Pushkar Saran, executive director of institutional products for Southeast Asia and South Asia at ETS, said the government’s plan to make English a second language in schools from 2025 to 2035, with a vision extending to 2045, is “ambitious” and well‑designed.

The biggest hurdles are the current teachers’ English skills and the lack of enough qualified staff, both of which could slow the nationwide rollout.

To gauge readiness, ETS and Vietnam’s Ministry of Education surveyed 35,000 teachers across six localities – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Dong Nai, Lao Cai and Phu Tho – using the four‑skill TOEIC Link test.

Although many participants rated themselves as proficient, the results showed that both English teachers and teachers of other subjects “need a lot of improvement,” and only a small group demonstrated strong English ability.

The ministry estimates that an additional 22,000 English teachers will be required in preschools and primary schools over the next five years to meet the 2025‑2035 target.

Saran added that Vietnam will need extensive, step‑by‑step teacher‑training programmes, and ETS is now working with the ministry to explore artificial‑intelligence tools for teacher training and student‑outcome assessment.

If Vietnam can raise teacher proficiency and close the staffing gap, the country’s long‑term vision of English fluency by 2045 becomes far more attainable.