Hoi An farmers learn English

Walking about 500 m, Ms. Bon came to the second floor hall of the People’s Committee of Cam Ha Commune, Hoi An City – where the class was held. The room is more than 200 m2 with nearly 30 sets of tables and chairs. Four and 20 people sat in a corner for the convenience of teachers.

Classes start from 19:00 to 21:00, students are women from 22 to over 50 years old. Young people come to class to improve their listening and speaking skills, adults want to learn to communicate with foreign tourists. The teachers are two people from the same locality.

Ms. Bon used to work as a farmer, and since Tra Que vegetable village welcomed tourists, she stopped working. To serve tourists, she opened a Spa, which has quite a few foreign customers. “But when guests ask for services, I don’t know how to answer. Difficulty in communication causes guests to leave, and I lose a significant amount of income,” she said.

When the government announced the opening of the class, Ms. Four signed up to attend. Before each class, she arranges work to have time to go to class. After two lessons, she began to speak a few sentences in Mandarin. “It’s not easy to study at an old age. Even though I learn in the vernacular style, it’s not easy for me to pronounce,” she said, adding that when she got home, she still turned on her phone to learn more about pronunciation.

Ms. Tran Thi Tanh, 48 years old, works as a vegetable grower and ornamental kumquat. After finishing work every day, she went to class again. “Many times when foreign guests meet and ask for directions, but I don’t know how to answer, I feel very embarrassed,” she explained the reason for coming to the class.

Ms. Tanh commented that the teacher was very enthusiastic, anyone who did not understand her came to her place alone. After two lessons, she was able to say a few sentences, if she went out to meet Western customers to start a conversation, she would memorize the lesson faster. She hopes to speak English in the future and get a job at a restaurant serving international tourists.

Cam Ha commune is 2 km from Hoi An city center, has a population of more than 10,000, Tra Que vegetable village welcomes thousands of Western guests every year, many unskilled workers work in restaurants serving tourists. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the Commune Women’s Union, said that because many women cannot communicate in English, the association has called on teachers to open free classes.

The plan to open classes was in October 2021, but at that time the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, so it was stopped. At the end of March, classes started with nearly 30 people registered, but not always full. “Some people have family problems so they don’t go to class, but the spirit is to mobilize each person to go to school,” she said.

Called by the commune government, Ms. Truong Thi Bich Hong, 37 years old, owner of an English center in Cam Ha commune, joined her sister Truong Thi Phuong to teach for free. In each class, Ms. Phuong stands on the teaching chair, while Ms. Hong goes to each student who has not yet fully understood the lesson. “Those who can’t keep up will be tutored in class to understand the lesson. Initially learn the basics, later they will be grouped into sellers and customers to communicate in English,” said Ms. Hong.

To teach this special class, Ms. Hong prepares her own lesson plan. In which, the new word is written in English, and she transliterates it in Vietnamese. Each sentence is written down word for word for students to put together and then read it over and over again.

After two opening classes, the sisters basically read and knew how to put words into sentences. “The materials for the lesson, we support the paper and pen, you don’t have to contribute anything”, Ms. Hong said and hoped that through the class, she could speak Mandarin to communicate with foreign guests, serve in tourism.

Hoi An farmers learn English for tourism

Dac Thanh