesson, the ways in which they adapted the course book to the
needs of their students, and the range of activities in the lessons. The photographs below begin to
give an impression both of the engagement of learners and the manner in which teachers conducted
their lessons. We would recommend that interested readers spend some time looking at the CDROM we have developed to accompany this report.
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Photo 5 - Hanoi - teacher student interaction
Photo 6 - Hue - teacher student interaction
Photo 7 - Hue - use of visual aids
Photo 8 - Can Tho - learner engagement
Photo 9 - Quang Tri - group work
Photo 10 - Vung Tao - group work
Photo 11 - HCMC - group work
7.3
Concerns
While much of what we observed was positive, we did, however, have some significant concerns in
relation to some aspects of the lessons we saw. These related to: the teacher's capacity to present
an internationally communicative pronunciation model to their students, the linguistic tasks required of
learners in group and pair work (associated with a lack of appreciation of what is actually implied by a
communicative approach to modern foreign language teaching), and the continuance of a primarily
teacher centred mode of teaching and learning. We will comment on these issues below, and also
give some thoughts on what we saw of the use of ICT in ELT in Vietnam.
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7.3.1
pronunciation model
This may be the most serious issue currently facing the development of English language teaching in
Vietnam. While most of the trainers, and several of the teachers we met had excellent pronunciation,
many would not have been able to engage easily in international communication. Here we stress that
we are NOT talking about a "native-like" pronunciation but, rather, are concerned with the models
which researchers such as Jenkins or Seidlhofer discuss in their work on English as a Lingua Franca
(ELF) or English as an International Language11. Many of the Vietnamese teachers of English we met
were offering a model to their learners which would not prepare them for international communication.
We recognise that it is beyond the scope of VTTN to address this issue in any systematic way, but
there may be a value in more awareness raising in relation to the problem.
7.3.2
group work and pair work tasks / communicative language teaching
Closer to the remit of VTTN is the issue of the tasks which students engage in during group and pair
work, and the understanding of communicative language teaching which teachers have taken from
the programme. We were concerned on two counts.
First, many of the tasks which we saw teachers asking students to do had little real communicative
value. Problems ranged from:
-
-
students being asked to give simple re-statements of lines of dialogue which were presented in
the course materials rather than having scope for inventiveness. Indeed we saw some
instances where students were deemed "wrong" if their version of a dialogue varied from the
course book.
students being asked to perform "what do you think about…" or "what is your opinion about"
tasks.. In pair work this kind of activity is notoriously difficult for learners to address in a
foreign language A more productive alternative would be to offer students structured tasks
which require them to focus on more fact-based, less abstract or face-threatening activities.
Secondly, we were concerned that there was a general assumption that communicative language
teaching was largely about listening and speaking and therefore noisy. As a result, because listening
and speaking are not linked to national examinations, some teachers have questioned the need to
"teach communicatively". This is a basic misapprehension that should perhaps be addressed within
the VTTN training process. It is certainly worth taking into account in future training. Communicative
language teaching relates to all four skills, can be done entirely silently through the use of written text
 and does not have to be noisy!
11
Jenkins J (2000) The phonology of English as an international language, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
Seidlhofer B. 2001. 'Closing a conceptual gap: the case for a description of English as a lingua franca'.
International Journal of Applied Linguistics 11/2:133-58
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7.3.3
teacher centeredness
Photo 12 - teacher - student dialogue
Photo 13 - teacher - student dialogue
Photo 14 - teacher student dialogue
Photo 15 - student as performer
The photographs above illustrate two aspects of the problem of teacher centredness that we saw
during observations. The first issue is that of the teacher as the primary interlocutor in a series of
dialogues between the teacher and individual students. This kind of question / answer routine nearly
always leads to the teacher asking a question to which they already know the answer, and the rest of
the class disengaging while their colleague is in the spotlight. The same thing occurs when an
individual is asked to perform for the teacher rather than to the whole group. In our experience, these
activities have limited learning value and could easily be replaced by student - student dialogues
where the learners are at a distance from one another and their colleagues are both able to hear
them, and (if the task is well designed) are engaged by what they are listening to.
