English Classes for Kids in Đống Đa, Hanoi: ELA or ESL, Fees and a Roadmap (2026)

ELA or ESL, class size, teachers, real monthly fees — and the questions that let you check any center yourself before you pay, from kindergarten to Grade 12.

Why the 2026–2027 school year matters

Whether you're a Vietnamese family or an international family living in Hanoi, three policy changes make the choice of an English program more important this year.

1. English becomes a “second language” in Vietnamese schools

On 27 October 2025, the Prime Minister signed Decision 2371/QĐ-TTg, approving the project “Making English the second language in schools, 2025–2035, with a vision to 2045”. For 2025–2030 it sets two targets:

• every general-education school in Vietnam teaches compulsory English from Grade 1;
• every kindergarten in cities and well-resourced urban areas has the conditions for children to get familiar with English.

In practice, the gap between children who start Grade 1 with some English and those who don't will show up earlier. The sensible goal isn't a race — it's for your child to arrive at Grade 1 confident and used to hearing and speaking English.

2. English is the third subject in Hanoi's Grade 10 exam

For the 2026–2027 public, non-specialized Grade 10 entrance exam, Hanoi chose a foreign language as the third subject, alongside Math and Literature. The language paper is multiple choice, 60 minutes, mostly on the Grade 9 syllabus. The third subject is announced each year, so families with children in Grades 8–9 should watch for the 2027–2028 announcement.

3. The value of international certificates is shifting

In the 2026 high-school graduation exam, students with IELTS 4.0 or above were exempt from the foreign-language paper. For university admission, the 2026 rules cap bonus points for language certificates at 1.5, and a draft for 2027 proposes removing them. We cover this in detail in IELTS classes in Đống Đa: centers, fees and the 2026–2027 rules.

6 things to check before choosing a center

We suggest asking every center these six questions — with HEC's answers underneath, so you have a benchmark.

1. Does the program teach children to use English (ELA), or just memorize it (ESL)?

It's the deciding question few parents think to ask. An ESL class teaches children about English: word lists, grammar rules, model dialogues. An ELA (English Language Arts) class teaches them to use English the way American students do: reading real texts, writing paragraphs in different genres, discussing and presenting with evidence. Research on how languages are learned favors the second — see What is ELA? ELA vs ESL.

At HEC: an ELA program aligned to the US Common Core, following Cambridge English levels (which match the CEFR).

2. What is the maximum class size — as a number?

Every center says “small classes”. Ask for the number. Simple arithmetic: split evenly, a 90-minute lesson gives each child about 7.5 minutes in a class of 12, but only about 4.5 minutes in a class of 20. For young learners, that's the difference between having pronunciation corrected every lesson and barely at all.

At HEC: no more than 12 students per class, published on every class page.

3. Who actually teaches, and are they a trained teacher?

A native accent is not the same as teaching skill. Ask which teaching qualification the teacher holds, whether they teach your child's class for the whole course, and whether there's a teaching assistant.

At HEC: a US-educated teacher with a teaching degree and a New Jersey (USA) teaching certificate, with foreign and Vietnamese teaching assistants who hold degrees in English or education.

4. Which standards does the program follow, and are the goals measurable?

International textbooks (National Geographic, Oxford, Cambridge) are a good start. Ask too which standards the program follows (Common Core, CEFR, Cambridge) and for a concrete target for each level — for example “reads 70–90 words per minute at 95% accuracy” rather than “makes clear progress”.

At HEC: every level has specific completion criteria published on its class page; the center is licensed by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

5. Per session or the whole course upfront? Any hidden fees?

Convert everything to a price per teaching hour, then ask: do you pay the whole course upfront or monthly, what happens if you pause or leave, and are there book or exam fees?

At HEC: 210,000 VND per 90-minute session, billed for the sessions held each month, nothing paid upfront, and no book fee at present.

6. How will you know your child is progressing?

Ask about entry and exit assessments, regular reports and your child's actual work — writing, presentations, videos. A center confident in its teaching will let you sit in on a class.

At HEC: monthly progress reports, Zalo updates, open classroom visits — and real, unscripted lesson videos at the end of this article.

ELA or ESL? English program types for kids in Hanoi, compared

Rather than compare brand names, compare models. Most families in Đống Đa, Cầu Giấy or Thanh Xuân end up choosing between the five options below. The HEC column is what we publish and you can check in class; the other columns describe common models, not any specific center.

← Swipe to see the full table →

The columns other than HEC describe common models in the market, not any particular center; each one may differ. Use the six questions above to ask directly.

Which HEC class fits your child?

