Teaching English in Vietnam: Danny’s story

When I was 22, I found myself at a crossroads, not seeming to have any purpose. I was working as a manager of a bakery; something that was not particularly stimulating or enjoyable at that time. 

Something had to change.

The benefit of being in stable work meant that I’d been able to save money. The search began and I decided to research TEFL courses . I found a suitable course in Bristol (at the time, I was living in Somerset). To be honest, it was a scary but exciting consideration. This was mainly because I’d never been that person leading the class, I’d always been the one listening and learning from the teacher. 

At times, I contemplated whether it was the right decision, but the desire to learn something new and the possibility of building a new career was something that I had to take a chance on.

During the weekend course I was booked on, I met with others who, like me, were looking to make changes in their lives and embark on a new path. The course and trainer were fantastic and the experience gave me the confidence needed to take the first step into TEFL.

After hours of self-directed study, it was time to find my first job. I was quickly employed as a conversation assistant at a school just an hour outside of Barcelona, Spain . The journey had begun…

TEFL in Spain

Living with an extremely welcoming host family in the town of Igualada, Catalunya was an experience in itself. I adjusted quickly and became accustomed to the traditions and customs of this unique region.

Through my placement, I learned Spanish as well as a little Catalan, spoken by people in this region. I was working with mainly middle school students. I was an assistant to the main teacher but was encouraged to create my own lessons and activities to engage the students. 

Some worked, some didn’t! Certain games and warm-up activities were either too challenging or too simple. At times, I may have overestimated the students’ abilities. However, these challenging situations helped to provide me with the reality of what ‘beginner’ level language learners really are…

The most important thing was that each day, I gained the experience to stand on my own and manage the class and its activities myself. The placement was for a total of 9 months. This gave me enough time to improve my Spanish and immerse myself into the local culture – something which I found easy, especially as the general population of Catalunya are football fanatics who follow Barcelona. Being extremely passionate about football, I saw this as a major bonus.

I can’t lie, at times I felt like I was on holiday, because I had the opportunity to travel around and experience the beauty of Catalunya. This was a hugely significant step in my TEFL career as it gave me the confidence and belief that I could become a successful TEFL teacher. A memorable milestone!

TEFL in Vietnam

12 months later, I found myself in the capital city of Vietnam , Hanoi.

After the experience in Spain, I decided to reach further out in terms of work and applied for jobs in South East Asia. After a successful interview with a language centre based in Hai Phong, Vietnam, the time came to pack my bags and take the flight into the unknown. Hai Phong was amazing: a true experience of the ‘real’ Vietnam. A lack of tourist hot spots and a very small expat community provided the authenticity I was seeking.

After 2 years, I moved to Da Nang , a beautiful coastal city, which many consider paradise. I spent 7 years there, working in language centres as well as universities and a bilingual school. The language centre was a family-run independent organisation which had a good reputation in what was a growing market of English learning in the city. Fortunately, the connections that the owners had with various other educational institutions within Da Nang gave me other opportunities, including teaching students of the biggest software company in Vietnam - FPT! 

Furthermore, as I became a senior teacher, even more opportunities developed. Eventually, I found myself teaching 7 days a week for months on end. Other placements included teaching IELTS/TOEFL and test preparation lessons for universities, namely The Da Nang University of Economics and Bach Khoa University of Science and Technology. 

I learned a lot from these experiences, mainly interaction with people who could hold conversations at length (in English), classroom management and different types of learners and the best methods to incorporate into these classes.

Da Nang

Da Nang is where I remained for a large part of my life and it gave me so much, not only as a teacher, but a person. It is a place where I met fantastic people from all over the world in a real melting pot. 

The teaching scene is ever-evolving in Da Nang. What was once a sleepy city with only a few established language centres has become a city that now has healthy competition amongst its various language centres and learning institutions. There are loads of students who want to study for proficiency testing , opportunities abroad (studying or working), or just want to learn another language.

Vietnam: Observations

Here I am today, living in the capital city of Hanoi, working with a range of ages and abilities in the English language.

Vietnamese are generally very welcoming and kind people. Through my time spent here, I have made countless friends (many through football), some of whom are like family. The food is great and the beer from Hue is particularly good. The country is vast and there is so much to see, from the picturesque Ha Long Bay to the bustle of  Ho Chi Minh City !

In a nutshell, the TEFL course provided me with the stepping stones into the future I am now living. I have become more confident, empathetic and approachable.

I even get the odd comment from students on how my pronunciation is clear and lacks any real accentuated pronunciation; something which has definitely been sculpted by my years of TEFL teaching!

The fact that I have become a speaker of Vietnamese has obviously helped with general communication but also allowed me great insights into the differences and nuances associated with this particular language, causing me to spend time reading about linguistics and how syntax, semantics and phonetics work.

“A sense of pride”

For anyone considering taking a TEFL course, I’d be very surprised if they regretted their decision further down the line. I maintain a sense of pride that I made the right career choice and continue to thoroughly enjoy my experiences with new students, colleagues and schools. 

I’m currently very happy with life here in Vietnam. Looking to the future, it’s always the dream to go back to Da Nang with my wife and young son. It has really been ‘home’ for me in Vietnam. However, I’d never say never and if say, the right opportunity opened up somewhere else, I’d consider the move…

There are plenty more amazing student stories on our blog! If you’re interested in telling your unique TEFL story, email euan@tefl.org today!