After a long time of enrolling students on a massive scale into foreign language study branches, many universities are now having to close the study branches because of no candidates.

Meanwhile, many non-state universities have had to shut down their English departments or maintain them with just tens of students.

Bachelor of English language not valuable

In 2000, Van Hien University opened four classes of English language with 135 students, while in 2002 it only had one with 41 students. The university still keeps the study branch, but with even fewer students. In 2005 and 2006, it did not enroll students for the branch because no student registered. In 2007, the university enrolled 26 students after it changed the name of the study branch to business English.

As for Hong Bang University, in 2008, students passing the exams for the English language study branch had to shift to study other branches, including tourism administration, banking accountancy, because the number of students was not high enough to open classes.

Nguyen Thi Mai Binh, Head of the Training Division under Hung Vuong University, admitted that it is now very difficult to enroll students in foreign language faculties. Binh said that the university is going to give preferences to foreign language students and that students who get floor marks on their university entrance exams will still be eligible to study at the university.

“We feel anxious as we fear we cannot enroll students for foreign language branches,” said Bui Khanh The, Vice President of the HCM City Foreign Languages and Informatics University.

Demand for French language very low

The number of students registering to learn English is low, but the number of students who want to learn other foreign languages at the university level proves to be even lower.

“Since the university opened the French language study branch, the HCM City Agriculture and Forestry University has never had enough students to open classes. Therefore, we have decided to stop enrolling students for the branch,” said Associate Prof Dr Huynh Thanh Hung, Vice President of the university.

Dr Le Huu Phuoc, Deputy Head of the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the HCM City National University, also said that it is very difficult to find students for the French language faculty.

Ta Quang Lam, MA, Deputy Head of the Training Division of the HCM City University of Education, said that in 2008, the university had the quota of enrolling 80 students for both the pedagogical and bachelor French classes, but it could only get 30 students, who then had to study in the same class.

As for Chinese, Prof Bui Khanh The from HCM City Foreign Languages and Informatics University said his university received less than 10 applications in 2008.

Nguyen Tuong Duy, Head of the Training Division under Ton Duc Thang University, said that in 2008, the university was allowed to enroll 40 students, but it could enroll 20 only.

Why?

Prof The said that foreign languages nowadays are just advantages of candidates when applying for jobs, they are not in themselves critical skills.

Tran Chut, Deputy President of the Van Hien University, also said that foreign languages are just a ‘vehicle’ of people in their jobs, rather than a career. In fact, university students can learn English by following English training courses rather than studying English at university for four years.

Meanwhile, universities have been trying to strengthen teaching English to students. Graduates of universities now have the English level of TOEIC 350-450 points. Therefore, even graduates of non-foreign language branches will have a moderate level of English aptitude.

VietNamNet/NLD

Please send us your comments and feedback: