KUALA LUMPUR - According to local media, Vietnam will begin piloting Chinese, Japanese and Korean lessons for preschool children under a new national plan to strengthen foreign-language skills and future workforce competitiveness.

The policy is part of a foreign-language education strategy for 2025 to 2035, approved by Deputy Prime Minister, Le Thanh Long on December 16, with a long-term vision extending to 2045.

Under the plan, preschoolers will be gradually introduced to Chinese, Japanese and Korean on a trial basis, while English will remain the main foreign language at this level.

About 57% of nearly 470,000 preschool children currently receive English instruction, according to the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences.

At the primary and secondary levels, students may continue learning Chinese, Russian, French, German, Japanese or Korean at schools that meet teaching requirements and have sufficient demand.

Schools are also encouraged to combine foreign-language learning with subjects such as mathematics, science and social studies to improve practical language use.

From 2025 to 2030, the education sector will develop programmes for Southeast Asian languages, with priority given to Lao and Khmer, especially in border areas.

At colleges and universities, foreign-language teaching will be adjusted to better match students’ needs and labour market demand.

The government said the plan aims to build a generation with strong language skills to support innovation, sustainable development and competitiveness at home and abroad.

Key measures include increasing and upskilling language teachers, recruiting qualified foreign instructors, updating curricula and assessments, using digital technology and artificial intelligence, and strengthening international cooperation.

The initiative follows an earlier government plan issued in October to make English the second language in schools from 2025 to 2035, with English becoming compulsory from Grade One by 2030.