Rewarding and fun experience!

Thanks UBELONG! I had such a wondering and unforgettable volunteer experience in Hanoi, Vietnam! My three-week project was to teach elementary students English. The class size was about 60, which was a lot bigger than I expected. When I first started teaching Grade 1 students, I found them very difficult to teach. Their vocabulary was very limited even in their native language. It also didn’t help that I did not understand Vietnamese, so I could not understand what they wanted to say. Coming in with very little experience in teaching, I found it difficult to communicate with them or understand their behaviour. But after a few classes, I found some ways to talk to them. For example, I drew pictures, used my body language and used simpler words to communicate with my students. This helped the school children understand me a lot better than before! The locals I met were very warm and friendly. Most Vietnamese people that I met outside of the school didn’t speak much English, but they knew that smile is a universal language. They always smiled at me and tried to talk to me and help me, which really made me feel welcomed in this country! On the weekend, I usually went outside of Hanoi with other volunteers to explore the beautiful nature. Overall, I had an amazing experience because of the great volunteer organization, local supporters, other volunteers and my students!