Photo 16 - learner-learner dialogue
Photo 17 - learner-learner dialogue
7.4
ICT in ELT
Quite unexpectedly, many of the lessons which we saw during the observations had a large ICT
component. We understand that these classes are relatively rare, but it was interesting to see that in
many instances the teachers a) made excellent use of the computer and data projector as teaching
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resources, and that b) the audio-visual capacity of these tools was highly engaging to the learners
and greatly extended the scope of what could be included in a lesson.
Photo 18 - ICT in ELT
Photo 19 - ICT in ELT
Given that there is likely to be a growing use of ICT in Vietnamese classrooms (all the teachers using
these resources had received DoET organised school based training), sessions on how best to expoit
it could well form a focus for future VTTN conferences or training.
7.5
Constraints
7.5.1
Noise
The question of the perception of the noise involved in communicative language teaching has already
been commented on, and is a real issue. If good classroom control is associated with peace and
quiet, then getting the idea of productive noise accepted will be difficult. This issue is compounded by
the architecture of school buildings and the location of many schools. If classes take place in a
windowless classroom next to a busy road, then there is a problem. Teachers already find it difficult
to make themselves heard, and learners can't hear one another. Adding more noise to this
environment is not desirable. Finding a way round this problem will be difficult.
7.5.2
Classroom organisation
The traditional arrangement of classrooms in Vietnam is that of students in rows in fixed furniture.
While this arrangement in no way precludes good quality group work and pair work, as illustrated
below, it still tends to have serious limitations.
Photo 20 - conventional classroom
Photo 21 - group work in the same space
While in Vietnam, we saw only one classroom (in Quang Tri) where a more appropriate classroom
layout has been chosen. As can be seen in the images below, this arrangement makes for a much
more effective language learning environment (especially as it gives the teacher so much more
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access to monitor small group work. However, despite its being greatly appreciated by the students
and teacher, this arrangement was for a one-off demonstration. The process of re-arranging the
furniture is considered too "time consuming and disruptive" by the school authorities for it to be
adopted on a regular basis. This is a pity, as changing the arrangement of the learning space would
seem to be the only available zero-cost intervention with the potential to have a really significant
impact on language learning.
Photo 22 - Quang Tri: the impact of classroom layout
8.
Project management issues
Although it was not included in the terms of reference, we feel it will be useful for the British Council if
we comment on a number of project design and project management issues that have emerged as
we have worked on this review. Specifically, we have concerns over:
-
the decision making process that led to the expansion of VTTN to 20 provinces
difficulties that have arisen from the lack of adequate project documentation, particularly in
relation to project outputs and outcomes, and evaluation design.
8.1
2000  2004
The only project document available to the evaluators at the beginning of this process was the original
2000 Project Proposal (Proposal 1.doc). This proposal states the aim of the project as follows:
-
the establishment of a national English teacher and trainer network. The purpose
of the network is to facilitate the dissemination of best practice amongst trainers
and teachers of English at upper secondary school and university level. The longterm objective is to provide access to professional development for ELT
practitioners working within the upper secondary school and university sectors.
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We have concerns with regard to the original project aim on two counts.
Firstly the project's main objective was stated as: "the establishment of a national English teacher and
trainer network". Rather than identifying the positive changes which the project could realistically
bring about, the planners focused on a fundamentally unsustainable project output  a network. As
we have seen in the findings section in this report, none of the key features of the VTTN network (the
English Now newsletter, the VTTN Conference, the possibility for trainers to visit other provinces, the
national preparation workshops) are sustainable without long term British Council funding. Secondly,
the stated "long-term " objective of VTTN potentially replicated structures which already existed at
DoET level. Systems were already in place in Vietnam to provide access to professional
development for ELT practitioners. Whether the quality of this access was appropriate is another
issue  but the mechanism of DoET and MoET sponsored and funded Summer INSETT courses preexisted the VTTN project.
