In the final days of December, a delegation from the Institute of Studies of International Education and Economics (ISIEE) set out on a meaningful journey to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
The visit brought the team to primary and lower secondary schools in Thanh Phu Commune (Ben Tre) and Cang Long Commune (Tra Vinh)—areas that still face many challenges in accessing English listening and speaking practice with native English teachers.
In remote and underserved communities, giving students the opportunity to learn and communicate directly with native English teachers has long been a difficult challenge. The main barriers are not only cost, but also geographical distance, making it nearly impossible to sustainably bring native teachers to teach in person over extended periods of time.
ISIEE Representatives meeting with the School Board of My Cam Primary School (the former Tra Vinh province).
Understanding the concerns of school leaders and the hopes of students, ISIEE introduced a practical solution—the OMO (Online–Merge–Offline) English learning program. Through this model, native English teachers teach online, while Vietnamese teachers co-teach and work directly with students in the classroom.
This approach is widely recognized as a flexible, modern, and effective solution to addressing teacher shortages in disadvantaged and remote areas.
ISIEE Representatives meeting with the School Board of Binh Thanh Primary School (the former Ben Tre province)
The working sessions went beyond professional discussions and were filled with sincere emotions.
School leaders in Thanh Phu and Cang Long shared their appreciation as the ISIEE team came in person—to listen, to provide guidance, and to help shape a clearer direction for English education in their communities.
Teachers shared that the solution introduced by the Institute opens a new path for foreign language teaching at the local level—one they have long been searching for but had struggled to find.
For ISIEE, this journey is more than an educational support activity. It is a concrete step toward realizing Prime Minister’s Decision No. 2371/QD-TTg, with the goal of making English a second language in schools and building a strong foundation for Vietnamese students to confidently connect with the global community.
ISIEE Representatives meeting with the School Board of Nhi Long Primary School (the former Tra Vinh province)