English Teaching for underprivileged children

The Central Region of Vietnam is considered the poorest area in Vietnam. There is a serious limitation of English teachers in Da Nang. Many local teachers find it extremely difficult to teach their students how to make a conversation in English as English is not their mother language. In addition, at some kindergartens, there are no English teachers. This program offers the children and teachers the chance to learn basic English and  conversational English skills that may enable them to create a better future for themselves when looking for work. The ability to communicate in English brings great benefits  for them when looking for work in foreign owned companies and tourism. 

You will work with our team to prepare lesson plans the day or morning before the class. Our  teaching staff is very organised and we have many pre-planned lesson plans. However, they are always open to suggestions and new ideas. The volunteer will play the main teaching role in the class, while our staff will provide the assistance such as translating and keeping the class in order.

There are two kindergarten schools named "Hong Nhung" and "Hoa Sua" for over 200 young children aged from 2 to 5 years old.  They  are from disadvantaged families in Danang. They come from poor families where their parents are laborers in construction sites or work in local factories. Many children live with only one parent. The schools are very poor and do not have any English teachers. It's very important for children to have a good education which can help them escape from poverty. English is an essential language for a developing country like Vietnam. Volunteers will be guided by our staff working in an English teaching program called " English for Beginners". You'll go to these schools and teach two kindergarten classes. 

There are 3 phases of a lesson: warm-up, teach the new lesson and activities such as games, songs or coloring. Sometimes art or outdoor activities are planned for the end of the class.By playing games with the children you also build their confidence. It also encourages the children to use English in an informal way, and with the younger children it gives them exposure to the language at an early age. 

Our staff provides a range of administrative support in the classroom, such as preparing classroom resources, learning activities,....They are also a part of extra-curricular activities including revision sessions, group activities, outing trips,...to ensure that any pupil we support can  engage in learning and stay on task during the lesson or activity.

Volunteers work from Monday to Friday morning and over the weekend they will have a diversity of opportunities to travel around Da Nang city and the nearby areas as well.

Here is the schedule for a typical day:

• 7:30:  Breakfast and coffee time for the volunteer. Volunteers will have breakfast prepared by our cook. Occasionally, Vietnamese staff and volunteers use this time to discuss teaching plans including the lesson plan, teaching resources and some additional activities during the lesson.
•  8:00: Leaving for work. Our Vietnamese assistant and volunteers will be transported to the school and it takes approximately 20 minutes to go by car or taxi. It is very beneficial for the quality of every English class if the volunteers spend time beforehand in a group meeting with our staff about the lesson. Volunteers will bring some related teaching materials such as lesson plan, colouring materials, flash cards, posters and other teaching resources.  Teaching materials are provided by the Vietnamese staff.
•  8:20: Arrival time. Volunteers are equipped with guidance and help from  our support staff who have acquired practical experience from daily English classes. They will provide and give volunteers valuable instructions, for example, how to communicate with young children and how to make and maintain eye-contact with them during a lesson. Because of the misunderstanding between two different languages, the children tend to be very shy and passive when having an English conversation with foreigners.
•   8:30: Studying time.  The school is a lovely nursery school for more than 200 young children aged from 3-6 years old. They divide the children into different classes depending on their ages. Usually the volunteers will teach English with children at the age of 4-6 years old. In terms of teaching topics, they will concentrate on teaching very basic topics, such as alphabet, family members, numbers, etc…., which the children can easily learn based on what they have seen in their daily life.  For large classes, we split the class into 2 groups in order to create a good learning environment.  Our staff will assist the volunteers in teaching two English classes in the morning session. Each class will last around 45 minutes and volunteers have a 10 minute break between classes.
•  11:00:  Come back to the Volunteer House ( Green House) for lunch.  The volunteers will have lunch with other volunteers and there is around a two hour break before starting the afternoon work session.  Some volunteers prefer to take a nap (Vietnamese  culture), some of the volunteers choose to go to the swimming pool or to the beach. There are other optional activities for the volunteers during their break time, for example they can have some drinks  in the surrounding coffee shops or go shopping.  
• 13:45: Leaving for work: The volunteers will go to work at a different placement with our staff. Based on the schedule, they are assigned different work in the morning and afternoon, for example, you may teach kindergarten in the morning and work with seniors in the afternoon. 
•  17:00: Back to the Green House for dinner. Sometimes the Vietnamese staff organize a group meeting in order to make preparations for the next working day.
• Every evening is free time.  The Vietnamese staff can help you arrange various activities, such as going to the city center, shopping trips, movies.  

During the weekday, volunteers will have some free time in the evening and this can be filled up with the following activities: 

• Hanging out at cafes near the Green House to see the local way of life
• Visiting the city center’s many beautiful sites, including the Dragon Bridge which breathes fire on weekend nights
• Shopping at the local night market & sampling Vietnamese foods 
• Having movie nights with other volunteers in the Green House living room
• Planning lessons and activities for the next day with volunteers and staff 

On the weekends: 

• Volunteers love to explore the many attractions in Da Nang such as: the Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha Temple, Han Market, Dragon Bridge, Ba Na Hills and the many world-renowned beaches. 
• Make the short drive down to Hoi An, a preserved port town recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hoi An is perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway where volunteers get clothes tailor-made in the day and explore the lantern-filled city at night.
• Take the 2-hour train ride up to Hue, another UNESCO world heritage site and former imperial city. The train ride takes you along the coast and through the mountains of the Hai Van Pass.