Obviously, it is easy to criticise with hindsight, and the VTTN project is not the first INSETT project
funded by the British Council, DfID and other agencies to confuse building a network with
institutionalising long term positive change. It is, however, an issue, for it makes it difficult to assess
the success or otherwise of the project as it stands. If a desired outcome was, for example, to
improve the skills of EL teachers in senior secondary schools in all participating provinces, then the
project has failed The cascade has not worked and the aim has not been achieved. If the aim was to
improve the quality of INSETT offered by university trainers, ELT specialists and key teachers then
we have another story. We think it is reasonable to report that the project has achieved significant
success in this area. It has built on earlier projects (notably ELTTP) and existing Vietnamese
appreciations of good educational practice, and has identified and trained a cohort of trainers who
have the potential to continue to work as INSETT providers for many years to come.
Here we come to our second concern  the expansion of the project after 2004
8.2
2004  2006
The project was expanded to take in 20 provinces after a brief consultative process, with no formal
evaluation, and with no revision of the key project documents. Our only conclusion can be that
building the Network was seen as the primary concern of the project manager at that time and that the
reason for and the capacity of the network (and of the British Council to support it) were not fully
considered. Phase 2 still worked to the original project design, but this time the task of the project
team was truly daunting and the British Council's capacity to ensure quality in the INSETT trainer
cadre and the training cascade became overstretched.. This problem was compounded when the Ho
Chi Minh City project staff member's post was suppressed. At this point, it is our opinion that the
British Council ceased to have sufficient capacity to support the project at the professional level is
needs. This is not a criticism of the existing team. They are doing an exemplary job under difficult
circumstances and should be commended for having maintained such a positive relationship with key
stakeholders. However, as we have seen in the findings, the quality of VTTN is at risk with the
current staff levels.
We should also note that the current project manager, Laura Grassick, is to be congratulated for
identifying that a project aim which attempted to address the needs of millions of Vietnamese school
students(?) was unrealistic (do you mean school teachers? you have not quoted anything related to
SS in this document - readers will wonder where it comes from) Her decision to include a second aim
in her updated project plan for 2006-2008 was a wise decision. The project purpose statement in the
new project document now reads:
-
The purpose of the project is to develop the English language teaching skills of
upper secondary teachers across 20 provinces and to build the capacity and
sustainability of a core team of trainers in each of the provinces.
We feel that this second aim at least is achievable  and hope that this report will contribute to her
team achieving the project's overall purpose.
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9.
Discussion
At the beginning of this report, we said that we would be trying to find answers to the questions "What
has worked, for whom, and in what conditions?" We now feel that we are in a position to give some
answers.
In brief, the things that have worked best in VTTN are the Trainer Training process and the model of
language teaching that has been developed by the British Council trainers working with their
Vietnamese colleagues. What has not worked so well is the direct training of teachers  not because
the training methods are inappropriate, but because it is not possible given the project's resources to
deliver enough training to enough people.
VTTN has been at its most successful for classroom teachers with a good command of English:
a) who have been trained by confident and effective trainers who also have a good command of
the target language,
b) who have been able to participate in a complete training cycle over the full period of the project
(i.e. 2000-2005),
c) and who work in schools where the head teacher supports the new methodology that they are
using.
When one or more of these conditions are absent (i.e. a teacher only receives fragmentary cascade
training, or only participates in two or three training VTTN workshops, lacks a good command of
English, or works in a school where conditions or management are not supportive) the impact of the
VTTN project is dramatically reduced. Unfortunately, the majority of the classroom teachers who
have participated in VTTN will fall into this latter category. However useful the VTTN English Now
newsletter and the VTTN Conferences might be, they are not sufficient to overcome this kind of
disadvantage.
The summary of findings presented in the previous sections gives an overview of where we consider
the project had got to by September 2006. In the following discussion we present a commentary on
what we consider to be the positive outcomes of the project, and what we consider to be the issues
and concerns that should be addressed wherever possible. We offer a set of recommendations at the
end of the report (Section 11). We hope that these will assist the British Council in working towards a
satisfactory completion and consolidation of the VTTN project.
