Nâng cao chất lượng đào tạo ngoại ngữ trong quân đội đáp ứng yêu cầu hội nhập quốc tế

3KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 12 - 3/2018 v ĐẶNG TRÍ DŨNG* *Giám đốc Học viện Khoa học Quân sự Ngày nhận bài: 01/3/2018; ngày sửa chữa: 15/3/2018; ngày duyệt đăng: 20/3/2018 1. BACKGROUND Over the years, the Party and State have paid due attention to teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system. The Resolution No. 29/NQ-TW on September 4th 2013 by the 8th plenum of the Party Central Committee (term XI) on fundamental and comprehensive renewal of education and training pointed out “pro-actively and actively integrate into the world for the development of education and training, and at the same time develop education and training to meet the requirements of international integration for national development”. Furthermore, the project “Teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system in the period of 2008-2020”, on December, 22nd 2017, the Prime NÂNG CAO CHẤT LƯỢNG ĐÀO TẠO NGOẠI NGỮ TRONG QUÂN ĐỘI ĐÁP ỨNG YÊU CẦU HỘI NHẬP QUỐC TẾ Improving the quality of training foreign languages in the Army to meet requirements of international integration TÓM TẮT Trước bối cảnh hội nhập quốc tế ngày càng sâu, rộng, vấn đề nâng cao chất lượng đào tạo và bồi dưỡng trình độ ngoại ngữ, đối ngoại quốc phòng cho cán bộ, học viên trong Quân đội phục vụ công cuộc xây dựng và bảo vệ Tổ quốc trong tình hình mới càng trở nên cấp thiết. Chính vì thế, việc chuẩn hóa hệ thống đào tạo ngoại ngữ trong các nhà trường Quân đội đáp ứng các chuẩn mực của khu vực và quốc tế là nhiệm vụ cần được ưu tiên hàng đầu. Bài viết đi vào phân tích thực trạng đào tạo ngoại ngữ trong Quân đội hiện nay, qua đó đưa ra các giải pháp nâng cao chất lượng đào tạo ngoại ngữ trong Quân đội đáp ứng yêu cầu hội nhập quốc tế. Từ khoá: đào tạo, ngoại ngữ, quân đội, hội nhập quốc tế Minister signed the Decision “Approving the adjustment and supplementation of the Project of Teaching and Learning foreign languages in the national education system between 2017 and 2025”. Together with the current trend of the world, our Army has also strengthened the cooperation with regional and global armies, proactively participated in international missions, exchanged info rmation, experience and sought defense partnerships. Moreover, “building direct forces to fulfill missions related to defense relations, meeting the requirements of defense international integration in both short and long-term,” was defined in the Resolution No. 806-NQ/QUTW on December 31st 2013 by the Central Military Commission on International Integration and 4 KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 2 - 3/2018 v Defense Relations by 2020 and the following years. On November, 11th 2016, the Ministry of Defense promulgated the Directive No. 89/CT- BQP “on some urgent tasks to improve the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages in military institutions.” Therefore, our army should equip human resources with professional and specializing skills and knowledge, good commands of foreign languages; especially specialized foreign languages in the fields of military diplomacy and defense relations in order to meet the requirements of national construction and defense in the international integration trend. In addition, the army’s urgent task now is to improve the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages to cater for international integration. Hence, there should be specific, synchronous, comprehensive and systematic measures which can be applied to all institutions in the whole army. 2. SITUATIONS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING IN THE ARMY 2.1. Achievements in foreign language training As a part of the strategy for national education reform and innovation, the Ministry of Defense has drafted, promulgated investment policies and criteria for building premises for foreign language training institutions; perfected regulations on teaching, learning, testing, assessing, issuing of diplomas and certificates related to foreign languages and completed a list of facilities for teaching and learning foreign languages, in order to meet the requirements of international integration and defense relations by 2020 and the following years. Besides, on March, 14th 2017, the Minister of Defense approved the project “Improving the quality of training foreign languages and international relations at Military Science Academy in 2016-2020 period” in which Military Science Academy will truly become a leading, high-quality, reputable and prestigious cradle for training, doing research on foreign languages and international relations not only in the country and but also in the region, making great contributions to improving foreign language proficiency, international relation competence and defense relation adeptness for cadres, officers, non- commissioned officers, workers and officials in the army. In the new context, Military Science Academy has implemented a number of measures to innovate the content, training process, teaching methods, organization, assessment and training management modes and to incorporate training in scientific research. Step by step, the academy will become a prestigious centre of training and retraining both foreign languages and international relations for the army and the national education system. The academy will also be the leading institution to implement exchange activities, exchange and cooperation in training foreign languages with domestic and international universities, foreign language centers, fulfilling missions related to military relation cooperation and defense relations in terms of foreign language education and training as well as holding responsible for the quality of all the aforementioned tasks. Together with other academies and schools in the Army, Military Science Academy has pioneered in investing in modern and advanced facilities, catering for teaching, learning and scientific research for the past years. Moreover, the academy has accelerated the application of information technology in education and training and boosted co-operations and co-ordinations with other national and international institutions. Furthermore, the academy has armed learners with systematic and professional knowledge, life skills and other skills concerning scientific research, self-study and adaptability to any working environments after graduation with a view to meeting the requirements of the army construction, socio-economic development of the nation in the new period. 5KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 12 - 3/2018 v Last but not least, those who have graduated from Military Science Academy can undertake such tasks as translation, interpretation, defense relations and foreign languages teaching. They can also participate in international cooperation activities such as UN peacekeeping operations and controlling the proliferation of mass-destructive weapons, joint maneuvers and other activities, meeting the requirements of the cause of national construction and defense and making great contribution to strengthening relations with other countries. 2.2. Shortcomings in foreign language training As a matter of fact there remain some shortcomings in foreign language training and retraining in the army. Although institutions and schools in the whole army have implemented various measures to improve the quality of foreign language training, they have only focused on superficial and separate solutions rather than synchronous, comprehensive and extensive ones. As a result, these institutions have yet made drastic changes in language training and research as well as defense relations. Apart from that, though some military academies and schools have paid attention to investments in foreign language training, their training products have not fully met the requirements of international defense integration at the strategic level. Similarly, short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies on the bases of defense relations for foreign language training have not been shaped. Moreover, as for teaching activities, specialized textbooks of military, defense and defense relations have yet been designed for cadets to practise their foreign language skills, either. Nor have extensively specialized textbooks of sub-branches of military for specific trainees been mapped out. In addition, translation skill training for language major cadets have seemed to stress on translation rather than on interpretation, especially interpretation in booths which provides indispensable skills for defense relation officers in the context of deeper international integration. At present, military academies and institutions’ requirements for foreign language outcomes remain rather low. In other words, foreign language major cadets’ standard outcome is only at level 41 or B22. As for non-major cadets, they only need level 2 or A2 for their graduation. Teachers of foreign language have not had their standard assessed. Language training models applied in those schools have yet to meet the requirements of the process of regional and international integration. Moreover, inadequate attention has been paid to promoting coordination between training institutions and officers in building programs, conducting on-the-job training as well as developing a synthesized system of course books. In addition, military academies and schools have yet to diversify their training models, to create a healthy and encouraging learning environment and to fully utilize available information and technology. There has also been a lack of cooperation and information exchange among training institutions. Basing on their distinct training needs, each institution develops its own course books; the system, as a result, fails to become an effective reference source for military units and other civilian language training centers nationwide. Those aforementioned drawbacks have had direct impacts on the quality of labor force training for Vietnam People’s Army and for the cause of national industrialization and modernization. In real-life working environment, defense cooperation staff have yet to be qualified and fall short of practical experience. Resolution No 806 by the Central Military Commission has pointed out a number of disadvantages of in-service army officers, in which their limited ability to use foreign languages in communicating and working is identified as a key one, greatly affecting their work quality and effectiveness. 6 KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 2 - 3/2018 v 3. MAJOR SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING IN VIETNAM PEOPLE’S ARMY 3.1. General strategic solutions Renovating administrative and professional management mechanisms. In order to meet the increasing requirements in the new context, researching and developing a joint training and managing model throughout the forces is a matter of great urgency. The state is to effectively and strongly implement the synchronous planning for socio-economic development, national defense and security protection. The state, furthermore, should build a coordination mechanism between the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education and Training to level up students’ foreign language competence, re-structure the network of military foreign language training institutions in compliance with socio-economic and labor force development planning. Responsible agencies should build a suitable and efficient system of law, mechanism and policy so as to facilitate the enhancement of training quality and the development of training models. Building an advanced