It's a mistake to think that "hunting for foreigners" will make you good at English.

"Hunting for foreigners" used to be a creative way to improve communication skills and proactively learn English, but today it may no longer be suitable in terms of effectiveness and cultural context.

Bui Minh Duc, a master's student in Communication at Clark University in the US, shared his perspective on "hunting for foreigners" to practice English.

Ten to fifteen years ago, when I first started university, "foreigner hunting" emerged and quickly became popular. "Foreigner hunting" refers to English learners, mostly students, who want to improve their language skills and proactively seek out conversations with foreign tourists visiting Vietnam. At that time, and even now, "foreigner hunting" is popular in Hanoi, specifically in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake, because these areas attract many tourists and offer spacious, open spaces for conversation.

"Hunting for foreigners" originated from a very good goal: improving English language learning. When schools couldn't provide sufficient opportunities for students to communicate and converse with native speakers, and the internet wasn't as widespread as it is today, "hunting for foreigners" was a creative way for students to proactively learn English.

However, "hunting for foreigners" has many drawbacks, and it's a mistake to think that this is the only way to become proficient in English. This activity is no longer relevant today, and I believe it should be stopped.

Firstly, the very term used to describe this practice has raised eyebrows. "Hunting Westerners" evokes the image of treating tourists like animals, with young people acting like hunters frantically searching for one or two "Western" tourists to chat with. Indeed, if you witnessed this scene, you would find it quite similar to when many young people go in large groups, surround a few tourists, and bombard them with questions.

Secondly, not every visitor is prepared to be surrounded by a group of unfamiliar students like that. The situation can make them feel unsafe and vulnerable to theft if they're not paying attention. This wariness is even greater when they are in unfamiliar places.

Because they didn't research culturally sensitive aspects beforehand, many young people asked quite private questions, such as: What do you do for a living? Where are you from? Are you married? Vietnamese people might consider these questions normal, but in America, I usually avoid asking strangers such questions – and people generally don't answer strangers when they're suddenly stopped.

Thirdly, in my opinion, "hunting for foreigners" isn't a very effective way to learn English when you compare the effort you put in.

Simply put, when you chat with foreigners, you often repeat certain questions. Many tourists are only willing to answer a few questions like that before leaving, and you have to keep finding other tourists and repeating the same questions. While chatting with foreigners can help many young people gain confidence, improving your English in such situations is actually very difficult.

Furthermore, the term "Western" refers to people from various Western countries, and not everyone speaks English as their first language. On the positive side, speaking English with people from different countries can help you understand a variety of accents, but for beginners learning standard English, this isn't the optimal choice.

Minh Duc at a Fulbright scholarship seminar in Atlanta, USA, on September 15. Photo: Provided by the subject .

If they don't "hunt for foreigners," what else can students do?

The development of the Internet has given young people access to a wealth of English learning materials. Many programs and projects from non- governmental organizations help connect learners with English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia, and the UK. Social media also makes it easy to find friends to practice English with, from expat communities living in Vietnam to study abroad groups. Language exchange has become much simpler thanks to the Internet.

Joining student clubs and organizations is also a good way. During my student years, I was a member of Hanoikids – a club of young people who specialize in guiding foreign tourists around Hanoi . Therefore, members didn't have to "hunt for foreigners" but still had opportunities to chat with tourists. This experience helped me improve my English skills significantly.

Spend plenty of time practicing English through diverse methods such as reading newspapers, watching documentaries, and educational materials in English. Listening to music or watching movies normally isn't my preferred method because when you first start learning English, it's very difficult to understand contexts with a lot of slang and abbreviations.

Meanwhile, documentaries and educational materials often use academic English, with appropriate intonation and speed for the listener. Similarly, choosing major foreign news websites with easily understandable language, such as the New York Times or Reuters, can also help you learn English more easily.

In Vietnam now, cultural exchange programs are more common. Young people have more opportunities to participate in seminars and interact with international students. Embassies also frequently organize language exchange activities. For me, these are effective ways to practice English without making anyone feel uncomfortable.

Bui Minh Duc

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