ETA4 - Teaching Program in Vietnam

Okay so my comments will be on the differences of the teaching areas. I highly recommend that you find out for SURE which area you will be teaching first being committed to the program. Vietnam is a wonderful place to explore and visit. However, if you have to be stuck in the rural area where all you see is trees you will get sick and tire of it real quick. Yes, the whole purpose to volunteering is for the students but realistically speaking you also need to be able to go out and relax at night not be stuck within four walls of your motel. I, and the rest of the volunteer in my group was place in a deserted place and not a single volunteer in that group would do it again. However everyone in the other program which was an Urban area loved it and would do it again. The staff does not provide with any teaching materials beside the one file they give you, so you have to go off of that, and be aware you will have to have your own supplies if you are wanting to have the kids do some type of art activities. Bottom line before committing make sure you know what the area is like, and I highly recommend not committing if you are in a rural area unless you want to live isolated for a month.

I, like many others I know who volunteered with ETA4, never listed Vietnam as an ideal travel destination. After spending the summer of 2012 in Hue, teaching with the program, I can't imagine leaving Vietnam off my travel list. Not only does ETA4 provide a meaningful experience of teaching and helping those who are in need of assistance or support (in English instruction, but sometimes just in life overall), it also provides a travel experience incomparable to any I've had before. As a member of the program, volunteers dive into the culture of Hue (and other areas of Vietnam that we are located) headfirst. We live each day with local people, learning their cultures and sharing ours simultaneously. We eat with our students, sing with our students, drink coffee with our students, and go out for the occasional Huda beer with our students. The learning and teaching is consistent throughout the 5 week program and, in the end, provides an incredibly meaningful and unforgettable experience for all parties involved.

Being once was a student of the program, I realized the importance and how effectively ETA4 worked within a youth environment and encouraged students to explore beyond ourselves. I personally love this organization and thus I will definitely volunteer as a teacher since I moved and been living in the States for quite some times. I'm just looking forward to make commitments and helping children explore the world through various perspectives.

I had the best summer of my life teaching English through this program. Making friends, working hard, and exploring Hue- there was never enough time in the day. I'm going back next year.

ETA4 is by far the best teaching program I'v ever joined. In the last three years, ETA4 has built up an active community among the young students in Hue. Every summer is another fun experience for me. The kids are really motivated and studious, the volunteers are friendly and enthusiastic. ETA4 sure is and will always be the best friend of Hue's students.

Never in my life would I have thought of volunteering to teach in Vietnam. This was by far the most fun/ meaningful summer I have ever experienced. The students were so motivated and good to me. Not only that, but I now have a second family in Vietnam. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be returning regularly from here on out to Hue, Vietnam for the rest of my life.