foreign language training model that works in a close connection with other relevant agencies of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of National Defense. The Ministry of National Defense is to promulgate new training rules and regulations, restructure training institutions in a professional and effective way, create vigorous changes in training models and assessment methods to allow on-going connection among military institutions and between those with civilian ones. Besides, there should be a constant coordination between training institutions and employers in program building and professional knowledge training, through which trainees are equipped with an adequate command of military language to satisfy demanding requirements in the era of integration. Based on the foreign language training needs of the forces, the re-establishment of the Military University of Foreign Languages along with the setting up centers for interpretation, translation, foreign language studies, and defense relation policy studies under Military Science Academy is of great necessity, making the academy a reliable cradle for foreign language and defense relation training. Promoting education cooperation and coordination Education cooperation and coordination is an indispensable trend of tertiary education in the era of integration. The Ministry of National Defense is asked to apply mechanisms and policies that enable academies and schools to develop links with other domestic and international educational institutions. Co-operations in language and international relation training with domestic partners such as the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; the Academy of Diplomacy should be promoted; at the same time, on-the-job training courses in foreign languages for the Border Guard Command, the Coast Guard Command, and other military zones and services should also be provided. Besides, training courses in languages and foreign relations for defense relation officers throughout the forces should be offered. Working experts and lecturers from other countries should be invited to the academy in the fields of foreign language teaching activities, curriculum design, exchange and cooperation. Enhancing the coordination in organizing scientific workshops and paying visits to foreign countries to exchange experience in professional practice are of necessary tasks. 7KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 12 - 3/2018 v Lecturers and learners should also be sent abroad for training with the financial support of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education and Training so that the quality of foreign language teaching and learning will gradually be improved and that they can adapt to different environments. Designing school curricula, teaching and learning material and upgrading the library system, teaching and learning facilities as well as developing the Foreign Language Testing and Accreditation Center are of urgent tasks The Ministry of Defense should unify the development of nationally and internationally standardized curricula, foreign language teaching and learning materials in sufficient quantity and quality for academies and schools in the Army, focus on designing specialized foreign language textbooks with basic grammar structure and vocabulary in the fields of military, security and defense, defense relations. Modern and advanced teaching and learning equipment with teacher - learner interaction and adopting electronic textbooks, testing and educational quality accreditation softwares should be taken into serious account. The library system, especially military electronic library system for information and material research and exploitation should be upgraded, expanded and modernized, creating an attractive environment for lecturers and learners by its specialty, utility and aesthetics. Military Science Academy should be built to be commensurate with the focal point for the deployment of centers of learning materials, scientific research and foreign languages, military foreign languages for the whole Army. The Foreign Language Testing and Accreditation Center should be upgraded to meet the standards of a leading center for foreign language testing and accreditation in the Army and the country as well. 3.2. Solutions related to the management staff and lecturers Developing management staff Unlike civilian training, foreign language teaching in the Army is closely linked to cadet management. In order to train the staff of both good profession and morality, the concept of building a new training model will include the task of reforming cadet management with the focus on building an effective management structure, renovating management methods, selecting criteria for manager assignment to meet the requirements of education and training in the new context. It is important to promote the effective coordination among teachers - managers - learners for mutual improvement. An effective coordination among teachers - learners - media - managers will create an open educational environment for cadets in military institutions. Standardizing the teaching staff to meet requirements of all the assigned missions It is necessary to unify and standardize the teaching staff on the bases of 04 objectives: quality, professional ethics, lifestyle; professional capacity; pedagogical capacity; capacity for professional development and scientific research. In order to ensure the standardization of teaching intensity and to create conditions for lecturers to participate in scientific research and self-study, lecturer allocation should be sufficient in quantity (with at least 10% reserve). Moreover, 100% of the teaching staff should be granted with pedagogic certificates. And more than 90% of them should earn masters degree, and 20-25% should possess their doctoral degree. For those lecturers teaching a number of basic subjects in the field of foreign languages, or specialized subjects which are not related to foreign languages should have good command of English at level 4 (B2) at least and can teach their specialized subjects in English. 