9.1
Positive outcomes
Overall, there is much to appreciate in what the VTTN project has achieved to date. The points below
highlight these achievements.

THE PROJECT
The VTTN project is highly valued by major stakeholders  MoET + DoET, Trainers, EL Teachers.
It is the only significant externally funded ELT project supported currently under way in Vietnam
and has the potential to position the UK and the British Council as significant partners in the
development of the national secondary education system. (see 0919a_MoET.doc)

RELEVANCE
The methodologies that are presented through the project are considered to be relevant both by
Education authorities and teachers. Not only do they harmonise with a movement towards more
learner centred modes of instruction, they are also seen as contributing to the needs of teachers
and students who are working with the New English Textbooks (currently Year 10).
In particular, VTTN workshops are considered 'much better' than workshops delivered by all
other agencies, because they are practical and relevant
-

Hanoi teachers & trainers: ELTTP and VTTN have created a "wind of change"
which has made teachers more open to and able to implement new
methodologies
TRAINER TRAINING
This is universally acclaimed as relevant, practical and highly effective. The UK trainers are
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respected and liked and the content of the workshops is highly appreciated by participants.
Additionally, the trainers greatly value:
- opportunities to visit other provinces to observe training and exchange skills and experience
(this is unique to the VTTN project)
- scholarship and professional development opportunities
- sustained contact with UK trainers  this has greatly enhanced their confidence in using
English

WORKSHOPS
Teachers value the VTTN workshops for many reasons. These include:
- the workshops are an opportunity to share ideas and experience with colleagues
- the approach enables them to make their students more active in the classroom
- the training is practical and offers them techniques (including games and activities) along with
educational resources that they can use immediately

OTHER OUTPUTS  The major VTTN outputs apart from the workshop series (the VTTN
Conference and the English Now Newsletter) are considered highly relevant and useful. The
newsletter provides teachers with practical ideas and resources and the conference is a unique
professional opportunity for teachers and scholars working in Higher Education to meet and to
gain professional development.
9.2
Issues and Concerns
As we have seen in the findings and discussions sections, there are several issues which we feel the
project team and the British Council need to address if the project is to achieve its long term
ambitions. These include:
 HUMAN RESOURCES AND PROJECT DESIGN
In our opinion the project has been expanded beyond the capacity of the BC team to maintain quality
and ensure stakeholder satisfaction. This problem has been exacerbated by the reduction in the
human resource available to the project (the full time trainer in HCMC) at a time when the project was
increasing in scope. Concerns on the part of major stakeholders are manifested in two main ways:
"old" provinces are very disappointed that the British Council is no longer actively engaged in
the support of trainers and training other than through the VTTN Trainer Workshops and the
conference.
- "new" provinces (those included since 2004) are frustrated that they are unable to cover all the
topics dealt with through VTTN, include so few teachers in the training, and, most importantly,
have such a near horizon for the project end. While they recognise that something is better
than nothing, they still feel that the British Council has been in some senses "mean" in the way
it has funded this phase of the project.
The following comment is typical of those who have expressed concern in this area:
-
Hue DoET: The greatest difficulty comes from the fact that not all teachers have participated in
the whole VTTN cycle. If teachers haven't shared with their colleagues the process does not work
- and this is often the case because participants can't share everything with their colleagues.
What we need to do is to have more VTTN workshops so that all can benefit
We understand that the British Council is operating under budgetary constraints  but it is clear that
this project is sufficiently important for the Council's relationship with its key sponsoring ministry to
justify according it some priority. The reality is that it need not be too expensive to address some of
the problems we have identified in this review. The key problem appears to be the availability of
project staff in Ho Chi Minh City. While we do not wish to make specific recommendations regarding
staffing, two options occur to us. There may be others. .
-
OPTION 1  second (or recruit) an appropriately experienced and qualified full-time Teaching
Centre staff member to the project. This person would be able a) to service the needs of
VTTN in the southern part of the country, and b) support other British Council ELT projects
which lack staff.
