When PhD graduate in Plasma Physics Doan Ha Thang saw seven-year-old ethnic children speaking up to six languages to foreign tourists in Sa Pa, he realised the unlimited learning potential of young students.
 

Ethnic children in Sa Pa

Thang, 36, had long been pondering how to help Vietnamese labourers improve their foreign language skills to find jobs overseas.

Now, after nearly 14 months of research and development, he and his colleagues of the Viet Nam Institute of Physics' Centre have invented an English language teaching machine with advanced technology.

One of the strong points of the machine is that it can give a mark to learners and assess their ability.

The IOPT-Home teacher is four times the of a pen. It is accompanied by a book which follows the Ministry of Education and Training English text book and uses the latest code and voice treatment technologies.

Piloted in two secondary schools in Ha Noi and receiving good feedback, the machine was now available through the Education Publishing house, Thang said.

Trung Vuong Secondary High School English teacher Nguyen Thi Bich Hong said the machine was "convenient and user-friendly".

Thang Long Secondary High School sixth-grade student Tran Hoai Nam said he did not feel ashamed mispronouncing or making another mistakes when he trialed the machine.

Hoang Thuy Nga, mother of a sixth grade student, said she would buy the machine.

Thang has received large orders from the Education Publishing House and Ha Noi International Manpower Supply and Trade Company Limited and is expecting an enthusiastic response from the public.

He is now planning to develop software for other languages, such as Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian.