English fluency targets set by a national project are too high and not backed by sufficient inputs, experts say. A volunteer teaches English to children at the An Vinh Pagoda, Tuyên Quang Province At a recent meeting on English teaching at colleges and universities held by the education ministry, Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh, head of HCM City Transport University’s foreign language department, said a 2015 survey of fourth and fifth year students had found that fewer than 20 per cent could match expected fluency criteria.The 2008-2020 national project, “Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System,” requires university graduates not majoring in foreign languages to reach B1 level, the third of six levels under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. (A1 - beginners; A2 - elementary; B1,B2 - intermediate; C1,C2 - advanced).“It takes 360 to 400 hours of teaching for students to advance from level A2 to B1 … [Read more...] about National foreign language project fails to fulfill targets
Foreigners
Iran denounces foreign support of unrest
The newspaper said Iran is committed to protecting its citizens’ right in staging peaceful demonstrations and safeguarding them against violence. Earlier, the government credited the protest movement with Iran’s own pending problems and foreign interference from the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.Iran’s intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi said the Iranian security forces will strongly retaliate regional enemies and terror groups. … [Read more...] about Iran denounces foreign support of unrest
Indian Foreign Minister active in Indonesia
Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj (L) and her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi (Photo: Raveesh Kumar's Twitter page) New Delhi (VNA) – Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj is visiting Indonesia on January 5-6, with productive outcomes recorded so far. Foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar informed on Twitter that on January 5, Swaraj met Vice President of Indonesia Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and held talks with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. These meetings focused on how to improve the India – Indonesia strategic partnership. Swaraj and Marsudi were scheduled to co-chair the 5th meeting of India-Indonesia Joint Commission and inaugurate the second meeting of ASEAN-India Network of think tanks. While in Indonesia, the Indian minister would also meet with President Joko Widodo and joined a gathering with representatives of the Indian expatriate community here. Sushma Swaraj is on her official trip to three … [Read more...] about Indian Foreign Minister active in Indonesia
Record $52bn in foreign reserves new momentum for Vietnam’s growth: official
Vietnam’s foreign exchange reserves reached a record high of US$52 billion in 2017, which the National Financial Supervisory Commission believes will boost trust from potential local and foreign investors and open up new growth opportunities for the country. Such hefty foreign reserves, coupled with Vietnam’s policy of limiting its dependence on gold and U.S. dollars, have kept foreign exchange rates stable and given a jolt of energy to the local stock and real estate markets. During the Vietnamese stock market’s second trading session of 2018 on Wednesday, the country’s benchmark VN-Index broke the 1,000-point threshold, closing up 0.99 percent with 1,005.67 points, its highest close since November 9, 2007. New growth momentum Truong Van Phuoc, acting chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission, said the $52 billion in foreign reserves has boosted faith in Vietnam from domestic and foreign investors. “Low inflation and a stable foreign … [Read more...] about Record $52bn in foreign reserves new momentum for Vietnam’s growth: official
Vietnam’s foreign trade records impressive achievement in 2017
NDO – In 2017, Vietnam's total import-export turnover exceeded US$400 billion, reaching the highest level ever. After a long period of trade deficit, the balance of trade unexpectedly turned to a surplus, thanks to the government’s drastic reforms and enterprises’ continuous efforts. Breakthrough policiesAccording to a report released at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s meeting held in mid-December, Vietnam’s field of industry and trade has reached all targets set for 2017. In particular, exports were one of the highlights in 2017, as export turnover is expected to reach more than US$ 212 billion, up over 20% over the same period last year, much higher than the export turnover of over US$ 176 billion in 2016 and the highest level since 2011; meanwhile import turnover increased by approximately 21%, most of which are imported goods to serve production; additionally, Vietnam maintained a trade surplus of about over US$2 billion this … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s foreign trade records impressive achievement in 2017
Logistics firms work for foreign conglomerates in home market