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OPTION 2  if this is impossible for budgetary reasons, it may be possible to identify short
term contract staff who would be able to support the March and Summer workshops. This is
likely to be a less satisfactory solution, but it would be better than no additional staffing at all.
 TEACHER AND TRAINER SELECTION
Because the British Council has little or no control over the selection of either VTTN trainers or
participants in VTTN workshops, it is impossible to assure consistent quality of delivery across the
project. Some trainers are excellent, others less so. Some teachers are able to have consistent
participation in all workshops and are well placed to support the development of teachers at local
level, others are receive only one or two workshops and poorly placed to carry out this function.
 NUMBERS
VTTN policy is (reasonably) to limit participation in workshops to 40. While this makes sense in
training terms, it creates problems  especially in major centres like Hanoi and HCMC where the
impact of the project is insufficient to make a critical difference. The small number of teachers who
can be trained within VTTN (and their inconsistent participation in the whole programme) also has a
negative impact on any potential to cascade training to other teachers in a province. The project team
may wish to investigate strategies that will alleviate this problem in the larger provinces. If funds allow
these strategies might include:
-
increasing the number of participants
increasing the number of workshops offered
 TIMING OF WORKSHOPS
There was some concern (but this was by no means universal) over the timing of the March workshop
and the overall length of workshops. Were a wish for change was expressed it was:
-
to eliminate the March teacher training workshop
to extend the summer teacher training workshop to 5 days.
 RELEVANCE
Some issues of appropriacy of VTTN methodology to Vietnamese classrooms (size of class; level of
students; disruption etc.) were reported, and feedback from teachers in particular suggested that
VTTN should be more sensitive to this context. However, the overall assessment given above holds
for most informants and the feeling is that Ts should soldier on until the context changes in their
favour.
 THE CASCADE
For the reasons outlined above, it is unsafe to assume that there is any effective cascade training
taking place across the 20 participating provinces. Although in some provinces (e.g.
0928c_Vung_Tau_DoET.doc) there is evidence of the systematic inclusion in VTTN of groups of Key
Teachers (who are tasked by DoET to deliver model lessons and share materials at local level) we
found no evidence that this was the case in most instances.
There is also repeated feedback that some VTTN Trainers and many "Key-teachers" lack specific
training skills - rightly perceived as different from teaching skills. As a result effective 'cascading'
becomes unrealistic. There is a real risk of dilution (if not distortion) of the message. Teachers in
some provinces report inadequate follow-through.
A further concern is that many Teachers have poor English. This has major negative impact at
classroom level in terms of the pronunciation model on offer, and also teachers' ability to move away
from teacher-controlled activities.
HCMC trainers & teachers: Sometimes we are worried about the English ability of the
participants - we are not very satisfied with this
Two approaches might be used to minimise some of these problems. They are:
-
-
forget about being "fair" to teachers across a province and focus training in the last phase on
teachers with the potential to work as Provincial Key Trainers in future DoET INSETT
programmes
consider a longer term support to these trainers through the development of:
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trainer training modules for delivery by a group of Vietnamese Key Trainers
training booklets / packs
videos of example lessons
 THE ROLE OF NATIVE SPEAKERS
While the role and value of UK trainers in the trainer-training programme has been effective and
appropriate, we have a concern over the perceived value of UK ("native speaker") trainers in the
delivery of the programme to school teachers. When asked to comment on the aspects of VTTN
which they appreciated, many respondents gave prominence to interaction with native speakers as a
key benefit of the project (e.g. 0928a_Vung_Tau_ELTs_TTs.doc) This potentially undermines the
value of Vietnamese trainers and reduces the sustainability of longer term training. There was,
however, one very useful counter example in HCMC where DoET commented:
-
In the first few months, the Vietnamese didn't trust the Vietnamese Trainers when
the UK trainers withdrew - but this has changed. Now the Vietnamese trainers
have become more confident and the success of the workshops is assured.
Current staffing levels pretty well preclude the participation of native speaking trainers in the INSETT
workshops  but we would still recommend that the project focuses this resource on Trainer
development from now on.

