English Teaching and Cultural Exchange in Vietnam

Volunteering with VCV was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It was so nice to spend time with local people beside classes, and the teaching experience has been a blast. I've learnt more than what I taught, I've met some of the nicest people ever, not only other volunteers, but also helpers were amazing (their food too :D).
Ms. Hay is the heart and the smile of this project, you'll feel like home from the first moment.
I highly recommend this experience to everybody, you won't for sure regret it!

I taught English for 3 months at VCV and had a great time. I would recommend VCV as you will meet English and Vietnamse volunteers in the apartment and they can teach you about Vietnam. The meals are delicious and you will get to teach adults, teenagers and children so can experience teaching all ages.
Ms Hay will organize at least a couple of day trips each month, taking you to less touristic areas in and around Hanoi. The students are really great to teach and will also take you to places on their motorbikes!

I went to Vietnam without any knowledge about the country and any teaching experience before, I'd say a little bit afraid too but since the moment I arrived to VCV I feel like home, everything was amazing, they were like family to me and the opportunity that I received to teach changed my life in so many different ways.
I was volunteering at VCV for three months and really I can say it was one of my favorites places in the world, you can experience friendship, culture, happiness for helping people, compassion and also fun. I found great friends that I'll never forget. The teaching experience is gratifying and now I miss my kids everyday!!!
Miss Hay has a very beautiful heart and I admire her work in the organization. She's a smart, compassionate, strong and funny woman. I hope our paths will crossed again one day.

If you're thinking about to go to Vietnam for volunteering, this will be the best place to stay.

PLUS: The country is soooo beautiful and the food is amazing

I stayed at VCV for two months and it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. Teaching at VCV is an amazing experience, whether you have teaching experience or not. You will teach both kids and adults, which makes your schedule diverse. There is a lesson plan for each class you have to teach, so you don't have to come up with your own plan, but you do have plenty of freedom in how you want to teach the class, especially with the kids. The schedule is not too heavy either, so you will have plenty of time to explore Hanoi. The Old Quarter is half an hour away by car, but you live away from the tourist area, among the locals, which is ideal. The area where VCV is located has a lot of little cafes, several supermarkets, cinemas and gyms. As you're off most weekends, you have time to explore some nearby places as well: I managed to go to Sapa, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh and Cat Ba and had some amazing times there with my fellow volunteers.
The staff at VCV is amazing: Ms Hay, Huong, George and Lam are very helpful and friendly. The food George cooks is amazing!
All in all: if you are looking for a place to volunteer in Vietnam, VCV is the place to be. You won't regret it!

I stayed here for three months earlier this year, and honestly they were among the happiest of my life. My colleagues and staff were very generous, funny, open and interesting people, happy to go on wonderful trips, food tours and charity events, as well as helping me immensely with teaching and negotiating the city of Hanoi and Vietnam itself. The work is rewarding and not overly demanding, whilst the accommodation is homely and the cooking second to none. The absolute best way to see Hanoi and make some unbelievable memories.

I would highly recommend teaching at VCV for anyone. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who wants experience teaching - there are both kid and adult classes included in the program, so you’ll get lots of variety as a teacher! The weekly schedule is very manageable and allows for plenty of free time, and you’ll get support from the wonderful teaching assistants if you need it. In return for teaching, you get free housing, food and a home base to meet people and travel cheaply. I loved living in the apartment with other volunteers from around the globe and the VCV team (Miss Hay, Huong, Lam and everyone else working here are wonderful), and the meals cooked by George were delicious. The apartment is in a good location in Hanoi - near cafes, gyms, a shopping mall and theater, and 20-30 minutes from the Old Quarter area. Living at VCV is also a great opportunity to live cheaply and give back to the community while travelling - it’s easy to get consecutive days off and travel to amazing places like Sapa, Cat Ba island, Halong Bay, or Ninh Binh, solo or with other volunteers. If you want an immersive experience in Vietnam and not just passing through as a tourist, it’s the place for you. I spent two months here and am so grateful for the experience.

Having stayed in the VCV house for 3 months, I had a great time and so did all the people I have met here. Mrs. Hay really goes above and beyond to help you feel at home and with your first steps as an English teacher (if needed). Next to that we get delicious meals every day and are helped with everything else we might need during our stay. Thanks to this, my first real experience as an English teacher and my longest stay away from home has been a breeze and I made friends for life while doing it. I would totally recommend this to everyone!

I have spent 7 weeks here at Vcv and loved it so much!! At first I was nervous as I have never taught English or taught at all before and was worried if I would be able to, however all the staff and other volunteers are so friendly and helpful! Everyone helps with lesson planning and classroom management techniques and there is always a friendly Vietnamese teaching assistant to help throughout the class!

Vcv offers many opportunities to explore Hanoi and immerse yourself within the local culture, and Hanoi has been such a great place to be based with so many sights within the city as well as many close trips to do on days off!!

