University English Teaching in Vietnam

Name: University English Teaching in Vietnam
Brand: Teachers for Vietnam
SKU: 29170
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

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Location

Vietnam
- Hanoi

Length

52+ weeks

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Salary / Benefits

Salary for this position (including bonuses) is approximately $115 per month -- more than adequate to live on. (For example, eating in local restaurants costs only about $2 a day).

Last Updated: Nov 10, 2016

Last Reviewed: May 05, 2012

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About Program

Teachers for Vietnam is a not-for-profit organization and it is our mission to improve the level of spoken English in Vietnamese colleges and universities. We bring ESL teachers into classrooms which otherwise would not be exposed to native speakers. Currently Teachers for Vietnam supports teachers of English at Can Tho and An Giang in the Mekong Delta,as well as at Da Lat University in the Central Highlands, and intends to send additional teachers to institutions of higher learning in other parts of Vietnam.

Teachers for Vietnam contributes financial support in the form of travel stipends and health insurance , which supplement salaries which cover living costs and free housing provided by the host institutions.

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Teachers for Vietnam is a great program. They provide excellent support, both monetary and otherwise towards the volunteer experience abroad. They help find a volunteer teacher a post at one of several universities in Vietnam. Once in Vietnam, the university itself provides housings, a living stipend, and visa support. Unfortunately for me, Can Tho University was repeatedly incompetent when it came to support in all areas. However, the other university's are still a good place to go!

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Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to teach abroad with Teachers For Vietnam?

I decided to volunteer with TFV on a whim. I had talked a lot with a good friend from college, who did TFV the year before me. Her post and time abroad sounded like a lot of fun, and i was eager to travel and see a new part of the world. I had been applying to oodles of jobs, and as graduation neared, had not yet had any job offers. I once again talked to my friend, who mentioned that the TFV application deadline had passed, but that they were still looking for applicants. So i applied, got accepted, and decided to go. None of it was planned out very well, but i'm very glad i went. There are lots of other programs i could have done, but i didn't bother to look around or do research. It was pretty spur of the moment. Luckily TFV turned out to be pretty good, and i didnt have to pay anything.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Once in Vietnam, TFV's role was essentially over. They helped get me over, paying for my flight and health insurance, etc. Can Tho university decided my day to day, which was pretty basic. I taught around 15-20 hours a week, my contract stated a max of 18h, and i was paid extra for the extra hours. I think I was supposed to have office hours for my students, but nobody ever told me this directly, so i never bothered to hold them. There was zero oversight on my teaching, so if i felt like cancelling class on a whim, I could, and did. This is normal to Vietnamese college students, whose teachers routinely cancel class at the last minute. I was required to give a final and a midterm, any other grades were up to me. So i did the bare minimum. The two exams were written and graded by myself and my fellow volunteer who taught similar classes.

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What made this experience unique and special?

This program was unique in that I was thrown into vietnam with zero orientation or guidance. TFV gave me some info before I left, but once I got there all they could do was write an email to Can Tho univeristy if I needed help. The university staff picked me up in HCMC the first day, dropped me at my housing in Can Tho, and said, "see ya later!" I started teaching the next day, and had to pull teeth to get any sort of help or orientation. Everyone at CTU is nice, they are just supremely disorganized and incompetent. Vietnamese bureaucracy is comically complex and infuriating. I was given a text book for each course, often about a week after the class had actually started, and told very little about what I was supposed to be teaching. All my negativity aside, I loved living in Can THo, and my students were very nice. The teaching was challenging, and it would have been nice to have some guidance or oversight. TFV was very clear on the fact that they could do nothing once i was there to help me, besides writing a letter. It was also unique in that our house was broken into twice in two weeks.

I should note that the post in Can Tho has been discontinued. TFV is still posting volunteers in many other universities around Vietnam, but decided CTU was not deserving of the volunteers because of the way we were treated.

How has this experience impacted your future?

I realized without a doubt that i do not like teaching English in Vietnam, but i learned a whole lot about myself. I love teaching math, and intend to pursue math teaching/tutoring this coming year. I had an amazing, and sometimes difficult time learning about a new culture, and pushing my comfort level. I can now confidently say that I am comfortable living in different places and in different cultures. I had a great time making new friends with other volunteers and the few Vietnamese who could speak english well enough to form friendships. It was great walking down the street and being invited to eat and drink with complete strangers. It got awkward quickly as we could not really communicate, but it was touching nonetheless.

About Teachers for Vietnam

Teachers for Vietnam is looking for dedicated English teachers who are interested in living and working in Vietnam. This is a great career opportunity for teachers wanting experience working at accredited universities throughout Vietnam. Teachers for Vietnam is a not-for-profit organization and it is our mission to improve the level of spoken...