VietNamNet Bridge - In developed countries, logistics make up 15-20 percent of GDP. But in Vietnam, the industry can satisfy only 25 percent of market demand.Tran Van Bao from the Hanoi Economics University, said that since 2001, especially after Vietnam joined WTO in 2007, the Vietnamese logistics market has been growing rapidly with more than 1,000 businesses, of which 18 percent are state-owned, 80 percent are privately run and 2 percent foreign invested.The number of businesses providing logistics services in Vietnam is even higher than other South East Asian countries and logistics is among the business fields with the highest growth rates in Vietnam.Domestic logistics firms provide trucking transportation, cargo terminals and seaport services. Many foreign firms have entered Vietnam or scaled up their business in Vietnam. Samsung has teamed up with MP Logistics to set up a firm in the sector.However, according to Bao, Vietnamese logistics firms can only provide certain services. … [Read more...] about Logistics firms work for foreign conglomerates in home market
Lifting of foreign-ownership ceiling pushes share prices up
VietNamNet Bridge - The decision by Vietnamese businesses to increase the cap for foreign ownership is expected to increase share prices.Fecon JSC, an enterprise specializing in foundations and underground works, on September 20 received SSC (State Securities Commission) approval for the lifting of the foreign ownership ceiling to 75 percent. The price of Fecon shares escalated to the ceiling level immediately after the information was released.The company planned three share issuance campaigns to increase its charter capital by VND1 trillion.Meanwhile, Binh Minh Plastics received permission to enlarge the room for foreign investors to 100 percent. SCIC, the largest shareholder, plans to divest all of its shares, 29.5 percent of the plastics company’s capital.This has helped Binh Minh’s share price recover after it dropped by 28 percent in July-September because of the reported profit decrease. … [Read more...] about Lifting of foreign-ownership ceiling pushes share prices up
Hanoi`s real estate projects attracst foreign investors
The Hanoitimes - Foreign investors are eyeing real estate projects in the northern region, particularly Hanoi, as they see the region’s potential, heard a conference held by the Commercial Real Estate Services (CBRE) Vietnam Company on January 4. In 2017, Vietnam remained an attractive destination for foreign investors with total FDI capital registered in the country hitting a record high of 35.88 billion USD, up 44.4 percent against last year. Real estate ranked third in terms of FDI attraction, accounting for 8.5 percent of the total registered capital. According to CBRE, since 2017, many foreign investors have paid special attention to Hanoi’s property market. They have joined hands with several big domestic investors to carry out projects, for example, Sumitomo Group’s deal in the northern side of the Red River which is expected to be a hot spot for real estate. The Japanese group decided to participate in Vietnam’s real estate market through … [Read more...] about Hanoi`s real estate projects attracst foreign investors
Foreign investors covet food market
VietNamNet Bridge - The growth of the Vietnamese food market has made it a magnet for foreign companies. Vietnam is an attractive food market According to the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Vietnam’s annual food consumption accounts for 15 percent of GDP and the amount of food consumed in the first nine months of 2017 was 11.9 percent higher than the same period last year. Vietnam’s annual food consumption accounts for 15 percent of GDP and the amount of food consumed in the first nine months of 2017 was 11.9 percent higher than the same period last year. After a series of M&A deals and the construction of the complex, expected to be completed by 2018, CJ projects revenue of $700 million from the food industry alone. RELATED NEWS Vietnamese manufacturers ‘forget’ food market for Muslims Retailers see great opportunities with street food sales Chi Mai … [Read more...] about Foreign investors covet food market
Foreign press appreciates Vietnam’s 2017 economic achievements
The Hanoitimes - Foreign press have run articles highlighting that the year of 2017 marked Vietnam’s rapid economic growth. In its recent article, Asian Correspondent said not only was Vietnam the top-performer in the region, but it ranked second behind India – the only country which achieved growth of over 7 percent in 2016 – in the list of fastest-growing economies worldwide. It stressed that there are multiple reasons for Vietnam’s strong performance in recent years – especially in comparison to other ASEAN countries, including the country’ strategy of diversification of its economy - in terms of both the range of goods produced, and its export destinations. According to the newspaper, Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive investment destination due to its rapidly expanding population and its demographics, with a youthful population amounting to a large and capable workforce, consisting of both skilled and unskilled … [Read more...] about Foreign press appreciates Vietnam’s 2017 economic achievements