Not sure where your child fits? The free placement test will tell you — and we'll say so plainly if your child needs to strengthen the foundations first.

An English roadmap by age: kindergarten to Grade 12

Every child starts from a different place, so ages are only a guide. At HEC, children are placed by level with a free placement test.

Kindergarten (ages 4–6): listen, imitate, enjoy

At this age the goal is sound and enthusiasm: songs, picture books and games; getting to know letters and sounds; short sentences about themselves. Don't measure grammar. Measure whether your child wants to speak English.

Watch some of HEC's youngest learners at Summer Camp 2026 — Elsa, Rainbow and Elina:

Elsa · Summer Camp 2026

Rainbow on her summer · 13 min

Grades 1–2 (ages 6–8): phonics and reading aloud

This is the phonics stage: blending sounds, high-frequency words, reading short sentences aloud. With English now compulsory from Grade 1, children who already connect sounds to letters walk into class with far more confidence.

Grades 3–5 (ages 8–11): fluent reading, paragraphs, presentations

Children move from learning to read to reading to learn: informational texts, paragraphs with a topic sentence, short presentations. It's also a great age for debate and project work. For children who are already strong in English, this is the moment to move fully into ELA: HEC runs Jupiter for Grades 3–4 and SKY 1 for Grades 5–6.

Grades 6–9 (ages 11–15): academic grammar and the Grade 10 exam

The focus shifts to controlling tenses and sentence structure, multi-paragraph writing with a clear argument, and reading longer texts. For Hanoi students, Grade 9 is also the year of the Grade 10 entrance exam — for 2026–2027, a foreign language is one of its three subjects.

Grades 10–12 (ages 15–18): academic English and IELTS

This is the right stage for structured IELTS preparation: essay writing, extended speaking, academic reading and timed exam strategy. See the full roadmap and fees in IELTS classes in Đống Đa.

HEC levels and their measurable targets

Each HEC level has published completion criteria:

1. Mars · National Geographic Look Starter
   Decodes CVC words with at least 90% accuracy; reads aloud at 30–40 words per minute; speaks 6–8 sentences about self and family; writes 4 correct sentences with capitals and spacing.
2. Venus · National Geographic Look 1
   Reads 70–90 words per minute at 95%+ accuracy; writes a 4–6 sentence paragraph with correct punctuation; speaks for 1–2 minutes from picture cues.
3. Neptune · National Geographic Look 2
   No more than 3 past-tense errors per 100 words; answers who/what/why with evidence; writes a cohesive paragraph with topic and closing sentences.
4. Jupiter · ELA Grades 3–4, advanced · National Geographic Reach Higher
   Reads 120–150 words per minute at 90%+ accuracy; writes 8–10 sentence paragraphs in three genres; gives a clearly structured 2-minute poster talk.
5. SKY 1 · ELA Grades 5–6, advanced · Oxford Discover
   Summarizes a ~300-word article into 5–6 bullet notes; presents for 3 minutes; writes a report with a clear introduction, body and conclusion; prepares for Grade 6 entrance and KET/PET.
6. Sanrio Grade 6 · Grammar & Writing G6
   85%+ grammar accuracy in edits; 2–3 paragraphs (180–220 words) with a thesis and support; a 2-minute evidence-based speech.
7. Sun · IELTS
   Target band 5.5–7.0; Task 2 of 250+ words in 40 minutes; sustains a coherent 3–4 minute speaking interview.

There's also Mercury, Cambridge Math taught in English, for students who want math reasoning and math vocabulary together.

What English classes for kids cost per month

It's the question parents ask most — and the information many centers don't publish. HEC publishes it: 210,000 VND per 90-minute session. Standard classes meet twice a week (3 hours a week), so about 8–9 sessions a month.

• Billed for sessions actually held each month — no upfront course fee, no hidden costs.
• 5% sibling discount.
• No book fees at present.
• Placement test and trial class: free.
• Saturday Reading Club (14:00–16:00): free, all ages.

Proof, not promises: real HEC ELA classes

We think parents should be able to see how their children learn, not just read slogans. These videos were filmed in class — no script, no staging.

Grade 4 students debate in English

Grade 4 students debate · 28 min

An ordinary lesson: students take a position, listen to the other side and respond — entirely in English. This is what “students talk more than the teacher” really looks like.

Campers talk about Summer 2026

Kids Talking about Summer · 6 min

HEC's 2026 summer camp had 21 students. At the end, every family received a private journal page: a highlight film, a curated photo gallery, the child's own reflection video and a bilingual written assessment from the teacher. See more on the HEC Summer Camp 2026 page.

Frequently asked questions