Tuesday night’s English Club, held in a near-empty café in Hanoi’s suburbs, began like this: First, we introduced ourselves and played a game. As we went around the circle we had to give our name, then think of an adjective beginning with the same first letter. Then each person had to recite those who had come before.
"I am Huong and I am... I am.. humorous!" Everyone laughed. "I am Anh and I ... active? Huong is humorous." "I am Doan and I'm dangerous. Anh is active. Huong is humorous."
"I am Yen and I'm interesting." "No! It must start same letter your name! Not just the same sound. Your name starts with a 'Y' so you must think of that word." "Aah. Young. I am young."
The government, as I've already written on this blog, has long seen English proficiency as the way forward. Primary schools are required to teach it but don’t seem to have been doing an excellent job. So instead of paying the high fees to study with a native speaker at a posh language school these Vietnamese had formed their own club. Each week they meet for food and coffee, speaking only English; Vietnamese is officially banned. After the games they hold a discussion on something. This week it was organ donation.
Their level of English was impressive. I’ve worked with people who have translation degrees or have studied the language all the way through university. But they often struggle to put a sentence together when speaking, since the rote-learning still practiced in many Vietnamese universities leaves little room for speaking skills.
"We’re very different to other clubs. We all know each other and we all have a good level of English. In some places people just show up and they can’t follow anything!" said Doan, the friend who invited me, later. Like many his age he believes English is integral to a good career at a good private or foreign company. He spends his off time at English clubs or speaking with expat friends, or in class.
There are other ways to practice. A friend who used to work with me part-time decided to hang out in some of the smaller expat bars in Hanoi to spruce up her English. It worked a treat when it came to learning slang and varied colloquialisms, and understanding wasted foreigners for whom English was also a second language. But she took to it perhaps a little too well. When another friend of mine's mother was visiting from abroad, she greeted her with: “Hello, do you fucking like Vietnam?"
"I am Huong and I am... I am.. humorous!" Everyone laughed. "I am Anh and I ... active? Huong is humorous." "I am Doan and I'm dangerous. Anh is active. Huong is humorous."
"I am Yen and I'm interesting." "No! It must start same letter your name! Not just the same sound. Your name starts with a 'Y' so you must think of that word." "Aah. Young. I am young."
The government, as I've already written on this blog, has long seen English proficiency as the way forward. Primary schools are required to teach it but don’t seem to have been doing an excellent job. So instead of paying the high fees to study with a native speaker at a posh language school these Vietnamese had formed their own club. Each week they meet for food and coffee, speaking only English; Vietnamese is officially banned. After the games they hold a discussion on something. This week it was organ donation.
Their level of English was impressive. I’ve worked with people who have translation degrees or have studied the language all the way through university. But they often struggle to put a sentence together when speaking, since the rote-learning still practiced in many Vietnamese universities leaves little room for speaking skills.
"We’re very different to other clubs. We all know each other and we all have a good level of English. In some places people just show up and they can’t follow anything!" said Doan, the friend who invited me, later. Like many his age he believes English is integral to a good career at a good private or foreign company. He spends his off time at English clubs or speaking with expat friends, or in class.
There are other ways to practice. A friend who used to work with me part-time decided to hang out in some of the smaller expat bars in Hanoi to spruce up her English. It worked a treat when it came to learning slang and varied colloquialisms, and understanding wasted foreigners for whom English was also a second language. But she took to it perhaps a little too well. When another friend of mine's mother was visiting from abroad, she greeted her with: “Hello, do you fucking like Vietnam?"
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