Many schools in Ho Chi Minh City have introduced dedicated English‑only zones to encourage natural language practice and reduce students’ reliance on electronic devices. These zones give learners a new place to use English every day.

The zones are informal, pressure‑free spaces without grades. They use games and activities to build conversational skills and confidence. Native English‑speaking teachers also interact directly with the students.

Nazah, a Turkish teacher at the school, said she noticed a marked change: students became more comfortable speaking after just a few sessions. Nguyen Thi Minh Tho, a grade‑10 student, said her English improved a lot thanks to vocabulary games, listening practice and debate games. The model is used from elementary to high school, with younger grades playing vocabulary and dice games and older grades doing mind maps, sentence rewriting and debate games.

The English‑only zones show that informal, game‑based practice with native teachers can raise speaking confidence for students of all ages. Schools can use this idea to help learners speak English more freely.