The rewards of teaching Vietnamese to foreigners

Two years of teaching Vietnamese to Lao students have given me experiences and lessons in teaching Vietnamese to foreigners.

I suddenly realised that language and culture are a wonderful interplay. To understand the language of a country and use it fluently, learners also need to understand its culture. That is why I find it important to weave knowledge of Vietnamese culture and spiritual life into reading comprehension texts and exercise materials.

Second, the experience of teaching Vietnamese to foreigners has helped me realise that psychological barriers have a very great influence on how quickly learners take in knowledge.

Third, I see clearly the importance of personalising the learning path: correcting the common errors and strengthening the weaker skills of each individual learner is what determines the results foreigners achieve in learning Vietnamese.

Finally, I have come to see that building rapport with learners and the teacher’s positive personal image are also decisive factors in successfully conveying knowledge to learners.