Ms Hay is so kind and helpful and will do anything to make your experience great! I have been staying with about 12 volunteers since being here and are all such great fun people and I will very much miss the bia hoi trips! I would recommend Vcv to anyone travelling to Vietnam! Have enjoyed it so much and will truly miss being here! Will definitely be back again!!

After travelling for a while, I decided it was time for me to be in one place for a bit and give back. I had volunteered in other countries before, love children and teaching. So I taught VCV might be fun for a few weeks.
I signed up to join them for a month, extended my stay to three months and ended up staying for 5!
I had the best time ever ! Not only are the children so cute and the students motivated to learn, VCV is a place where you feel home.
After only two days, I felt like I was part of the family. We all organized trips together, had fun evenings and made memories for life.
"Lion" cooks the best Vietnamese food I have ever had and he brings so much joy to everyone around him. Ms Hay and the rest of the volunteers have built a community where cultural exchange and helping others are central.
I would recommend anyone who wants to have a unique experience abroad to come here!
I have nothing but love for VCV

VCV has been more than an organization to me, it's been like a family. I had a fantastic experience during my 3-month stay, and would highly recommend VCV to anyone looking to volunteer teaching english in Ha Noi. In fact, I had such a great time that I decided to return for 2 weeks the next year to see everyone there again!
During my stay, I had the opportunity to teach a real mix of people, from young children to university students, and from disadvantaged people to businessmen and -women. But what really allows VCV to stand out from the crowd is the friendships that you make. The same students who you are teaching will take you out on day-trips, invite you for coffee or to watch football, and eat dinner with you. It is this degree of two-way cultural immersion which both allows friendships to form and increases the English proficiency of the students.
You are also given plenty of time off, which can be used to explore Northern Viet Nam. While I was there, the places I went to with students and other volunteers included Sam Son beach, Halong Bay, and the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai.
Another selling point is that there are no hidden costs - accommodation and all your food are provided, and Ms Hay is a fantastic cook! The staff at VCV are absolutely fantastic and helped make my trip so memorable, so a massive thanks to Ms Hay, Linh, Toan, Doan, Mai Anh, and Quang.

I voluntered with VCV in Hanoi for a couple of months and thoroughly enjoyed my time and experience with Ms Hay , the rest of the staff and fellow volunteers. It was my very first time teaching English, well, teaching at all. I was very nervous when I first started, but Ms Hay was alwasy around to help and support you, along with the other experienced teaching volunteers. I feel like I gained some valuable experience in teaching children and adults English and had a wonderful time doing so. I miss everyone that I met during my experience very much, and hope to one day visit again. I thoroughly recommend teaching with VCV to anyone. 😀

I voluntered with VCV in Hanoi for a couple of months and thoroughly enjoyed my time and experience with Ms Hay , the rest of the staff and fellow volunteers. It was my very first time teaching English, well, teaching at all. I was very nervous when I first started, but Ms Hay was alwasy around to help and support you, along with the other experienced teaching volunteers. I feel like I gained some valuable experience in teaching children and adults English and had a wonderful time doing so. I miss everyone that I met during my experience very much, and hope to one day visit again. I thoroughly recommend teaching with VCV to anyone. 😀

Volunteering at VCV is highly recommended to new teachers looking to gain some experience or even existing teachers looking for a unique experience in Vietnam. I spent a total of about 5 months at VCV over two seperate stints. Ms. Hay is lovely and provides volunteers with delicious meals and accommodation. I met some great people while volunteering there, it is a highly social place with volunteers often going out together for coffee, food or drinks. The students are also friendly and there is a good level of banter. The teaching materials are provided and new teachers can feel at ease by asking fellow volunteers for teaching advice, as well as Ms. Hay. It was my first experience teaching and it helped so much, leading me to find paid teaching work in Hanoi straight after volunteering.

Mrs Hay and the crew at VCV really know how to run a great volunteer organization! I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach and learn in such a welcoming and relaxed setting. The accommodation provided was great and food was delicious. VCV offers a space where you can teach and connect with students of all ages and other volunteers from across the globe. The workload is relatively small which gives plenty of time to volunteers to explore the city and surrounding areas. If you want to travel with a purpose and give something back to the communities you are visiting, don't hesitate to join the VCV family.

I volunteered with vcv for a few weeks whilst i was travelling around south east asia.it was a wonderful experience and i regret that i did not get to stay longer. the team at vcv are so supportive and kind and helpful, nothing is a problem. The team are so kind george, lam and houng are there if you need any questions regarding the program or life in hanoi. every week we had four to five classes which is not a lot and with everyclass, either george or houng join in the classes and help with any translation problems as they are locals who live nearby.
miss hayley is very kind and respectful and very willing to help. I would highly recommend vcv to anyone interested in teaching english and learning about vietnamese culture as quite often we have weekends free and its a great way to visit the surrounding cultural hotspots like sappa and the island of catba.