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Vietnamese-American teacher inspires English learners in Vietnam

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1 month ago

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Bryan Tran, a Vietnamese American currently teaching English in central Vietnam, has earned acclaim from his students for his tireless dedication to transforming his classroom into an exciting, practical language lab.

Thanks to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program, an initiative which places Fulbright scholarship recipients in classrooms with local English teachers, Tran has been able to touch the souls of English learners at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism, located in central Thua Thien-Hue Province, for the past three months.

In fact, Tran’s unique approach to teaching has led students at the university to dub his class a ‘party of English culture and language.’

Creativity in the classroom

“Teacher Bryan inspires the students in our class to learn English. Every lesson is so fun. He always teaches us very practical knowledge,” said Le Nguyen Quynh Thi, a student at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism.

“Many of us used to feel uncomfortable in English classes since they were mainly about theory, but now we look forward to our classes each week.”

Each of Tran’s classes is divided into two parts: theory and application through practical language exercises.

During the application portion of his classes, Tran encourages his students to speak as much as possible by hosting fun activities that allow them to get in touch with their creativity. 

One of these activities involved asking students to take on the role of famous singers, such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, to answer questions from ‘reporters’ (their peers) on the red carpet.

“I often write the sentence model ‘I can…’ to help my students focus on the learning objectives of the class,” Tran said.

“At the end of the lesson, I let the students reflect on what they’ve learned and discuss what they need to improve in subsequent lessons.”

Outside of the classroom, Tran connects with his students over occasional outings and dinners. 

During these meetings, however, his students transform into teachers as they explain, in English, how Vietnamese dishes are prepared and share interesting stories about Hue City, which is the capital of Thua Thien-Hue, and Vietnamese culture.

Occasionally, Tran asks his students to take on the role of ‘tour guides’ and travel with him around Hue.

During these experiences, the students give Tran detailed and compelling insights in English.

‘Going home’

Born in New York, Tran learned Vietnamese from his parents despite living in an area with a relatively small Vietnamese community.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Le Moyne College in New York before teaching French at the junior-high school level.

He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in French linguistics and pedagogy at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Prior to joining the ETA program, Tran paid a visit to Vietnam in 2018 to meet his extended family in Hue.

“At the time, I did not understand Vietnam much, but I burst into tears when I had to return to the U.S.,” he admitted.

“It could be that I share a special connection with Vietnam.

“I felt compelled to return to Vietnam one day, not just for a short trip, but to live and work in the country.”

Four years later, as fate would have it, Tran found himself back in Hue, this time as a teacher.

ETA participants do not get to choose their placement, making it even more surprising that Tran was fortunate enough to be placed near his family in Hue.

For Tran, working in Vietnam feels like ‘going home’ because it allows him the opportunity to live for a short time in the place where his parents were born and raised.

He has been able to meet his Vietnamese relatives and become better acquainted with the Hue accent, a unique experience that would have been impossible had he stayed in the U.S..

The teacher feels that he has grown quite a bit during his first three months of working in Vietnam.

He has learned more about his parents’ hometown and moved one step closer to understanding his Vietnamese identity.

As a bonus, he learned how to drive a motorcycle and added dozens of words to his Vietnamese vocabulary.

“Until May 2023, when I return to my home country, I want to spend as much time as possible teaching and helping my students speak English,” he said.

“I also plan to take the time to visit tourist attractions in Vietnam and build more community connections here.”

Cultural ambassadors connecting Vietnam with the U.S.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) is managed by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi’s Fulbright Program. Launched in 2008, the ETA sends English assistant teachers to high schools, colleges, and universities in cities and provinces other than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The assistant teachers spend a year giving lectures on listening comprehension and speaking and help local schools with their English teaching methods. They are also cultural ambassadors to Vietnam.

A new wave of wind

Professor Dam Le Tan Anh, a lecturer at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism, spoke highly of Bryan Tran, noting that he has brought a ‘new wind’ to the classroom and that he is creative and enthusiastic.

