English class for students over 80 years old.

Every Saturday at 9:00 AM, the English class on the second floor of the B1 apartment building on Nguyen Cong Hoan Street (Ba Dinh District, Hanoi ) begins. What's special about this class is that all the students are in their 70s and 80s. Learning at this age, not just English but any subject, requires perseverance and a thirst for knowledge. For the past six years, the class has been maintained, with students regularly attending, demonstrating a spirit of lifelong learning.

The class is currently taught by Ms. Phung Hai Yen (32 years old). Originally an office worker, four years ago, while substituting for someone else's class, Ms. Yen learned about the class. After that substituting session, recognizing the eagerness to learn among the elderly students, she decided to register to teach and has been involved ever since. “Every day I come to class, meeting and exchanging ideas with the elderly students is a day full of energy for me. Their learning spirit has inspired me a lot. I wonder why I, being so young, am not contributing to society with my knowledge,” Ms. Yen shared.

Through persistent learning, many elderly people have been able to acquire some knowledge and use it in their lives.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thu (from Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) has been attending the class for nearly 5 years. Since the class isn't far from his home, Mr. Thu walks, both to improve his health and to "take advantage of any signs he sees along the way to review his lessons." "When I learned about this class, I boldly registered and have been attending ever since. In class, I can learn another language, make friends, and socialize with people. Moreover, attending classes helps to exercise my brain, reducing the likelihood of developing dementia in the elderly," Mr. Thu shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thang (left) said that, recognizing the significance of the English class, she renovated her family's apartment, which is over 20 square meters, into a classroom. At nearly 80 years old, Ms. Thang and other students diligently study English every week.

The class has been running for six years with 14 students. The youngest student this year is over 60 years old, while the oldest is 83. One of the oldest students, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Da (residing in O Cho Dua Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi), said that every Saturday morning, she arranges her family affairs and travels more than 4km to attend the class. At her age, her hearing, eyesight, and brain have aged, making memorization difficult. Despite this, Ms. Da and her classmates encourage each other to persevere. When she was younger, she could remember something after reading it 20 times, but now that she's older, she needs to read it 50 or even 100 times to remember it. After nearly six years of diligent study, Ms. Da says that learning English has helped her in her daily life. "Now, when I see an English sign on the street, I can tell what the shop sells and what they do. Even simpler, when I get home and my children and grandchildren speak English, I can understand what they're discussing," Mrs. Da shared.

The elderly people raised their hands to contribute to the discussion very enthusiastically.  

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nhung-ong-ba-u80-miet-mai-di-hoc-tieng-anh-20240802141131512.htm