"Hunting Westerners" used to be a creative way to practice communication and be proactive when learning English, but today it is probably no longer appropriate in terms of effectiveness and culture.
Bui Minh Duc, a master's student in Communications at Clark University, USA, shares his views on "hunting Westerners" to practice English.
10-15 years ago, when I was just starting my university years, "hunting for Westerners" appeared and quickly became popular. "Hunting for Westerners" means people learning English, mainly students, wanting to improve their foreign language skills, actively looking for ways to talk to foreign tourists coming to Vietnam. At that time and even now, "hunting for Westerners" is popular in Hanoi, specifically the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake areas, because it is crowded with tourists and has a large, airy space for chatting.
"Hunting for Westerners" comes from a very good goal: improving English learning. When schools cannot provide enough conditions for learners to communicate and chat with native speakers and the Internet is not as popular as it is today, "hunting for Westerners" is a creative way for students to be proactive in learning English.
However, "hunting for Westerners" has many disadvantages and it is a mistake to think that doing this will help you become good at English. This activity is no longer suitable at present and I think it should be stopped.
First, the very way this practice is called has made many people frown. "Hunting Westerners" makes people think of tourists as animals, while young people are like hunters frantically looking for one or two "Western" guests to chat with. Indeed, if you witness this scene, you will find it quite similar to when many young people often go in large groups, surround a few tourists and ask a lot of questions in a rush.
Second, not all guests are prepared to be surrounded by a group of strange students. This situation can make them feel unsafe and vulnerable to being robbed if they are not paying attention. This psychological precaution is even greater when they are in unfamiliar places.
Because they don’t research culturally sensitive aspects beforehand, the questions many young people ask are quite personal, such as: What do you do for a living? Where are you from? Are you married? Vietnamese people may consider these questions normal, but in America, I usually avoid asking strangers such questions - and people often don’t have the habit of answering strangers when suddenly stopped.
Third, "hunting for Westerners" is not a very effective way to learn English compared to the effort you put in.
Simply because when you talk to foreigners, you often repeat certain questions. Many guests are only willing to answer a few questions like that and then leave, and you have to continue to find other tourists, repeating the same questions. Talking to foreigners can help many young people become more confident, but improving English in such situations is really difficult.
Not only that, the concept of "Western" originally refers to people from many Western countries and not everyone speaks English as their first language. On the positive side, speaking English with many people from different countries can help you understand many accents, but for beginners to practice standard English, this is not the optimal choice.
Minh Duc at the Fulbright scholarship seminar in Atlanta, USA, September 15. Photo: Provided by the character
If not "hunting for Westerners", what can learners do?
The development of the Internet helps the young generation access countless English learning materials. Many programs and projects of non-governmental organizations help connect learners with English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia, UK... Social networks also help you easily find friends to practice English, from expat communities living in Vietnam to study abroad groups. Language exchange has now become much simpler thanks to the Internet.
Joining clubs and student organizations is also a good way. When I was a student, I was a member of Hanoikids - a club of young people who specialize in guiding foreign tourists to visit Hanoi. Therefore, members do not have to "hunt for Westerners" but still have the opportunity to chat with tourists. This time helped me improve my English skills a lot.
Spend a lot of time practicing English through various forms such as reading newspapers, watching documentaries, and English-language teaching content. Listening to music or watching movies is not my favorite way because when I first started learning English, it was difficult to listen in contexts with a lot of slang and abbreviations.
Meanwhile, documentaries and educational content often use academic English, with intonation and speed appropriate for the audience. Similar to watching movies, choosing major foreign newspapers with easy-to-understand language such as the New York Times, Reuters... also helps you learn English more easily.
In Vietnam now, cultural exchange programs are also more popular. Young people have many opportunities to participate in seminars and exchange with international students. Embassies also regularly organize language exchange activities. For me, these are ways to practice English effectively without making anyone feel uncomfortable.
Bui Minh Duc
Source link
Comment (0)