VietTESOL International Convention 2026

English language education in Vietnam is gradually shifting from an EFL model, where English is mainly treated as a school subject, to an ESL orientation that emphasizes its use as a tool for communication. However, in many rural primary classrooms, students have very limited exposure to English outside the classroom. This challenge is further intensified by large class sizes of around 35 to 40 students, which makes it difficult to create opportunities for individual speaking practice. As a result, many learners show low confidence, fear of making mistakes, and reluctance to communicate in English.
This presentation reports on a small-scale classroom practice that aims to encourage young learners to use English more actively in such a context. The study was conducted with a group of primary students in a rural public school. To address these challenges, several simple and practical strategies were implemented, including structured pair work, short speaking games, guided repetition, and activities based on familiar daily topics. In addition, the teacher reduced immediate error correction and focused on helping students express meaning with the language resources they had.
After several weeks of implementation, more students began to participate in speaking tasks despite the large class size, and classroom interaction became more natural and engaging. Although students still made errors, they showed increased confidence and willingness to use English to communicate basic ideas with their peers.
The experience suggests that in low-resource rural contexts, creating a supportive environment and prioritizing meaning over accuracy can support the shift from learning English as a subject to using it as a second language.