British Council in Vietnam today has awarded the British Council IELTS Prize to three outstanding IELTS test takers in Vietnam with the prize values of 180 million dong, 150 million dong and 120 million dong for the First, Second and Third Prize respectively. The British Council IELTS Prize, since its launch in 2011, has supported more than 270 students in East Asia in pursuing their dreams of studying abroad. This year, the British Council interviewed over one hundred exceptional individuals who have excelled in their IELTS test and shown admirable aspiration in their plan to contribute to society, locally or abroad. While it was a tough decision for the judges, the winners demonstrated an outstanding level of academic commitment and excellent communication skills. The final result reveals 33 prize winners across the region, including three excellent IELTS test takers in Vietnam, namely Nguyen Duc Thinh, Vo Tan Thuan and Truong Minh Hang. These individuals will become British Council IELTS Ambassadors. "IELTS is the world's most popular high-stakes English proficiency test, with over 3.5 million tests taken in 2018. Through the British Council IELTS Prize, we are pleased to subsidise high-calibre individuals who demonstrate the potential to contribute to society after their studies", said Trish Thomson, Regional Marketing Director of British Council, East Asia. Nguyen Duc Thinh, the First Prize winner, says: "The IELTS Prize has truly put me one step closer to achieving my dream of studying abroad. Over the past five years, studying abroad has always been the number one priority on my list since I have always wanted to learn new things in a foreign country. In addition, as a content creator on YouTube, I really want to study abroad to explore the world and learn more new things as a way to inspire my fans, who are mostly young people. The prize is going to be of great help to me financially during my first year of study so I can focus more on studying and prepare for the upcoming years." "To me, the IELTS is not merely some test to assess one's proficiency in English. It has helped me so much in improving my knowledge about the world since, upon preparing the test, I have done a multitude of writing and reading tests on countless different topics such as society, nature, or economy. I believe this will give me an advantage when I study in Canada", he added. Truong Minh Hang, the Third Prize winner also shares her excitements over the Prize: "In my opinion, IELTS Prize is the scholarship that anyone with a dream of studying abroad should apply for. The eligibility requirements are minimal compared to other programs: no certain years of work experience is needed; no specific study major is favored over the others. So as long as you demonstrate a strong passion and a clear plan for the educational path you have chosen, everyone gets an equal chance at winning." For more information, please contact: Hanh Le Communications Manager British Council 20 Thuy Khue, Tay Ho, Hanoi, Vietnam T +84-(0)4-38436780 (ext.1957) F +84-(0)4-38434962 E hanh.le@britishcouncil.org.vn Ngoc Anh Nguyen Exams Marketing Manager British Council 1F Viettel Building 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 10, HCMC, Vietnam T +84-1800-1299 ext 2407 E ngocanh.nguyen@britishcouncil.org.vn About the British Council The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with - changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org International English Language Testing System (IELTS) IELTS is the International English Language Testing System, the world's most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration with 3.5 million tests taken in the last year. Over 10,000 organisations trust and accept IELTS as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true to life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. About the test Test takers are measured in listening, reading, writing and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest band). IELTS offers a choice of two test versions, to serve both academic and non-academic purposes. IELTS Academic measures English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment. The tasks and texts are accessible to all test takers, irrespective of their subject focus. IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. The tasks and texts reflect both workplace and social situations. IELTS General Training is suitable for immigration purposes to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and Ireland. A sample of government and professional associations who recognise or require applicants to hold an IELTS test result include: --Citizenship and Immigration Canada --Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection --UK Visas and Immigration --Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and National Council of State Boards of Nursing, USA --International Monetary Fund SOURCE British Council (IELTS)