Empowering IELTS learners to approach graphs and charts with confidence has led Vietnamese teacher Tram Nguyen Trinh to win the 2026 IELTS Morgan Terry Memorial IATEFL Scholarship.
The award celebrates teachers who bring fresh ideas and practical innovation to IELTS preparation while supporting learners’ wider development in English. This year’s judges praised Tram’s approach for not only boosting performance in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, but also helping students strengthen their language, analytical and communication skills – essential for success at university and beyond.
Tram recalls her delight when she found out about her award: "I could hardly believe that my modest contribution was recognised and valued among so many other initiatives."
Mastering IELTS Writing Task 1
Tram’s award-winning idea was inspired by her own experience whilst practising Task 1. "I often got lost in the bulk of information, trying to use as much vocabulary as possible, but this didn’t prove very effective", she explains. "I noticed the same problem in my students."
Drawing on her scientific background, she began treating charts the way she treated data at work. "In research, I always asked myself: 'Which chart best shows the data and the highlights I want to display?' I realised that in IELTS Writing Task 1, the key is not describing as much detail as you can see, but correctly identifying what the chart’s author wants to emphasise."
Mastering these skills helps learners organise ideas efficiently and communicate clearly – setting them up as they prepare for further study at university.
This insight led Tram to design a one-page guideline to give students a structured framework for writing: "I first identified the key differences in focus for each chart type. Then, I classified and organised vocabulary groups and target structures from my teaching materials to match each type and highlight its main functions."
She checked her outline against high-band IELTS samples and refined it with feedback from her own students. They were "delighted to have a framework to follow" which "guided them to quickly decide what to include. The guide has boosted their confidence and performance in both practice and real exams."
A scientific background in English teaching
Based in Binh Duong, Tram has been teaching English since 2019 and preparing students for Cambridge English Qualifications A2 Key, B1 Preliminary, and IELTS exams. She also teaches natural science in English, drawing from her background in biotechnology, an experience she believes has shaped her work.
"I really enjoy working with science-related topics in IELTS practice tests," she says, "I often raise questions that go deeper into the science behind a topic to spark students’ curiosity and challenge their critical thinking, alongside the language tasks. Many of them become engaged and try to use their limited English to respond, and in doing so, they naturally learn and remember new scientific terms."
Tram’s work is also inspired by her involvement in the Microsoft Innovative Educator community and a regional network of English teachers across Asia. She views Vietnam’s policy to start teaching subjects in English as "the biggest opportunity for implementing CLIL" (Content and Language Integrated Learning), but also notes that "the main challenge is the lack of human resources". She aspires to "bridge these gaps by providing training, building coordination between the two groups of teachers, and supporting Vietnam’s demand for qualified CLIL educators".
AI in IELTS preparation
Tram is also optimistic about AI’s role in IELTS preparation, explaining that students can use AI as a "personal tutor" to get quick explanations and improve their writing and speaking independently. When it comes to teaching IELTS, Tram highlights AI’s customisation options to match student needs and access to extensive resources.
However, she stresses the importance of a strong foundation of knowledge to use AI effectively: for students, to judge the accuracy of AI suggestions, and for teachers, to evaluate methods and choose what really fits their students and learning goals.
Don’t wait to make a difference!
Looking forward to next year’s scholarship, Tram encourages other teachers not to hold back their ideas: "My advice is that any innovation is valuable, even if it’s a very simple solution. Teachers don’t need to wait until they become extremely professional to start innovating. Be confident in making adjustments whenever you see a gap in teaching and learning, because even a small change can make a big difference in helping students improve."
With her scientific mindset and focus on practical frameworks, Tram is showing how even small insights based on experience can help IELTS learners approach tasks with clarity and confidence.
IATEFL Scholarship
The IELTS Morgan Terry Memorial IATEFL Scholarship, funded by the IELTS Partners (British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment) is designed to recognise innovation in the English teaching space.
As part of her scholarship, Tram will receive a year’s IATEFL membership, registration for the IATEFL Conference, as well as travel and accommodation to attend the conference in the UK. She will present her work at IATEFL 2026, sharing her insights with teachers from around the world.
Learn more about the scholarship and hear from past winners.