8 KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 2 - 3/2018 v Strategies for lecturer development should be implemented by combining both domestic with overseas training. International cooperation in training should also be enhanced so that lecturers can take part in national and international conferences and workshops together with assigning lecturers to units with external activities to exchange experience. Training and retraining staff in teaching languages of neighboring countries and ethnic minorities are necessary solutions. Next, lecturers’ foreign language proficiency should be tested and assessed on a regular basis as prescribed standards. Adopting new teaching methods; focusing the tasks of testing and assessment on evaluating cadets’ foreign language skills in accordance with the output standards of training programs are of important remedies New teaching methods should also be applied to improving comprehensive effectiveness of various teaching factors, of which learners play the central role. Different ways of organization and supervision should be utilized by lecturers, basing on training curricula and understanding learner’s needs and physiological characters. Besides, lecturers should also evoke learners’ initiatives and activeness in gaining knowledge and skills of using a new foreign language. Also, they need to update modern teaching methods worldwide and adjust their teaching methodology to different types of learners. All of these help learners gain essential knowledge and skills required at each stage of learning. The process of teaching and learning a foreign language should be parallel with testing and assessment since it reveals learners’ academic attainments and competence. Thanks to this, lecturers can make changes in their teaching methods. Notably, different ways of testing and assessment should be applied on the basis of the combinations of such factors as progress and credit tests, lecturers’ assessments, learners, employers, families and society’s evaluation. Testing and assessment should be conducted basing on scientific and modern criteria to yield valid, objective and reliable outcomes. There are some solutions to improving testing and assessments in military schools and universities as follows: improving lecturers’ skills in testing and assessment; building test banks for credit and final tests, shaping output standards for knowledge and skills required at each level and program; designing modern soft-wares for testing and assessment in compliance with training curricula and new teaching methods Those solutions will facilitate the process of assessing learners’ capability and make sure that graduates will be well-prepared in both knowledge and skills of using foreign language required at their workplaces. Improving the effectiveness and quality of scientific research Doing research is one of the most critical tasks that help to enhance lecturers’ capability and improve the effectiveness of education. Lecturers should do research basing on their own problems arising when giving lectures. A compulsory time framework for doing research should be built with the following rates: 45% for teaching, 35% for doing research, and 20% for other activities. However, it should be noted that time allocated for doing research cannot be taken from teaching time. Besides, it is necessary that a certain number of studies be assigned for each lecturer. More importantly, lecturers should be provided with financial support in doing scientific research. Annually, it is a must for lecturers to have their articles published in local or international peer - rivewed journals. 3.3. Solutions related to learners Improving enrollment quality To increase the effectiveness of foreign language teaching, the very first solution is improving enrollment quality. Each training specialization should have its own enrollment criteria. Specifically, instant courses should enroll learners with a certain level of foreign languages 9KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 12 - 3/2018 v and focus on providing them with additional knowledge and language skills. At the same time, medium and long-term courses should enroll good students from gifted foreign language schools and need to be specific and basic in curricula. In short, enrollment criteria will make great contributions to learners’ later successes. Providing enrollment instructions and building motivations for learners Providing enrollment instructions is of great importance since this helps learners have a thorough grasp of objectives, requirements, contents as well as training process. On this basis, learners will have motivations and strong will in learning. In addition, lecturers should know how to create favorable learning environment for learners to study foreign languages by applying new and suitable activities and teaching methods to their lessons. Resolutely renovate methods of learning foreign languages In the process of learning, learners should address all the problems arising. The more actively learners participate in their teaching activities, the better outcomes they will achieve. Before pro-actively cooperating with instructors, learners should understand their own needs, levels, habits and interests. Moreover, they should comply with their learning strategies they set out and become an active and effective negotiator with themselves, their learning process and goals, their team members and their lectures. Since learning is carried out in a certain social environment rather than a