Tran inspires his students to try new things and to actively overcome personal adversity while learning English.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Bryan Tran, a Vietnamese American currently teaching English in central Vietnam, has earned acclaim from his students for his tireless dedication to transforming his classroom into an exciting, practical language lab.

Thanks to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program, an initiative which places Fulbright scholarship recipients in classrooms with local English teachers, Tran has been able to touch the souls of English learners at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism, located in central Thua Thien-Hue Province, for the past three months.

In fact, Tran’s unique approach to teaching has led students at the university to dub his class a ‘party of English culture and language.’

Creativity in the classroom

“Teacher Bryan inspires the students in our class to learn English. Every lesson is so fun. He always teaches us very practical knowledge,” said Le Nguyen Quynh Thi, a student at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism.

“Many of us used to feel uncomfortable in English classes since they were mainly about theory, but now we look forward to our classes each week.”

Each of Tran’s classes is divided into two parts: theory and application through practical language exercises.

During the application portion of his classes, Tran encourages his students to speak as much as possible by hosting fun activities that allow them to get in touch with their creativity. 

One of these activities involved asking students to take on the role of famous singers, such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, to answer questions from ‘reporters’ (their peers) on the red carpet.

“I often write the sentence model ‘I can…’ to help my students focus on the learning objectives of the class,” Tran said.

“At the end of the lesson, I let the students reflect on what they’ve learned and discuss what they need to improve in subsequent lessons.”

Outside of the classroom, Tran connects with his students over occasional outings and dinners. 

During these meetings, however, his students transform into teachers as they explain, in English, how Vietnamese dishes are prepared and share interesting stories about Hue City, which is the capital of Thua Thien-Hue, and Vietnamese culture.

Occasionally, Tran asks his students to take on the role of ‘tour guides’ and travel with him around Hue.

During these experiences, the students give Tran detailed and compelling insights in English.

‘Going home’

Born in New York, Tran learned Vietnamese from his parents despite living in an area with a relatively small Vietnamese community.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Le Moyne College in New York before teaching French at the junior-high school level.

He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in French linguistics and pedagogy at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Prior to joining the ETA program, Tran paid a visit to Vietnam in 2018 to meet his extended family in Hue.

“At the time, I did not understand Vietnam much, but I burst into tears when I had to return to the U.S.,” he admitted.

“It could be that I share a special connection with Vietnam.

“I felt compelled to return to Vietnam one day, not just for a short trip, but to live and work in the country.”

Four years later, as fate would have it, Tran found himself back in Hue, this time as a teacher.

ETA participants do not get to choose their placement, making it even more surprising that Tran was fortunate enough to be placed near his family in Hue.

For Tran, working in Vietnam feels like ‘going home’ because it allows him the opportunity to live for a short time in the place where his parents were born and raised.

He has been able to meet his Vietnamese relatives and become better acquainted with the Hue accent, a unique experience that would have been impossible had he stayed in the U.S..

The teacher feels that he has grown quite a bit during his first three months of working in Vietnam.

He has learned more about his parents’ hometown and moved one step closer to understanding his Vietnamese identity.

As a bonus, he learned how to drive a motorcycle and added dozens of words to his Vietnamese vocabulary.

“Until May 2023, when I return to my home country, I want to spend as much time as possible teaching and helping my students speak English,” he said.

“I also plan to take the time to visit tourist attractions in Vietnam and build more community connections here.”

Cultural ambassadors connecting Vietnam with the U.S.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) is managed by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi’s Fulbright Program. Launched in 2008, the ETA sends English assistant teachers to high schools, colleges, and universities in cities and provinces other than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The assistant teachers spend a year giving lectures on listening comprehension and speaking and help local schools with their English teaching methods. They are also cultural ambassadors to Vietnam.

A new wave of wind

Professor Dam Le Tan Anh, a lecturer at Hue University School of Hospitality and Tourism, spoke highly of Bryan Tran, noting that he has brought a ‘new wind’ to the classroom and that he is creative and enthusiastic.