SUSTAINABILITY
Project sustainability is high, in one sense, as the training resource which has been developed will be
used in the long term by DoET INSET structures. Trainers and key teachers will continue to be used
to deliver workshops and other forms of training at local levels. However, the network which has been
established through VNTT is fragile. Without BC support, none of the key features of the network will
be able to function. These include:
-
peer review / visits
the VTTN Conference
the English Now newsletter
It may be possible to create outputs with longer term sustainability through the development of a
VTTN web community and internet resources  but it is likely that such products would still need long
term British Council input.
10.
Acknowledgements
The fact that such a tightly scheduled evaluation process has been so enjoyable and productive is
entirely due to the efforts of the VTTN project team, and to British Council staff in the Hanoi and
HCMC offices. While we would like to thank all concerned in the process, from the ever courteous
and helpful British Council drivers, through to Country Director, Keith Davies, we would like to express
particular thanks to:
-
-
-
Laura Grassick  VTTN project manager and Senior ELT Development Manager, for
exemplary professional briefing and support (and the use of her bedroom all the time we were
staying in Hanoi!)
Nguyen Mai Hoa  ELT Development Manager, for her enthusiastic engagement with the
project, willingness to share her knowledge of Vietnam, and all her attention to detail and
personal kindness
Ly ??  ELT Project Assistant, for her support throughout the process
We would also like to thank Justin Spence, Assistant Director British Council Vietnam, for his interest
in the review process and his willingness to let us benefit from his experience of the Council's work in
Vietnam.
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11.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are presented below as suggestions that the British Council and the
VTTN Project team may wish to consider. We fully appreciate that not everything can be done, and
that budgets are finite!
11.1
Pre-2008
Before the end of Phase 2 of the project we would recommend the following:









Make an early decision regarding the date of final project activities. Given the overall concern
over impact and sustainability, we feel it would be preferable if there was at least one more cycle
of INSETT workshops during Summer 2008. There may also be good arguments for holding the
last VTTN Conference in 2008 rather than 2007 so that you can close the project on a celebratory
note.
Review the participation in, and timing and frequency of teacher training workshops.
Review overall project staffing as this is currently inadequate to ensure quality and the
achievement of project impact across all 20 provinces
Review the fit between VTTN workshop themes and the needs of teachers faced with the new
course books (years 10, 11, 12).
Review the potential for the inclusion of more full length exemplar lessons in VTTN workshops
Prepare actively for project closure (including the development of a final phase project plan +
messaging to key stakeholders).
Start the process of selecting workshop materials for inclusion in Training Packs.
Commence (and try to complete!) the process of production of Video exemplar lessons.
Revise the 2006-2008 project documentation in the light of these recommendations and the
decisions that are taken over the coming months.
11.2
Post Project
Assuming a project end in summer 2008, it is highly probable that the British Council's Vietnamese
partners will be very disappointed if there is no consolidation activity in the period 2008-2009 and we
recommend that serious consideration be given to the following:




Post 2008 focus only on Trainer training - with the aim of establishing a top quality professional
group of Vietnamese trainers who can ensure effective cascading. In doing this we would
suggest .there is a need to work closely with MoET and DoET to agree how trainers will be
selected and how they will fit into a Vietnamese INSET delivery structure  and that the British
Council should not get involved in creating or maintaining such structures! What is certain from
the feedback we received during the review is that such a solution will make sense to MoET and
DoETs
Develop hard copy and electronic archive of training packs for long term use at DoET level by
VTTN trainers and Key Teachers.
Develop a set of video exemplar lessons for use in on-going and future training.
Work with MoET and VTTN team to develop a Vietnamese hosted website and community for the
VTTN trainers. This will have links to relevant BC sites and resources, but the project team will
have to establish the extent to which this should be BC branded.
Christopher Tribble
Susan Maingay
4 October 2006
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12.
Appendices
12.1
Terms of reference
12.2
Interview Protocol
12.3
Interview records
12.4
Observation instrument
12.5
Observation records
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