Improving the proficiency of foreign languages for the Viet Nam Coast Guard (VCG) not only helps to exploit and effectively use modern military weapons and equipment, but also directly improves the quality and efficiency of law enforcement at sea as well as contributing to developing VCG "straight forward to modernity". Therefore, researching and proposing solutions to improve the quality of training foreign languages for VCG are of importance both urgent and in the long run.

Thoroughly grasping the viewpoints and lines of national defence of the Party, Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defence and the requirements and tasks of the VCG, over the years, the Party Committee and the Command of VCG have focused on leading, directing, and synchronously and effectively deploying many solutions to improve the quality of training and education in general, and to train foreign languages for officers, soldiers and employees in particular, especially for the force directly performing tasks at sea. Accordingly, the VCG’s Party Committee issued thematic Resolution No. 519-NQ/ĐU, dated May 28, 2014 on "Improving foreign language skills in the Viet Nam Coast Guard"; The Commander of the VCG issued Directive No. 3238/CT-BTL, dated 21^st November 2018 on "Strengthening foreign language training and encouraging foreign language self-study in the Viet Nam Coast Guard", etc. On that basis, party committees and commanders at all levels develop plans and implement foreign language learning for their units; promptly encourage, motivate and create favourable conditions for the learning of foreign language of their officials and employees in appropriate forms. Implementing that policy, in the period of 2015 - 2020, agencies and units have held 30 English language training courses with more than 1,560 learners; at the same time, sending hundreds of cadres to join foreign language courses  inside and outside the military. In particular, some officers attended advanced specialised foreign language courses in countries like USA, Australia, China, Singapore, Japan, etc. As a result, the foreign language skills of VCG officers and soldiers have been constantly improved, meeting the requirements and assigned tasks.

However, besides the achieved results, the training of foreign language proficiency in the VCG still remains a number of limitations. This requires synchronous, effective, and breakthrough solutions to improve the quality of foreign language training, as a basis for improving the quality of human resources, contributing to building the VCG "revolutionary, regular, elite, modern, highly professional". To make it effective, it is necessary to focus on the following solutions.

First, raising awareness of Party committees, commanders at all levels and staffs in the unit about the role and importance of learning foreign languages. Party committees and commanders at all levels need to continue to thoroughly grasp the directives, resolutions and plans of their superiors on foreign language training and retraining for all officers, employees and soldiers, directly: Resolution No. 519-NQ/ĐU, dated 28^th April 2014 of the VCG Party Committee, Directive No. 10222/CT-BTL, dated 11^th August 2020 of the VCG’s Commander on "Strengthening foreign language learning in the Viet Nam Coast Guard to meet mission requirements in the new situation" and Plan No. 11281/KH-BTL, dated 30^th August 2020 of the VCG on the implementation of the “National program on learning foreign languages for officials, public servants and public employees in the period of 2019 - 2030". Thereby, making everyone, especially leaders and commanders at all levels, deeply aware that studying foreign language is an indispensable requirement and inevitability for completing assigned tasks.

English training session run by American teachers

Second, developing suitable plans for foreign language training and building a contingent of foreign language teachers on par with requirements and tasks. General speaking, training foreign languages is a difficult and complex issue. For the Coast Guard, it is even more difficult and complex because learners are different in ages and language levels, dispersed and conduct learning together with their task performance. The language scope is diverse and even specialised, etc.; hence it is difficult to form skills. Therefore, basing on their structure, each agency and unit selects and develops appropriate plans for training and retraining of foreign languages for officials and employees in the immediate future and up to 2030. In particular, emphasis should be placed on the arrangement and rotation to send enough staff for annual training plan according to the defined goals. Continue to open regular training courses at the VCG Training and Retraining Centre and at agencies and units. In addition, have plan to send staff to attend long-term specialised foreign language training courses at domestic and foreign educational institutions. In the long term, it is possible to propose the superior level to make foreign languages the main subject at the Coast Guard Training Centre.

Moreover, it is necessary to conduct well the work of supplementing and consolidating the contingent of foreign language teachers, striving that by 2025, 100% of VCG’s foreign language teachers reach level 4 standard, 100% of learners of foreign language courses reach level 3 standard; by 2030, 100% of foreign language teachers reach international level 5 standard, and 100% of learners of foreign language courses reach level 4 standard. In order to achieve that goal, in the long term, it is necessary to combine building a team of foreign language teachers with the resources of the unit with good implementation of recruitment and attraction of high-quality human resources from the society in accordance with regulations, meeting requirements and tasks.

Third, actively innovating mechanisms and policies in foreign language training. It has been shown in the practice that, the motivation, self-consciousness of learning of each learner plays an important role in improving the quality of training and fostering foreign language. Therefore, foreign language should be made a criterion for promotion, appointment, evaluation of cadres, etc. Party committees and commanders at all levels should take foreign language learning results as a criterion in the annual evaluation and commendation of cadres to encourage and motivate all soldiers to study. Regularly coordinate between the Coast Guard Training Centre and the University of Foreign Languages (Viet Nam National University, Hanoi), the Academy of Military Science, Hanoi National University of Education... to hold training courses as well as organise examinations, tests and issue certificates of foreign languages. Continue to promote cooperation with the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia, China, etc. for intensive foreign language training. Encourage socialisation of training and fostering activities, such as: organising foreign language clubs, online foreign language classes for self-study, self-improvement, etc. Strengthen inspection work, regularly organise contests and sports festivals; promptly reward organisations and individuals that achieve good results in foreign language learning and training.

Fourth, promoting the application of science and technology, investing in the facilities for teaching and learning foreign languages. First of all, it is necessary to promote innovation and perfection of the system of textbooks and research materials; compile electronic lecture system and build a learning data. In particular, it is possible to cooperate with domestic and foreign training institutions to test and evaluate training programs and materials for foreign languages training. Step up the application of information technology; research and develop specialised software for learning English, Chinese and Khmer.

Last but not least, focus on building and perfecting facilities and equipment for foreign language learning in each region, fleet, meeting the conditions and standards for teaching, learning, and testing foreign language levels according to the regulations. However, given the limited budget, the investment for this task should be focalised. In the immediate future, it is possible to invest in multimedia foreign language classrooms; each has about 35 to 40 desks that are synchronised with LAN-connected computers, projectors, interactive boards, headset system, etc. In the long term, it is necessary to diversify types of training and fostering, such as: joint training, opening courses in units and encouraging self-study. Promote online training suitable to the working conditions and environment of officers and soldiers of the force.

The above solutions if synchronously implemented will help improve foreign language skills for officers, professional soldiers, and employees of the VCG to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN DUC DO, MA

Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Training Centre