Volunteer to Teach English and Exchange Cultures in Vietnam

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. 😀