{"id":210329,"date":"2024-08-04T17:33:09","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T17:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesnewswire.com\/?p=48191"},"modified":"2024-08-04T17:33:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T17:33:09","slug":"5-compelling-reasons-why-teaching-english-in-vietnam-is-a-brilliant-gap-year-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2024\/08\/04\/5-compelling-reasons-why-teaching-english-in-vietnam-is-a-brilliant-gap-year-option\/","title":{"rendered":"5 COMPELLING REASONS WHY TEACHING ENGLISH IN VIETNAM IS A BRILLIANT GAP YEAR OPTION"},"content":{"rendered":"

The decision to take a Gap Year from my studies at UCLA was made within a day or two. In stark contrast, deciding what to do during my time away from university took months. There are plenty of attractive Gap Year options in the marketplace offering programs like volunteering with native Americans, conservation work in Australia, ski instructor opportunities in Japan \u2013 and the list goes on \u2013 and on. Independence is important to me so an \u2018organized\u2019 Gap Year program was always an unlikely choice. I settled on carving out my own Gap Year experience teaching English in Vietnam<\/a> \u2013 specifically, in Ho Chi Minh City, and it was \u2018brilliant\u2019.<\/p>\n

While the term \u2018Gap Year\u2019 and the desire to take a Gap Year are common in North America, from my observations, the whole Gap Year thing is less prevalent in other parts of the world. It\u2019s certainly less commonplace in Southeast Asia where I spent most of my Gap Year. For the benefit of those who read this post and are unfamiliar with what a Gap Year is, here\u2019s my take. It\u2019s a period of time \u2013 usually a year \u2013 when students put their studies or the transition to their \u2018forever\u2019 career path on hold to experience something completely different. Succinctly, it\u2019s time away. In my case, it was 12 months away from my studies at UCLA and the United States. Before starting my Gap Year, I took an Online TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL to learn how to teach English as a Second Language. The TESOL<\/a> course at AVSE comes highly recommended.<\/p>\n

Here are four compelling reasons why teaching English in Vietnam is a brilliant gap-year option:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cultural Immersion<\/strong>: Teaching English<\/a> in Vietnam provides a \u2018cultural immersion\u2019 experience \u2018on steroids\u2019. You\u2019ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local school community \u2013 and the wider Vietnamese community. For sure, there will be invitations galore to all kinds of school-related cultural events \u2013 for example, Teacher\u2019s Day, and national cultural events including the Lunar New Year (Tet), the Wandering Souls Day, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Independence Day, Reunification Day and the list goes on. You may even feel inclined to work on acquiring Vietnamese language skills, which will go down very well indeed with the locals.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. English Skills<\/strong>: Teaching jobs<\/a> in Vietnam provide a terrific opportunity to build your skill level with the English language. In my case, I have spent all of my school years in the United States, including three years at university (to date), but have never attended a \u2018grammar\u2019 class and knew close to nothing about grammar rules \u2013 present perfect, simple past, and suchlike. By the end of my 12-month stint teaching English as a second language in Vietnam, I was almost on par with the kids in my Wednesday afternoon Elementary School English class. True, there\u2019s more work to be done! If you\u2019re a native English speaker, you might think your English skills are pretty good and there\u2019s no need for improvement. Wrong! Learning is a life-long process.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Professional and Personal Development<\/strong>: Spending a Gap Year teaching English in Vietnam will be a distinguishing factor in a highly competitive employment market when the time comes to secure a \u2018forever\u2019 job after completing university. Living and working in an \u2018emerging\u2019 country like Vietnam requires you to step outside your comfort zone, enhancing both professional and personal development \u2013 \u2018big-time\u2019. You\u2019ll learn a thing or two about cross-cultural communication, the ability to adapt to a new environment, resilience, problem-solving, and the like. You\u2019ll gain a broader take on global issues, which is pivotal in our interconnected world.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u00a0<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Travel Opportunities<\/strong>: Vietnam is \u2018smack-bang\u2019 in the middle of Southeast Asia \u2013 the perfect home base and geographical location to explore the length and breadth of the Asian continent. Teaching English in Vietnam comes with a decent salary by local standards and plenty of paid Public Holidays. You\u2019ll have the money and time to take in the best of what Asia has to offer. Traveling to neighboring countries, Cambodia<\/a>, Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines to name only four, will be quick and easy \u2013 similar to a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, but much cheaper. How about a weekend shopping trip to Singapore, a couple of days in exotic Hong Kong, or chilling on a beach in Sri Lanka \u2013 all are distinct possibilities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u00a0<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Make a positive difference:<\/strong> Those of us who were fortunate to be born in wealthy, developed countries where English is the dominant language \u2013 the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and suchlike \u2013 enjoy a raft of privileges that in many instances are not available to folks in developing countries. Exposure to the \u2018international\u2019 language \u2013 the English language \u2013 from birth, is one of those privileges. Sharing a bit of personal good fortune will do wonders for your self-esteem and help make the world a better place, even a safer place through enhanced mutual understanding.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            I\u2019m supremely confident that at the end of your 12 months away from whatever you\u2019re doing now, you\u2019ll share my view that teaching English in Vietnam<\/a> is a brilliant gap-year option. You will have: immersed yourself in a different culture, improved your English skills, enhanced your professional and personal skills, travelled all over the Asian Continent \u2013 and made a positive difference in the lives of people who are less fortunate than yourself. \u00a0Overall, teaching English in Vietnam is a compelling choice for a gap year experience.<\/p>\n

            Author: Brian Airlie<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Location: Los Angeles, California, USA<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Date: 14 July 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            The decision to take a Gap Year from my studies at UCLA was made within a day or two. 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