In July 2023, we told you about the nine Vietnamese English language teachers who had been selected to join a two year online MA TESOL programme with Ulster University, as part of our UK/VN Season 2023.
Over the last nine months, they have participated in the annual VietTESOL InternationalConvention (VIC – August 2023), commenced their online study programme (October 2023) and are just about to embark on a two week study visit to Northern Ireland (June 2024). As they prepare for their forthcoming trip, we decided to catch up with some of them, to find out how things are going and learn what’s next.
'Through the lectures at Ulster University, I've not only acquired a deeper understanding of the principles and practices but also developed a newfound enthusiasm for exploring their applications in our CPD journey. Attending VIC enabled me to meet many great educators and my peers. Besides, managing an academic research poster is also my first challenge, as part of the ELT methodology course. I feel proud after finishing this hands-on experience and believe it will be instrumental in furthering my professional development and contributing to my work.' – Hue Pham, Nghe An – reflects on her year to date.
'I must say doing graduate studies while working fulltime has been a challenge, as expected. However, there has been a constant feedback loop between what we learn and what we apply into our practice. For instance, I have adopted learning porfolios as an assessment tool for my students at school. I plan to share this at VIC 2024.' – Bao Huynh, HCMC – reflects on his learning journey and looks forward to VIC 2024.
'I am nervous and excited at the same time to go to an English-speaking country and challenge myself to not only immerse in but also teach the language itself.' – Bui Hoang Anh, HPU2 – shares his apprehensions about the group’s visit to Northern Ireland in June
Indeed, Hoang Anh’s feelings are echoed by Hue, Bao and the other six scholars. Stay tuned and follow their journey in June 2024 both here and on our British Council Viet Nam Facebook page.