Students at a Ho Chi Minh City university are using performing art to dramatically improve their English.

English majors at Ho Chi Minh City Open University are taking on new roles as actors and actresses, performing plays in English as a way to learn the language.

At the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater in District 1, audiences comprised of over 400 spectators and several foreign consuls were dazzled by English performances of ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ by Oscar Wilde, ‘Vanity Fair’ by William Shakespeare, and ‘Atonement’ ­­by Ian McEwan on June 4^th and 5^th.

“I am eager to take students through a dynamic form of study through meaningful experiences,” said Le Quang Truc, the professor who first introduced the creative learning approach to the university.

Truc said that he first started using the theater approach to teach his students English literature in 2009.

By 2012, thanks to support and encouragement from students, colleagues, and friends, especially actor Tran Khanh Hoang, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater at that time, Truc and his students had been able to perform the original play ‘Oscar Wilde’s Night.’

“It was a splendid night,” the lecturer said in pride.

Recognizing the students’ interest in the art form, as well as their English progress, Truc organized a five-day event with 14 consecutive performances at the university’s campus in 2015.

The extracurricular activities have caught the president’s eye and have received annual support from the university since, due in part to tremendous positive feedback from learners and wholehearted participation from both students and faculty.

Of these, many see drama acting as an interesting way to diversify their English studies, while others admit that acting has helped improve their English speaking skills significantly due to the necessity of proper pronunciation and intonation in order to elicit certain feelings from the audience and clearly deliver the intended messages.

“It’s simply miraculous,” Nguyen Thi Ha Giang, an English student member of the troupe performing ‘Atonement,’ said with a smile.

“My English skills have greatly improved since I began participating in theater,” she recounted, sharing the rehearsal stages, which include choosing topics and writing plots, casting, and developing rehearsal schedules.

Some students see it as a great method to build their confidence, ignite creativity, and enhance cooperation skills.

After arriving at the theater to watch her daughter’s show, Vo Thi Kim Dung said, “It is really beneficial to students because it improves their English language competence and creates a comfortable environment for those who are drawn to this art form.”

Nguyen Thanh Nhan, deputy president of Ho Chi Minh City Open University, said, “We [the university] hope that more universities will run similar programs and establish a meaningful and dynamic environment for students to enhance their learning.”