Vietnamese teachers share English-learning approach to scoring 9.0 on IELTS test

Linearthinking is an English-learning methodology developed by former students of the High School for the Gifted under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City.

The method is designed to improve all four English skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – while helping learners develop logical thinking, systematize their knowledge, and apply the language naturally.

“The method was designed by Vietnamese people specifically for Vietnamese learners, combining mathematical thinking, memory techniques, and research into the influence of the mother tongue on English,” said Quynh, who scored 9.0 overall on the IELTS test and is academic director at DOL English.

She graduated as salutatorian in English language teaching from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.

Some learners worry that Linearthinking may be too dry or difficult for people who are not good at math because the method uses mathematical thinking.

“In fact, Linearthinking does not borrow mathematical knowledge, but rather mathematical thinking,” Quynh explained.

“In mathematics, there is a way of thinking called simplification. When a ‘problem’ contains too much information, causing confusion and overloading the brain, people who think effectively often do not jump straight into solving it.

“Instead, they first find a way to simplify the problem so the brain can process it more easily.

“I personally studied literature as my specialized subject, not mathematics.”

On the difference between Linearthinking materials developed specifically for Vietnamese learners and imported foreign-language textbooks, a DOL English representative said international textbooks are written for learners around the world.

“They teach well what is correct, but they do not answer questions that Vietnamese learners often ask, such as: ‘Why do I keep doing this but still get it wrong?’ or ‘Where is my thinking going wrong?’” the representative said.

“Linearthinking directly addresses that problem because we understand it and have experienced similar issues ourselves,” said Minh, who has achieved an IELTS overall score of 9.0 twice and teaches SAT and IELTS at DOL English.

High scores in shorter period

Alongside its Linearthinking methodology and teaching staff, DOL English has developed the SuperLMS technology system, which incorporates artificial intelligence to personalize learning paths.

The system is designed to help learners follow a structured study plan and achieve high test scores in a shorter period.

“In the past, I spent a lot of time carefully reading and sorting through countless English-learning resources,” said Khoa, who scored 9.0 overall on the IELTS and graduated as salutatorian in English language from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City.

“I sometimes became confused when different sources gave conflicting advice.

“Meanwhile, DOL’s SuperLMS lays out what to practice in each session and what content to read in a systematic and highly practical way.”

Contrary to the perception that high IELTS listening and speaking scores require native-English teachers, a number of teachers and students at DOL English have achieved scores of 8.0 to 9.0 in those skills, despite the school having an entirely Vietnamese teaching staff.

Quynh said many people confuse pronunciation with accent.

The four IELTS speaking assessment criteria are fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation, she said.

“Correct English pronunciation means whether the sounds are clear, whether final sounds are missing, and whether word stress is correct, among other things,” said Quynh, who scored 9.0 in IELTS speaking.

“An accent, meanwhile, refers to characteristics influenced by a speaker’s local language when speaking English.

“IELTS examiners assess pronunciation, not whether candidates sound exactly British, American or Australian.

“Vietnamese teachers with correct pronunciation can even have an advantage in teaching listening and speaking to Vietnamese learners because they deeply understand the problems and solutions.”

For Vy, who also achieved an IELTS overall score of 9.0, the key to reaching the milestone comes down to learning from mistakes, studying consistently with clear goals, believing in oneself, and choosing the right method.