Quality TEFL with real job support…

 

Australian Vocational Skills and Education (AVSE) offers an Australian Government accredited and internationally recognised ‘in-class’ TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Holding quality TEFL certification is a prerequisite to teach English in Vietnam and many other countries. While this article focuses on AVSE’s teacher training programme in Ho Chi Minh City, AVSE offers the same in-class, Australian Government accredited TEFL course in Hanoi and Phnom Penh – and online, if you aren’t able to travel to Vietnam or Cambodia. 

 

If you’ve decided to teach English in Ho Chi Minh City, it makes sense to complete your TEFL training in Ho Chi Minh City, your preferred teaching location. It also makes sense to complete your TEFL course at AVSE.

 

 

Why Ho Chi Minh City?

By doing your TEFL training in the city where you plan to teach, you’ll be: 1. more accessible to potential employers (schools); 2. in a familiar environment when you land that all-important first teaching job; 3. able to physically check out medium to long term accommodation options, and 4. surrounded by friends from your TEFL course. In addition, you’ll be able to catch up with the trainers and staff at AVSE – folks that you got to know well during your TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City – for guidance and support if the need arises. There are plenty of other reasons why it makes sense to do your TEFL training in Ho Chi Minh City, if that’s where you plan to teach, including:

 

• an abundance of job opportunities
• diversity of teaching work
• gateway to Vietnam
• commercial hub
• access to services
• nightlife x 24/7
• proximity to popular tourist destinations, and
• more ‘Bia Hoi’ joints than you’ll have time to visit in a single lifetime

 

Why AVSE?

By any measure, AVSE is the largest TEFL course provider in Vietnam (and Cambodia). They’ve been on the ground in Southeast Asia for more than a decade. Most importantly, AVSE’s TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City is accredited by the Australian Government. As someone who aspires to be a professional educator, accreditation is not an area where you can cut corners.  

 

 

TEFL at AVSE in Ho Chi Minh City is suitable for professionally-minded people over 18 years of age – any country, any background. The TEFL programme at AVSE is also ideal for practising teachers who wish to build upon their skill set or obtain high-level certification as an English as a Second Language (ESL) educator – certification accredited by the Australian Government.

 

The key goals of AVSE’s TEFL programme are twofold: 1. to uphold professional teaching standards by offering certification that’s government accredited and therefore truly carries international recognition, and 2. to equip aspiring ESL teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their chosen profession. It’s all about providing the certification and hands-on experience central to securing a well-paid English teaching job.  

 

Practical dimension

Unashamedly, the TEFL programme at AVSE focuses on the practical dimension of teaching English as a second language in developing countries. Sure, theory is essential, and there’s plenty covered during the course, but knowing how to create an environment where students are ‘chomping at the bit’ to study English is equally important. TEFL training at AVSE in Ho Chi Minh City involves a time commitment of 150 hours over four weeks.  Trainees need to complete a minimum of 14 hours of practical experience (critically assessed) with ‘real’ Vietnamese English language students engaged in ongoing classes.

 

‘What about the ‘learning environment’ at AVSE in Ho Chi Minh City?’, I hear you ask. ‘What about the trainers?’ ‘Will I secure a teaching job once I’ve completed my TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City?’ These are all fair questions that warrant ‘upfront’, plain-English responses. 

 

Learning environment

AVSE’s TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City is co-located with a fully functioning English Language School. AVSE’s strategic location in Ho Chi Minh City means that TEFL students can complete their teacher training in a real school environment from day one of their study programme. You’ll find all the modern features you’d expect from a quality vocational training institution with a genuine Australian connection – the latest IT, superior teaching resources, air conditioning, designated areas for ‘down-time’ and suchlike. The AVSE building in Ho Chi Minh City is subject to the same occupational health, fire safety and disability access considerations that apply to schools and training centres in Australia, despite being in Vietnam.  

 

Trainers

While teaching experience is helpful, not all experienced teachers possess the qualifications, skills, and knowledge to be a vocational trainer. Teaching and training are very different activities. To illustrate this point, I’d like you to think about ‘sex’. You can teach people about sex – pregnancy, health risks and suchlike or train people…, I think you get my point. Students who are completing a TEFL course have every right to believe that the person who is taking their course is a certified Trainer in a vocational context. All TEFL Trainers at AVSE possess specialist Vocational Training qualifications and industry experience, mandated by the Australian Government.

