English

Foreign volunteers at a university in Hanoi are helping Vietnamese students to overcome their “fear” of English through a free-of-charge learning program. A fear of foreign languages, particularly English, seems to be endemic amongst Vietnamese students, but the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH Hanoi) is hoping to empower its students by offering free English classes to those looking for the opportunity to improve their speaking skills and build their confidence. The free classes, taught entirely by a group of foreign volunteers, have so far helped over 500 students overcome their fear of communicating in English and the organizers couldn’t be more thrilled at the results. Effective course The free course is hosted by USSH Hanoi and the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS), a non-governmental organization which aims to further sustainable development through community-based interventions. While the classes are taught by foreign … [Read more...] about Foreigners help Vietnamese students overcome a fear of English

Lê Hương The last thing you may expect to find at the foot of Lang Biang Mountain in Lạc Dương District, the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng is a pizza restaurant. But find one you will in K’Be Wood Fired Pizza, run by James Reelick, a middle-aged man from Connecticut, the US. James Reelick (first right), his wife (second from right) and some friends at his restaurant. Courtesy Photos of James Reelick Love for hiking and history and economic brought him to Việt Nam in 2011. He decided to settle down in Lạc Dương due to the good weather and the proximity to the mountain. Reelick and his wife Nguyễn Thị Liên opened K’BE Wood Fired Pizza and BBQ five years ago. “I built a wood-fired oven for myself and family so that I could roast chickens the way I liked and be able to bake bread,” he told Việt Nam News. “Over … [Read more...] about Bringing American food and beer to the Central Highlands

Most of the 990 students attending the exams for the sixth grade at the Hanoi-Amsterdam School for the Gifted had a GPA of 10 for all five grades at primary school, which some say is a reflection of a dysfunctional school system. The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) will begin applying the new general education program for first graders next year. However, it still doesn't know how to train primary school teachers to make them ready for the new program. Mr Do Duc Thai There are 400,000 primary school teachers. According to Thai Van Tai, acting director of the MOET’s Primary Education Department, there are three obstacles of teacher training. First, it is difficult to mobilize teachers who are not official civil servants who receive a salary from the state, to the training courses. They are mostly teachers of informatics, English, music and arts, accounting for 15 percent of total teachers. Meanwhile, the teachers who retire in 5-7 years account for 10 percent. The … [Read more...] about ‘How to teach primary school students’ under new system: are educators qualified?

A male 10th grader at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted in Hanoi has scored 1600 out of a possible 1600 score on the SAT 1. Tran Dinh Quan is in the maths major class. A female 12th grader from mathematics majoring class said she knows Quan well who is ‘famous’ and has the nickname ‘superman’. Do Minh Phuc Quan has decided to study abroad after finishing high school in Vietnam. Mai Xuan Thang, head teacher for math, said the achievement was gained by a mathematics, not English majoring, student. “The achievement may make the teachers of English in my school bow in admiration,” Thang said. Thang said Quan is very clever and always among the best students in the class. “He is really excellent with good foundation of knowledge gained in primary and secondary schools. He has won a lot of high prizes at competitions,” Thang said. Most recently, he won the gold medal at the Hanoi Open Mathematics Competition and was selected as … [Read more...] about First Vietnamese student gains perfect score on SAT 1

The fact that three preschool children in Ha Nam province got severe burns during lessons about calling for help and escape in emergency situations has raised worries about the teaching of life skills at school. Nguyen Ba Minh, director of the Preschool Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), told the press that MOET has asked the Ha Nam provincial education department to inspect the case and place the responsibility on individuals who got involved. The fact that three preschool children in Ha Nam province got severe burns during lessons about calling for help and escape in emergency situations has raised worries about the teaching of life skills at school. As for primary school students, the program focuses on teaching the skills for communicating with parents, teachers and friends, the skills of building good relations with friends, and patience, punctuality and sympathy. Meanwhile, high school students learn how to make decisions and solve … [Read more...] about Life skills teaching in Vietnam raises concerns