A new website providing online English courses backed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) was Tuesday launched in a bid to fill the gap of an adequate foreign language learning tool for Vietnamese learners.

The new page, called Elearning and accessible at http://elearning.tuoitre.vn, was set up as an online publication of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, under an agreement it signed last year with IIG Vietnam, the officially authorized representative of the ETS in the Southeast Asian country.

One of the key products available on the Elearning website is the English Discoveries Online (EDO), a comprehensive, technology-based English language learning solution designed by the ETS.

EDO caters to the multifaceted needs of individuals, academic institutions and businesses by offering both blended-learning and distance-learning models of implementation.

The platform also incorporates field-proven pedagogical approaches combined with the latest interactive learning technologies, creating an ideal environment for student success.

Other English training and learning tools for TOEIC, TOEFL and ESP (English for Special Purposes), all designed by the ETS, are also available on the Elearning page.

The website also features a series of English lessons and tips to facilitate learners. There is also a Q&A corner where learners can have their questions answered and explained in detail by the expert team behind the website.

“There are still many Vietnamese people who are unable to learn and improve English for many reasons, including financial issues or the lack of adequate English teaching facilities in their localities,” Nguyen Thanh Liem, managing editor of Tuoi Tre’s English-language news website www.tuoitrenews.vn, said at the launching ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City.

“We have been seeking a suitable partner that can provide an international standardized learning program to help Tuoi Tre readers study English anytime, anywhere, and we’ve found it: IIG Vietnam.”

IIG Vietnam chairman Doan Hong Nam expressed his hope that the new website will be favored by both English learners and teachers in Vietnam.

“Tuoi Tre newspaper has a huge advantage in promoting the website as it can approach a larger number of readers, especially those who are in need of learning English,” he said at the ceremony.

Nam told Tuoi Tre in a separate interview that he believes the Elearning website will “quench the thirst for learning English of many students and laborers.”

The EDO account can be purchased online at elearning.tuoitre.vn.

A three-month course costs VND590,000 (US$27.83), while the prices for six and 12 months are VND885,000 ($41.75) and VND1.18 million ($56), respectively.