Kayla and Taran taught pronunciation, listening and speaking skills to students in Hanoi for two years, under the US Government's Peace Program.
In October 10, Kayla Kirby and Taran Anderson, both 2022 years old, and 24 other volunteers came to Vietnam. Their mission is to teach English with Vietnamese teachers at 7 public high schools in Hanoi.
After being trained for about 10 weeks, from January this year, Kayla started working at a high school in Ba Vi district. Alumnus of the University of California Santa Barbara, with accommodation on campus, go to the local market to buy groceries every week and cook for themselves.
The American girl said she was surprised by the welcome of teachers and students. After 5 months, Kayla can speak simple Vietnamese sentences, know how to boil water spinach, strip squash, fry beans or make spring rolls; know how to mold floating cakes to treat friends and enjoy seasonal fruits in Ba Vi such as jackfruit. Kayla also loves pho, bun cha and hot pot.
“People are no longer strangers to me. Now every time they see me, they say 'Hello'," Kayla said.
Kayla Kirby, American English language volunteer. Image: Dawn
Kayla was assigned to teach English to three 10th grade classes, 13 hours a week. Although she was carefully guided by the teachers in the English group to prepare the lesson, she still couldn't help but feel nervous when she first took the class.
“I was very shaken, worried that they were scared and didn't understand what I was saying,” Kayla said.
But on the contrary, the students stood up in unison, smiling and waving to her. The children asked many questions, curious to know more about the foreign teacher. Thanks to the support of Vietnamese teachers, Kayla interacts with students more easily.
The early days at a high school in Thach That district are also unforgettable memories for Taran. He teaches 10th and 11th grade students with 16 lessons a week. Although he often uses Google translate, the language barrier still causes him many misunderstandings.
Once, Taran explained the phrase "superstructure" to mean a huge structure or building. “But actually, my teacher was talking about a theory. She wondered: What are you saying?, and the students didn't understand what I was explaining,'" Taran recalled.
Having traveled to 10 countries and taught English to local students, Taran has brought his diverse experiences into lessons, games, and excitement for his students.
According to two volunteers, they often have a warm-up with games in the form of questions and answers, knowledge and vocabulary to increase interaction and help students remember words and lessons faster.
Vietnamese teachers will be in charge of teaching grammar, while Kayla and Taran focus on guiding students in listening, speaking and vocabulary learning skills. According to Kayla, the students work hard, love English, but most of them make mistakes in pronunciation.
“When speaking, students often forget or pronounce the last sound clearly, making it difficult for listeners to recognize what it is. With listening skills, they confuse words,” Kayla said.
To help students improve, Kayla focused on pronunciation, trying to say each word slowly then asking them to repeat it over and over. Some students were afraid to speak, Taran used a few Vietnamese sentences to encourage them to overcome their hesitation.
Kayla (right cover) makes floating cakes and invites friends to enjoy in her room. Image: Characters provided
After each lesson, volunteers and teachers in charge will meet to learn from experience. “We measure lesson effectiveness by observing whether students are interested; Do you guys want more games in the next sessions?” Kayla said.
Outside of school hours, Kayla and Taran participate in activities with the school's English club, helping students develop speaking and presentation skills. Kayla also practices yoga, plays volleyball with teachers, teachers and local people. Taran learns more Vietnamese with online tutors and practices at home. Sometimes students also teach him Vietnamese.
"But also be careful with the words you teach," Taran laughed.
Priest and Taran on campus on June 2. Image: Dawn
The schools that receive the two volunteers appreciate their friendliness, sociability and hard work. Mr. Nguyen Le, vice principal where Taran is teaching, commented that he has a poise and cheerful demeanor when interacting with students. Taran is not afraid to absorb skills and teaching methods after attending classes.
“We also learned from Taran's way of organizing games for students. He has rich experience and knowledge,” said Mr. Le. According to Mr. Le, not only students, teachers in the school are also happy to have international volunteers to teach.
As for Mr. Phan Lac Duong, the principal of the school that received Kayla, evaluated her as dynamic and enthusiastic. Therefore, Kayla won the hearts of teachers and students in the school.
Nguyen Thi Thuy, a 12th grader at the school, says she looks forward to talking to Ms. Kayla at the English club every two weeks.
"She enthusiastically corrected us with pronunciation and guided listening," the female student said.
In her spare time, Kayla takes a bus from Ba Vi to the inner city to visit friends. She is eagerly welcoming her family to travel to Vietnam. After finishing two years of volunteering, Kayla will return to the US and pursue a master's program.
Meanwhile, Taran prepares to visit his parents. His dream is to become a diplomat.
“The experience of teaching English in Vietnam, in addition to giving me the opportunity to travel, also makes me proud of doing meaningful work,” said Taran.
Dawn
