For the first time, a group of American Peace Corps volunteers came to Ho Chi Minh City to teach English.

10 weeks of intensive training

On the morning of December 28, nine American volunteers from the Peace Corps, an independent agency of the US government, took their oath of office in Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first group of volunteers to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and the second group to arrive in Vietnam. Their mission is to teach English with teachers and participate in othereducational activities at nine public high schools over the next two years.

In front of representatives of Vietnamese and American government agencies and school administrators, the group of volunteers promised to share their culture with openness and to wholeheartedly learn about the Vietnamese people. "With creativity, respect and cultural sensitivity, we will face the challenges of volunteering with patience and determination," the volunteers took an oath under the leadership of Mr. Mikel Herrington, Peace Corps Country Director in Vietnam.

One problem is that the educational context in the US is different from Vietnam, where each class in public schools often has many students with many distinct personalities. So how can volunteers adapt and complete the job well? Responding to Thanh Nien , Mr. Herrington said that the program always emphasizes this issue and has provided intensive training for 10 weeks for the students before the oath-taking ceremony takes place.

Mr. Alexander and Ms. Christine spoke in Vietnamese on behalf of the volunteer group.

"Regarding the teaching staff, we have a Vietnamese female teacher who has a doctorate and an English teaching certificate, and she helps volunteers understand how to manage a classroom in Vietnam as well as how to work with native teachers. However, the most important thing is that the volunteers have been given the opportunity to go to the school for a week of internship to gain practical knowledge and experience," Mr. Herrington shared.

Representatives of the US and Vietnam perform the gong beating ceremony. From left: US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Susan Burns, Peace Corps Country Director in Vietnam Mikel Herrington, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training Le Thuy My Chau

At the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Education and Training), expressed his gratitude to the volunteers. According to Mr. Dung, although translation software is increasingly popular, it cannot replace language teaching and learning activities, especially English. "Language communication is also reflected in both culture and social relations, so your presence is extremely meaningful," Mr. Dung commented.

Many opportunities for both sides

As one of the 9 units receiving volunteers, Ms. Hoang Thi Hao, Principal of Dao Son Tay High School (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), said that volunteers not only support English classes but can also participate in other subjects such as natural sciences to explain knowledge in American language and culture to students. "This is to improve students' English communication skills and other skills. Volunteers are also willing to help teachers speak English better," Ms. Hao shared.

Speaking to the press, American volunteers also expressed their excitement about the upcoming 2-year journey. For example, Mr. Scott, one of the two oldest volunteers, had wanted to become a Peace Corps volunteer for the past 46 years. When he retired, Mr. Scott with gray hair decided to join the program and chose Vietnam as his destination.

Christine and Kevin, two Vietnamese-American volunteers, hope to learn more about their homeland. "Previously, I only had 3 opportunities to travel to Vietnam with my family, each time for a month. This time, I want to learn more about myself and the heritage in Vietnam, and at the same time become a bridge to help further develop the Vietnam-US relationship," said Kevin.

Nine American volunteers take the oath of office during the ceremony.

Volunteer Alexander shared that he had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam, but this was the first time he stayed for the longest time, up to 2 years. After the internship, he expressed his gratitude to the teachers who supported him. "The teachers have the wisdom that I need to learn more, and are also very kind," Alexander confided.

"In addition to teaching, in the next 2 years, I also want to improve my Vietnamese language skills and share American culture with everyone. I hope to live and become part of the local community, make friends with many people and learn from each other. This is definitely one of the best adventures of my life," said Alexander. And he added in Vietnamese: "Vietnam is so beautiful. Vietnamese people are happy and kind."

Peace Corps was founded in the US in 1961 by US President John F. Kennedy, and has a history of more than 60 years, gathering more than 240,000 volunteers who are US citizens serving in 142 countries around the world. Vietnam is the 143rd country to receive Peace Corps volunteers and officially welcomed the first group of volunteers to teach English in October 2022.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/lan-dau-tien-nhom-tinh-nguyen-vien-my-chuong-trinh-hoa-binh-den-tphcm-day-tieng-anh-185231228165833422.htm