Tran inspires his students to try new things and to actively overcome personal adversity while learning English.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20221224/vietnameseamerican-teacher-inspires-english-learners-in-vietnam/70540.html

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Education

Vietnamese students to compete in international autonomous vehicle competition

Published

5 days ago

on

March 23, 2023

By

Three teams of Vietnamese university students will compete with 21 teams from other countries in an international autonomous vehicle competition organized by Bosch in Romania in May.

Three Vietnamese teams advanced to the finals of the Bosch Future Mobility Challenge 2023 (BFMC), which will take place in Romania in May.

The teams include The Newbies from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, CEEC-UIT from the University of Information Technology under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, and LH-CDC from Lac Hong University in Dong Nai Province.

BFMC is an international autonomous vehicle competition for students organized by the Bosch Technical Center in Romania since 2017.

Every year, the competition invites student teams from all over the world to develop autonomous driving and connectivity algorithms on 1:10 scale RC car models provided by Bosch, 

The cars run in an environment that simulates a miniature smart city.

The participants are assisted by Bosch experts and faculty members at their schools to develop algorithms related to autonomous cars, and come up with a plan for self-driving cars.

In 2023, 119 teams from universities around the world registered to compete in the BFMC. 

After the interview round, 74 teams met the requirements and received a 1:10 scale RC car model kit sponsored by Bosch to develop the algorithm.

Based on the videos, the judges selected 24 teams to compete in the world finals at the Bosch Technical Center in Cluj Napoca, Romania in May.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Three teams of Vietnamese university students will compete with 21 teams from other countries in an international autonomous vehicle competition organized by Bosch in Romania in May.

Three Vietnamese teams advanced to the finals of the Bosch Future Mobility Challenge 2023 (BFMC), which will take place in Romania in May.

The teams include The Newbies from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, CEEC-UIT from the University of Information Technology under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, and LH-CDC from Lac Hong University in Dong Nai Province.

BFMC is an international autonomous vehicle competition for students organized by the Bosch Technical Center in Romania since 2017.

Every year, the competition invites student teams from all over the world to develop autonomous driving and connectivity algorithms on 1:10 scale RC car models provided by Bosch, 

The cars run in an environment that simulates a miniature smart city.

The participants are assisted by Bosch experts and faculty members at their schools to develop algorithms related to autonomous cars, and come up with a plan for self-driving cars.

In 2023, 119 teams from universities around the world registered to compete in the BFMC. 

After the interview round, 74 teams met the requirements and received a 1:10 scale RC car model kit sponsored by Bosch to develop the algorithm.

Based on the videos, the judges selected 24 teams to compete in the world finals at the Bosch Technical Center in Cluj Napoca, Romania in May.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230322/vietnamese-students-to-compete-in-international-autonomous-vehicle-competition/72211.html

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Scandal-struck APAX Leaders English center chain chairman pledges refunds

Published

5 days ago

on

March 23, 2023

By

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, also known as Shark Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders English language center chain, on Wednesday promised to refund prepaid tuition fees to parents but he did not give the specific time for the refunding.

Thuy on Wednesday afternoon met with parents in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since the start of APAX Leaders’ employee salary debt and tuition fee scandal.

Parents attend the meeting with leaders of APAX Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Parents attend the meeting with leaders of APAX Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Thuy said he needed more time, claiming that refunding the tuition fees at a difficult time of APAX Leaders would put students at a disadvantage.

“We are giving the priority to the early reopening of English language centers. This is also the best way for APAX Leaders to fulfill its commitments to parents,” Thuy added.

APAX Leaders will determine the numbers of parents who will let their children continue learning at APAX Leaders centers and those who wish to withdraw tuition fees.

“It is hard to concurrently do the two jobs,” Shark Thuy said.

“We need parents’ tolerance.”

APAX Leaders CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan said APAX Leaders will resume the operation of 30-33 centers nationwide in the first phase, including four to five centers in Ho Chi Minh City.

At least nine other centers will be reopened later, Tuan claimed.

In late April, 10-12 centers will come back on stream as per the road map for the second phase.

