Hello everyone! I cannot believe another two weeks have gone by in Vietnam!
Teaching in Vietnam!
Throughout the last two weeks, I have spent so much time in the classroom and started to teach. Here in Vietnam, I am teaching English to grades 1, 4, and 5. In a one hour block, my partner teacher takes in the first half where she focuses on vocabulary and translates in Vietnamese where necessary. I teach the second half of the lesson, where it is typically filled with games, singing songs, and applying what they have just learned. The English classes are almost completely game-based, with loads of songs and chants. It is very interactive and teachers are constantly playing activities and games with the students during the lesson. Moreover, students are often reading in front of the class and practicing their speaking skills. A lot of the time, students make mistakes when reading and it is highly encouraged for students to try their best and learn from their corrections. When learning a new concept, the students are writing, reading, and listening at the same time. In addition, all the lessons are on a website where there is integrated audio that we can use in our presentations!
When I am teaching my lessons, oftentimes I would invite students to write their responses on the board. Students loved this because they had the opportunity for peer feedback and correction on grammar and spelling. In one task, we are targeting many different skills, which makes teaching English much more effective in the classroom. Moreover, the students LOVE competition. Oftentimes, we are splitting the class into teams where they are versing each other in a game or activity based on what they have just learnt. Most teachers use the star system, where teams earn stars if they get the correct answer.
In addition to classes, the school has hosted a lot of assemblies this past few weeks. We had the moon festival where a dragon dance ceremony took place in the school, along with a re-enactment of the legend behind the moon festival. It is inspiring to see how connected these students are to their traditions and cultures within the school. In addition, I love how often the school hosts assemblies at the end of the school day. Oftentimes it is due to a celebration, but other times it is to introduce clubs and talk about safety around the school.
Meet in the Lobby at 4:45 AM??
Outside of school, I have found a LOVE for morning swims. Our Airbnb is a 5 minute walk to the beach, and so Blaine and I have been going for sunrise swims for the past couple weeks. We arrive at the beach around 5 am and it is completely packed with locals who are working out, swimming, playing badminton, or dancing. It is amazing to see how lively the city gets in the morning during sunrise- this differs greatly from my communities back in Calgary. It has been incredibly therapeutic and this is something I will miss the most!
Snorkeling and Typhoons?
I also got to go snorkeling for the first time, where we got to see so many fish, jellyfish, starfish, coral reefs, and sea urchins. We got to do this tour with a guide who grew up on the Island, where he taught us about the traditions and customs of the island. This trip was one of the best experiences I have ever had!
Rainy Season
In the middle of this time, we had an unexpected turn of events where a typhoon was soon to hit our city. The northern part of Vietnam had just been hit by Typhoon Yagi and within a week, we had gotten notice that Typhoon Soulik was to hit our city. It was interesting to see how the town prepared for this storm. All schools in Da Nang were closed for two days and everyone was going grocery shopping to stock up. The beaches were closed due to the very intense waves. Luckily, the storm did not hit very hard (I may have slept through it!). The beach was closed for a week and there were many clean up crews working together to fix up the damage on the beach. It was a very scary, yet interesting experience.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Lastly, on the weekend, Bianca, Natalia and I did an excursion where we had the opportunity to hike the Marble Mountains and learn about the history and traditions. We then got to explore and learn about My Son Sanctuary which is currently a UNESCO World Heritage site. This day trip was incredibly educational and I loved to learn more about the history of Vietnam. This was also the first time we were hit is crazy rain! I finally bought a poncho and although we got completely drenched, it is a story to tell!
In the final week, I did end up getting sick, so I had to miss a few days of teaching. This was a challenge to navigate, but with the support of my roommate, I was in good hands!
I cannot wait to learn more, explore more, and make more memories in these last few weeks in Vietnam!