totally personal activity, it is important that learners fulfill their role of a negotiator in their learning group. Learners will interact interactively with their classmates. Furthermore, as a teacher collaborator in determining the content and method of teaching, learners their teachers adjust their teaching activities in a more efficient way. In addition to studying in the classroom, learners should also be encouraged to do their scientific research with the most favorable conditions as doing scientific research is also a form of self-study and self-enrichment as well as promotion of independence and creativity in their learning process. Enhance students’ self-study skills Learners should be fostered and self-trained with necessary self-study skills such as determining their weaknesses in their language command, setting goals for each stage and applying suitable methods to achieving the goals, harnessing their learning resources and opportunities at home and in society, and applying information technology to earning their learning objectives. Finally, classroom activities with extra-curricular activities should be closely related to each other. 3.4. Solutions related to training process, curricula, contents for foreign languages and international relations Renovating the training process As for training cadets at section level majoring in foreign languages, the course should last 4.5 years (or 9 terms). The models of collaboration with foreign partners in training foreign languages and international relations should be designed as follows: (1) 6-month military training at Army Officers School No1; (2) 3-year basic training, social sciences and humanities, background subjects, specialized subjects at Military Science Academy; (3) 1-year collaboration with foreign institutions to train English in the United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Australia; Russian in Russia; Chinese in China; and international relations in Singapore. As for training military officers of associate degrees in foreign languages and international relations, the course should last 2.5 years (or 5 terms). Final-year cadets majoring in foreign languages will take interpretation and translation internship as assigned and final-year cadets majoring in international relations will take internship at military agencies and units specializing in international relations. 10 KHOA HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ QUÂN SỰSố 2 - 3/2018 v Renovating training curricula and contents As for training foreign languages, it is of urgent tasks to renovate training curricula and contents towards the world’s modern training curricula, to improve learners’ communicative skills and abilities, to add military knowledge of by 20-25%, to add and to improve interpretation knowledge and skills. Knowledge of foreign languages should also be in conformity with the 6-level frame of language competence in Vietnam, ensuring graduates’ ability of language practice at level 5 (C1) at least. As for training international relations, it is important to renovate training curricula and contents towards “standardization and modernization”, to increase training time in diplomatic professionalism, to ensure 20-25% for defense relations, to add time for practice, exercises, and problem solving and to ensure graduates’ ability of language practice at level 4 (B2). Furthermore, some basic subjects and specialized subjects on international relations should be taught in English. As for tertiary training and other types of training, it is necessary to continue renovating training curricula and contents toward improving theoretical background and ability to self-study. 4. CONCLUSION In the context of deeper and broader international integration, improving the quality of training foreign languages and defense relations for military staff and cadets for the sake of national construction and defense is becoming more and more urgent. Therefore, the top priority should be given to standardizing foreign language training at military institutions in accordance with both national and international standards. Moreover, in order to improve the quality of foreign language training in the army, there should be a harmonious combination of management and professionalism, as well as unanimity of managers, lecturers, and cadets in reaching the common goal of building a nationally and internationally standardized learning community of foreign languages./. Note: 1. As on the Vietnamese Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages 2. As on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) References: 1. Central Party Committee, 12th session (2013), Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2013 on National Defense Strategies in the New Context. 2. Politburo (2012), Resolution No. 22-NQ/TW dated April 10, 2013 on International Integration. 3. University of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, (2015), 2015 Annual Report on Foreign Language Training. 4. Military Science Academy (2014), Proceeding on Improving Foreign Language Training Quality at Military Science Academy. 5. Military Science Academy (2017), Project for Improving Foreign Language and International Relation Training Quality at Military Science Academy in the period of 2016-2020. 6. Minh Phong (2017), Three Key Factors to Teach and Learn Foreign Languages Effectively, < trong-de-day-hoc-ngoai-ngu-hieu-qua-3305816. html>. 7. Hoàng Thành (2017), Schooling Department Sums up the Outcomes of Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in Military Institutions, < tuc/cuc-nha-truong-so-ket-thuc-viec-day-va-hoc- ngoai-ngu-trong-cac-hoc-vien nha-truong-quan- doi-526442>. 8. Military Department Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Programs, Department of Defense for Policy& Readiness (28 April 2005), 2.