From being a teacher at an English club in Bac Giang, Nguyen Thi Tuyen, 27 years old, was accepted to work as a 9-month teaching assistant at Yale University.
Arriving at Yale University in the US in September was also the first time Tuyen had traveled abroad. For Tuyen, becoming a Vietnamese language teaching assistant at an Ivy League school (8 elite private universities in the US) was something she had never thought of.
Tuyen used to be an English teacher in Hanoi, before returning to her hometown in Bac Giang to open an English club for children. But few people know that in high school, Tuyen was not interested in this subject.
Once, Tuyen was scolded in front of the class by her teacher for her poor grades. She was so embarrassed that she told herself she had to do well in this subject. She studied day and night to prepare for the entrance exam to the English major class at Bac Giang High School for the Gifted.
Every day, she diligently studied grammar, vocabulary, and practiced exam questions. One time, when she met a foreign tourist in the commune, Tuyen's father encouraged his daughter to try to strike up a conversation. Despite trying to express herself through English and body language, the two could not talk for more than three minutes because the tourist did not understand what Tuyen was saying.
"That day was like a push for me to try harder to study for the entrance exam to the English Language Department at Hanoi University," Tuyen recalled. Throughout high school, Tuyen studied until 12am almost every day, sometimes waking up at 3am to study. But at that time, Tuyen did not think she would become a teacher.
Route on the campus of Yale University, USA. Photo: Character provided
During her time at Hanoi University, Tuyen worked as a teaching assistant for a lecturer’s English club. This person also had a great influence on Tuyen’s future journey. Inspired by observing the way the teacher taught and talked to students, the third-year student began to think about entering the teaching profession. After that, Tuyen taught at several English centers for children and taught IELTS. The journey went smoothly until the day Tuyen received a letter of review from the center’s academic director.
"I was told that my teaching ability was not good. That unexpected comment made me very disappointed and determined to prove that I could do it," she recalled.
Tuyen used all her savings to register for a 6-month TESOL (international certificate in teaching English) course at Hanoi University. The course helped Tuyen change her way of thinking about lesson design. She later received many positive responses from students as well as the center.
But that was also the time when her perspective on education changed. From teachers, educational research, and students, she realized that education is not about preparing for exams or chasing immediate scores, but about helping learners develop their own potential. Teaching English should be "teach in English", meaning using English as a tool for students to explore knowledge in other fields.
Tuyen quit teaching at the center, applied and was accepted into an international school in Hanoi. This school has an educational philosophy of learning by doing. For example, instead of sitting in class listening to teachers and taking notes on Biology, students go to the garden to plant and harvest plants, and from there draw lessons. Students also do not have to memorize the analysis of the Tale of Kieu but learn to tell fortunes and paraphrase Kieu. During English class, students read poems, stories, watch movies and discuss each topic.
"I exclaimed that this is the way to study. But those wonderful things also made me wonder when children in my hometown Bac Giang will be like that," Tuyen shared.
Tuyen thought about it many nights. She was torn between the opportunity to develop if she stayed in Hanoi or returned to Bac Giang to share her knowledge and interesting educational methods with the children in her hometown. Thinking about the children struggling with English because they did not have the right learning method - like she did in the past, Tuyen decided to return.
In the summer of 2021, Tuyen returned to her hometown in Giang Tan village, Bac Giang, and opened a small English club. Here, children learn English through experiments, crafts, observing nature or reading books. She also built a small library to help students have more inspiration and love for English.
After more than a year, Tuyen learned about the Fulbright program to teach Vietnamese in the US and applied. She then wrote four essays and went through an interview. Knowing that the program's criteria was to find cultural ambassadors, people who could convey Vietnamese language and culture to American students, Tuyen recounted her journey to becoming an English teacher. According to Tuyen, this might be what convinced the admissions committee.
When ranking his wishes for a teaching place, Tuyen put Yale University at the top, with a message that he really wanted to go there.
"I never expected to go to Yale. I always dreamed of going to America for graduate school, but I never thought I would study and teach at such a famous school," she shared.
Tuyen’s teaching assistantship began in September and includes assisting professors in preparing lessons, grading student papers, and providing extra tutoring when requested. Tuyen also teaches two classes per week. To help students better understand Vietnamese culture and people, Tuyen invites Vietnamese friends in the US to come and interact. Every month, she also organizes a Vietnamese cooking session with her students.
"I made spring rolls, vermicelli with grilled pork and stir-fried noodles. Everyone was happy and said it was delicious," Tuyen said, adding that this month she will make a feast with popular dishes during holidays in Vietnam.
According to Tuyen, the hardest part was preparing the lesson because this was the first time she taught Vietnamese to foreigners. Tuyen had to systematize the knowledge and arrange it in order so that students could easily absorb it. Some students spoke Vietnamese very well, but some had never been exposed to Vietnamese before. Therefore, the young teacher had to design lessons that were suitable for the level of all students in the class.
Tuyen (5th from left) invites students to enjoy Vietnamese food, in October. Photo: Character provided
This semester, Tuyen is a teaching assistant for three Vietnamese classes that start at 9:30 a.m., but she usually arrives 30 minutes early to prepare. In addition, Tuyen is enrolled in 1-3 courses per semester at Yale University. She is enrolled in Linguistics and Speaking Fluently, which are held in the afternoons.
"Students at Yale University are all elites, so I feel pressured, but that is also a motivation to do better," Tuyen said, adding that her current job helps her hone her teaching skills, build relationships with professors, and experience culture, broadening her perspective on the world around her.
Having worked with Tuyen for many years, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, a lecturer in the English department at Hanoi University, said that Tuyen is proactive, always observing details and handling things carefully, from small things like arranging bookshelves to contacting and communicating with parents.
"Tuyen was not an outstanding person from the beginning, but thanks to her eagerness to learn and perseverance, she rose up and became a good and outstanding person," Ms. Thuy commented.
Tuyen plans to apply for a master’s degree in teaching in the UK, US or Finland next year. She and her colleagues are preparing a project to support professional development for teachers with teaching difficulties, expected to launch in early 2024. In addition, Tuyen plans to organize a summer camp to connect Yale students with students in their hometowns, sponsored by Yale University.
Dieu Tuyen is worried that the English club for students in the countryside still has no successor.
"I am urgently looking for teachers to cooperate so that the children's learning will not be interrupted for too long," Tuyen said.
Vnexpress.net
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