Best English Centres in Ho Chi Minh City
With a multicultural, multinational, polylingual population of around 10 million people spread across two thousand square kilometres, it is no surprise that Ho Chi Minh City is home to thousands of language centres.
Around 450 of these provide English language tuition to Saigon’s students. Every evening and weekend people of all ages, levels and backgrounds flock to the ubiquitous centres which are also found in all shapes and sizes. But which one is the best one to suit your needs? Our beginners guide to English centres in Ho Chi Minh City might just help you find your perfect match.
ACET: Australian Centre for Education and Training
Located on Vo Thi Sau in District 3, ACET is different from many language centres in Ho Chi Minh City. Firstly, the programme provides training in Australian Standard Academic English. Secondly, the focus is on exam preparation and academic language skills for high school students and university applicants, rather than conversational English for learners of all ages.
Managed by Australian firm IDP Education, and with almost two decades experience in Vietnam, ACET not only provides English language tuition, but also helps to prepare students for a potential move to study in Australia. The study programme is the same as that delivered at the University of Technology Sydney and provides students with an international certificate to record what level was achieved.
ACET reports that 80% of their students achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 or above, which is generally sufficient for admission to foreign universities.
For more information about studying at APAX please visit the website.
Apollo English Centre
With 16 locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Apollo is far from being the largest chain of English Centres in the city, but having been established in 1995, Apollo has developed a reputation for stability and quality.
Apollo English Centres primarily provide English tuition to young learners with games and activities featuring prominently for The Very Young and Young Learner courses. Secondary and Teens classes focus on encouraging students to express their thoughts and ideas. IELTS tuition is also available.
Apollo was the first fully foreign owned English centre in Vietnam and is a member of the International World House Organisation which promises that member schools are committed to providing the very highest standards in face to face and online education.
For more details of Apollo English Centres in Ho Chi Minh City visit the website
British Council
With just three learning centres in Ho Chi Minh City, British Council is a school with a small physical presence but a large reputation. The UKs official organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, British Council has been in Vietnam since 1993 and in Ho Chi Minh City since 1997.
As with most English learning centres in Ho Chi Minh City, British Council offers tuition for students of all ages, and they are proud to be able to provide bright, inviting classrooms equipped with the latest technology. Teachers at British Council require advanced TESL qualifications along with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and substantial teaching experience.
British Council offers a variety of different English language assessment exams including Aptis, IELTS and English Score for Business with highly trained and experienced staff who meet British Council and exam board standards.
For more details of British Council learning centres in Ho Chi Minh City visit the website.
ILA
With 19 learning centres in Saigon, ILA is one of the most familiar language centre brands in the city. With courses for students of all ages, ILA also offers tuition in maths and business English in addition to the regular language instruction.
Young Learners are a large part of ILA’s student base and as such, the schools have developed an in-house training programme based on previous CELT-YL training courses from Cambridge English. Regular workshops are also provided for staff to ensure that they are kept up to date with developments in ESL teaching. As such, ILA regularly receives excellent reviews and recommendations from staff and students alike.
At all ages, learning through play and project-based learning are a key feature of ILA lessons, with flipped classrooms being the preferred approach for older, global English students.
For more details of ILA training centres and programmes in Ho Chi Minh City, please visit the website.
VUS: Vietnam USA English Centres
With 32 campuses in Ho Chi Minh City, VUS is probably the best-known English language school in the city. Accredited by NEAS and having a strategic partnership with The City University of New York, VUS offers language courses or students of all ages, however, young learners make up the majority of the student base.
Facilities at all VUS campuses are modern and allow teachers to engage students through a variety of multimedia platforms. Teachers are also provided with regular training and professional updates to ensure that students are provided with the latest teaching methods.
With over 20 years of experience teaching in Vietnam, and around 250,000 students being enrolled each year, VUS is well placed to help students receive internationally recognised certifications such as Cambridge Starters, Movers and Flyers, KET and IELTS.
For more information about studying at VUS language centres please visit the website.
Wall Street English
With 6 English centres in Ho Chi Minh City, Wall Street English offers small class sizes where functional communication is prioritised.
Business English courses are a popular choice at Wall Street English, particularly as their flexible studying options are convenient for people who work or study full time. Depending on student needs, classes at Wall Street can be delivered online, in person or by a combination of the two. Multimedia lessons and native English teachers provide an immersive environment and additional support is provided in the form of one-to-one tutorials if needed or requested.
Wall Street English also offers flexible payment schedules to further assist students on their learning journey.
For more information about studying at Wall Street English, visit the website.
Yola
A relative newcomer to the English centre scene, Yola was founded in Ho Chi Minh City in 2009. The three original Vietnamese founders all attended prestigious universities in the United States and have made the foundation of Yola’s teaching to ‘create a world where people are empowered to unleash their full potential’.
Since opening, Yola has assisted more than 2,000 students to obtain scholarships to universities from across the world, including Harvard, Stanford and Yale and Yola students hold record scores in TOEFL, IELTS and TOEFL Junior examinations.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Yola introduced a hybrid learning system that allows face to face and online tuition to be utilised by students. Yola also offers ‘Empowering You’ scholarships to students with exceptional academic performances and Financial Assistance packages in order to also support parents.
For more information about studying at Yola, please visit the website.
Of course, the English learning centres listed above are just a small selection of the schools on offer in Ho Chi Minh City. More affordable options can be found at smaller centres, but beware of a proportional drop in quality. Before enrolling at any school, gather as much information as possible about the schools’ accreditations and the qualifications held by teaching staff, as this can vary greatly between institutions.
You should also consider what you need and want from a language course before enrolling. Academic courses, like IELTS and TOEFL may seem like a great option but can be uninspiring and overly formal for someone who is only looking to learn how to chat to tourists!