An additional eight centers across the country will resume their opreations between late June and early July so that all APAX Leaders centers can be back active by the end of this year, Tuan noted.

He informed that APAX Leaders has identified over 1,350 students who have not completed the classes that they had paid for and the identification process is ongoing.

The chain receives parents’ information between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm every day at an APAX Leaders center on Phan Xich Long Street in Ho Chi Minh City.

“We are actively reviewing all English language center operation processes and regulations and ensuring human resources at the centers. However, the process may take about three to four months,” Tuan said.

Earlier at the meeting, T., whose child used to study at an APAX Leaders center, said he has lost faith in APAX Leaders.

He already paid nearly VND100 million (US$4,224) in tuition fees but his child has not been arranged into any class for over half a year.

For the past three months, T. has contacted APAX Leaders many times but he has yet to be refunded.

Meanwhile, the studying schedule has been repeatedly delayed due to the center chain’s so-called restructuring.

“I just need the refunds,” T. underscored.

Parents hold banners asking APAX Leaders to refund the tuition fees and calling on the involvement of state agencies. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Parents hold banners asking APAX Leaders to refund their tuition fees and calling on state agencies to step in. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

H., another parent, said, “Each family has their own circumstance. We have a simple order that our money be returned.”

Meanwhile, N., whose child used to study English at the Him Lam campus of the APAX Leaders chain, wanted to know the refund plan.

“We borrowed loans from banks to pay the tuition in advance, so we do not accept your vague answers. I need a specific time frame for the refunding,” said K., the father of a student.

Earlier, many parents had accused APAX Leaders of appropriating tuition fees as the chain accepted the tuition for long-term courses but failed to run classes.

Many former employees also accused the chain of owing them their salaries.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders, at the meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders English language center chain, at the meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, also known as Shark Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders English language center chain, on Wednesday promised to refund prepaid tuition fees to parents but he did not give the specific time for the refunding.

Thuy on Wednesday afternoon met with parents in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since the start of APAX Leaders’ employee salary debt and tuition fee scandal.

Parents attend the meeting with leaders of APAX Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Parents attend the meeting with leaders of APAX Leaders in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Thuy said he needed more time, claiming that refunding the tuition fees at a difficult time of APAX Leaders would put students at a disadvantage.

“We are giving the priority to the early reopening of English language centers. This is also the best way for APAX Leaders to fulfill its commitments to parents,” Thuy added.

APAX Leaders will determine the numbers of parents who will let their children continue learning at APAX Leaders centers and those who wish to withdraw tuition fees.

“It is hard to concurrently do the two jobs,” Shark Thuy said.

“We need parents’ tolerance.”

APAX Leaders CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan said APAX Leaders will resume the operation of 30-33 centers nationwide in the first phase, including four to five centers in Ho Chi Minh City.

At least nine other centers will be reopened later, Tuan claimed.

In late April, 10-12 centers will come back on stream as per the road map for the second phase.

An additional eight centers across the country will resume their opreations between late June and early July so that all APAX Leaders centers can be back active by the end of this year, Tuan noted.

He informed that APAX Leaders has identified over 1,350 students who have not completed the classes that they had paid for and the identification process is ongoing.

The chain receives parents’ information between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm every day at an APAX Leaders center on Phan Xich Long Street in Ho Chi Minh City.

“We are actively reviewing all English language center operation processes and regulations and ensuring human resources at the centers. However, the process may take about three to four months,” Tuan said.

Earlier at the meeting, T., whose child used to study at an APAX Leaders center, said he has lost faith in APAX Leaders.

He already paid nearly VND100 million (US$4,224) in tuition fees but his child has not been arranged into any class for over half a year.

For the past three months, T. has contacted APAX Leaders many times but he has yet to be refunded.

Meanwhile, the studying schedule has been repeatedly delayed due to the center chain’s so-called restructuring.

“I just need the refunds,” T. underscored.

Parents hold banners asking APAX Leaders to refund the tuition fees and calling on the involvement of state agencies. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Parents hold banners asking APAX Leaders to refund their tuition fees and calling on state agencies to step in. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

H., another parent, said, “Each family has their own circumstance. We have a simple order that our money be returned.”

Meanwhile, N., whose child used to study English at the Him Lam campus of the APAX Leaders chain, wanted to know the refund plan.

“We borrowed loans from banks to pay the tuition in advance, so we do not accept your vague answers. I need a specific time frame for the refunding,” said K., the father of a student.

Earlier, many parents had accused APAX Leaders of appropriating tuition fees as the chain accepted the tuition for long-term courses but failed to run classes.

Many former employees also accused the chain of owing them their salaries.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders, at the meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre
Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, chairman of Apax Holdings JSC, the owner of the APAX Leaders English language center chain, at the meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, 2022. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230316/scandalstruck-apax-leaders-english-center-chain-chairman-pledges-refunds/72126.html

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Japanese ice plants successfully grown at Vietnamese university

Published

6 days ago

on

March 22, 2023

By

An Giang University, located in the namesake province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, has managed to grow ice plants, an edible plant of Japanese origin, in the school’s net house after a decade of efforts, according to the school’s president Vo Van Thang.

Japan’s Saga University earlier provided the seedlings of ice plants, aka Tsuburina, for An Giang University to research and trial growing the plant, as part of an agricultural cooperation project between the two universities.

“It’s been around ten years since we came to Saga University and started our cooperation project,” Thang recalled.

“Our efforts to grow ice plants failed multiple times due to unsuitable climate and soil conditions.

“Therefore, we continued to study and adjust our methods to grow the plant after each failure.

“This is the first time that the plant has grown healthily in the school’s net house.”

Ice plants are edible and can be used in the cosmetics industry.

Further, it is capable of absorbing salt in the soil and is beneficial to the Mekong Delta region, which is affected by saline intrusion and climate change. Besides, ice plants are rich in nutrition.

Given the benefits of the plant, An Giang University opted to research and grow it on a trial basis, Thang said.

Saga University and some Japanese prefectures are home to many ice plant farms. The plant sells for around US$80 per kilogram in Japan.

Following the successful cultivation of ice plants at An Giang University, the school is set to expand the growing scale in the net house to examine the adaptability of the flora.

Growing the plant outside the school’s net house may be risky and cost a lot of money.

Hence, this can be done only after the expanded cultivation in the net house proves effective and enterprises make investments in the project, Thang said.

Earlier, a public organization in Vietnam reportedly piloted growing ice plants to no avail.

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An Giang University, located in the namesake province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, has managed to grow ice plants, an edible plant of Japanese origin, in the school’s net house after a decade of efforts, according to the school’s president Vo Van Thang.

Japan’s Saga University earlier provided the seedlings of ice plants, aka Tsuburina, for An Giang University to research and trial growing the plant, as part of an agricultural cooperation project between the two universities.

“It’s been around ten years since we came to Saga University and started our cooperation project,” Thang recalled.

“Our efforts to grow ice plants failed multiple times due to unsuitable climate and soil conditions.

“Therefore, we continued to study and adjust our methods to grow the plant after each failure.

“This is the first time that the plant has grown healthily in the school’s net house.”

Ice plants are edible and can be used in the cosmetics industry.

Further, it is capable of absorbing salt in the soil and is beneficial to the Mekong Delta region, which is affected by saline intrusion and climate change. Besides, ice plants are rich in nutrition.

Given the benefits of the plant, An Giang University opted to research and grow it on a trial basis, Thang said.

Saga University and some Japanese prefectures are home to many ice plant farms. The plant sells for around US$80 per kilogram in Japan.

Following the successful cultivation of ice plants at An Giang University, the school is set to expand the growing scale in the net house to examine the adaptability of the flora.

Growing the plant outside the school’s net house may be risky and cost a lot of money.

Hence, this can be done only after the expanded cultivation in the net house proves effective and enterprises make investments in the project, Thang said.

Earlier, a public organization in Vietnam reportedly piloted growing ice plants to no avail.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230316/japanese-ice-plants-successfully-grown-at-vietnamese-university/72114.html

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