Job Discussion Forums

[martinphipps]

I am writing a book about teaching English in Asia, but my experience only relates to Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. Tell me about teaching English in Vietnam. I have some specific questions.

Do you work with a local teacher? Is she in the classroom with you or does she teach the same class at a different time? Is he or she considered your boss or your equal or does this depend on how much experience you have?

When in Vietnam, do people expect you to learn the local language or are they surprised whenever you use Vietnamese at all? Are you forbidden by your school owners from using Vietnamese in class? Do the students seem to expect you to understand Vietnamese and get frustrated when you don't understand Vietnamese?

Do most people work in private cram schools or in government sponsored public schools? Do they provide you with textbooks and a syllabus or is that entirely up to the teachers? Do you get in trouble for using Vietnamese in class or by not playing enough games or are teaching methods left up to the teacher to decide?

If it isn't you who makes the decision as to how to teach your class then who's decision is it? Your co-teacher? Your supervisor? The owner of the school?

What is the biggest problem that Vietnamese students have? How does the local language affect the way they speak English? Are there any words they especially have trouble pronouncing?

Thank you.

Martin Phipps,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Applied Foreign Languages,
Chungtai Institute pf Health Sciences and Technology,
Taichong, Taiwan

[buddy bradley]

[countdown]

HI -My husband and I have been teaching in HCMC since August and here's what we know:

With small children or low level adults we get a TA whose job is to translate when/if necessary and help maintain control in children's classes.

With children and lower level adults the classes are 2X2 hours with a local teacher and 1X2hours with a native English speaking teacher - per week.

With intermediate adults the native teacher teaches 4 hrs/week and the VN teacher has 2 hrs/week.

From what I can see the Vn teacher and the foreign teacher are treated as equals except when it comes to pay.

There are intensive courses where the students attend daily.

Our school has its own syllabus and materials. Each teacher receives books, cassettes etc. and a lesson plan covering the length of the course which is usually 10 weeks.

Because our school is quite large and has a number of centres in HCMC and in the provinces, we have different classes in different centres and the school is open 7 days a week.

Foreign teachers are not allowed to speak Vietnamese in class and are also not allowed to make derogatory remarks about Vietnam, its people, its government or its politics.

Teachers can teach any way they like and throw in supplementary materials and games as long as the syllabus is covered.

Students don't seem to expect foreign teachers to be able to speak Vietnamese.

VN students have problems with 3rd person singular s as well as the plural s and constantly fail to pronounce consonant endings of words. They also tend to speak in the present tense most of the time and have problems pronouncing the 'th" sound.

Hope this helps -

[Cyan]

Do you work with a local teacher?

Sometimes - I have had a local teacher with my children classes but mostof the time you are alone.

Is she in the classroom with you or does she teach the same class at a different time?

Yes, if you going to haan assistant teacher then she stays in the same class as you.

Is he or she considered your boss or your equal or does this depend on how much experience you have?

Neither, they are there to assist you when you need to give instuctions on a game or maybe give you guidelines as to what the kids are doing now and so what she (almostalways a woman) wants you to revise with the class

When in Vietnam, do people expect you to learn the local language or are they surprised whenever you use Vietnamese at all?

No, you are not expected to know Vietnamese although some schools like you to have some knowledge of the language. The classes find it hilarious but I don't think its entirely necessary.

Are you forbidden by your school owners from using Vietnamese in class?
No. I don't know much but if I did I wouldn't use it. It's cute but you are not in the class to be cute - you want to teach English.

Do the students seem to expect you to understand Vietnamese and get frustrated when you don't understand Vietnamese?
No, mostask if you can speak Vietnamese. That's the 5th question after What's your name? How old are you? Where are you from? Are you married?

Do most people work in private cram schools or in government sponsored public schools?

Private schools.

Do they provide you with textbooks and a syllabus or is that entirely up to the teachers?
You get books and a syllabus to follow.

Do you get in trouble for using Vietnamese in class or by not playing enough games or are teaching methods left up to the teacher to decide?

The school I work for encourages games in all the classes. To keep it fun and interesting as the book is a bit of a drag sometimes.

If it isn't you who makes the decision as to how to teach your class then who's decision is it? Your co-teacher? Your supervisor? The owner of the school?
Um, the syllabus is laid out but the methods thatyou employ aremostly up to you.

What is the biggest problem that Vietnamese students have?
They don't finish words - they half speak words which adds to pronunciation woes. They say the first half like: :"I ri motobi" Instead of I ride motorbike. Buddy Bradley is correct here with another problem- they do not use the "s" when needed e.g There have 2 dog in my house". Yet, therearethose that pluralise everything (?!)

How does the local language affect the way they speak English? Are there any words they especially have trouble pronouncing?

The "th" sound is difficult here as it is in other Asian countries (or so Ive heard)

Good Luck

Cyan

[jibbs]

Pronunciation is the biggest problem for sure. It is hard to understand students. I think English requires a lot more enunciation or maybe just has a lot of different sounds.

A very common example is "motobi" for motorbike.

They don't finish words. They don't enunciate well.

[Paul John]

Hi Martin,

The comments above are quite accurate (particularly those of Countdown and Cyan), but I can expand on some of them. I've been here for a few years and have worked at a few schools, and I've heard anecdotal accounts from teachers at other schools.

[jibbs]

A very good analysis there Paul John.

That "I very like" comment seems common in several countries -- heard it a good bit in Korea and Taiwan as well as Vietnam.

[Mr Wind-up Bird]

Paul:
Spanish has the /th/sound, as in cerveza or Barcelona.