 

Teaching job

Employers (schools) in Ho Chi Minh City have a distinct preference for hiring new teachers who are on the ground and ready to start immediately. By doing your TEFL training ‘in-country’ – and ‘in-city’ at AVSE, you’ll be: 1. ‘Johnny on the spot’ when it comes to employment; and 2. part of the AVSE ‘family’. When point 1 is coupled with point 2, there’s every reason to believe that you’ll be in a decent teaching job in Ho Chi Minh City – that pays market rates, provides for a safe and secure work environment, requires sensible work hours and is with a reputable school – within a matter of days of completing your TEFL course. On top of points 1 and 2, TEFL training at AVSE comes with ‘hands-on’ job help. It’s a commitment that AVSE takes very seriously. The ‘proof is in the pudding’.

 

Summary

In this article, we’ve touched on selected matters about the Australian Government accredited TEFL course at AVSE in Ho Chi Minh City. Eligibility, reasons to enrol, course content, learning environment, trainers and job prospects have all been canvassed. If you’d like more information about the Australian Government accredited TEFL programme at AVSE in Ho Chi Minh City, reach out to the friendly folks at AVSE today.

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge has been living and working in Vietnam since 2006. He is the Managing Director and owner of Australian Vocational Skills and Education (AVSE). AVSE has TEFL training schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh. Check out the AVSE website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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Feedback from former students is invaluable

 

This morning, I did some counting and reading to better understand what motivates TEFL course customers. I was surprised to learn that 3,032 students have completed the TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE over the past decade, and 1,007 students have completed the TEFL course at AVSE’s two other locations, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh. While number crunching, I also took the time to re-read many of the ‘end of course’ feedback forms that we’ve kept in safe storage. Some dated back to 2010.

 

 

Numbers

While I’m not a mathematician, feedback from 3,032 TEFL students in Ho Chi Minh City and 1,007 students in Hanoi and Cambodia (combined), is a hefty statistical sample. True, not every student completed a feedback form, and some students didn’t answer every question. Let’s say that 50% of TEFL students fully completed the feedback form – then round the number down – and the total is 2,000. It’s still a good statistical sample, at least from a layperson’s perspective. What was learnt from this ‘good statistical sample’ of feedback forms? In my view, there were three lessons.

 

Firstly, it seems that I was a scallywag in my teaching days. If you’re a former TEFL student of mine who is reading this blog post, please accept my belated apologies. Yes, my teacher-training style was unconventional. However, I have mellowed with age. I no longer get around with a woman’s wig and a small trumpet.

 

Secondly, I was taken aback by the similarity of the written responses to the following question: “Why did you enrol in the Australian Government accredited TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City?” Almost to a person, students wrote something akin to: ‘learn how to teach English as a second language’, ‘get a job’. In short, TEFL trainees were telling AVSE that the TEFL course is a ‘means to an end’.    

 

 

Before revealing my third point, allow me to provide some perspective.

 

Between 2009 and 2012, a typical 4-week TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE would attract eight to ten students. In more recent times, AVSE has typically offered two TEFL courses a month, running concurrently in Ho Chi Minh City, with an average of 16 students in each class. While AVSE’s TEFL numbers have grown exponentially in Ho Chi Minh City over the years, you could set your clock by the 14 to 16 students enrolled each month in both Hanoi and Phnom Penh. Succinctly, one site has experienced substantial growth, our other two sites consistently cater for a similar number of students, but all three sites offer precisely the same product. Intriguing!   

 

While almost to a person, trainees were telling AVSE in their feedback form that they see the TEFL course as a means to an end – learn a bit and get a job (see above) – the responses related to the choice of destination (city) were strikingly different. It seems that there are ‘pull factors’ at play – ‘word of mouth’, location and climate – that heavily favour Ho Chi Minh City as a TEFL destination over Hanoi and Phnom Penh – my belated point three. This idea is evidenced by AVSE’s own numbers – in Ho Chi Minh City, 3032 students with huge growth, in Hanoi and Penh Penh (1007 students combined) with numbers that are regular as clockwork. Let’s have a closer look at these pull factors.

 

‘Word of mouth’

One way or another, every foreigner who joins a TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City first heard about the opportunity to do a short course and get a teaching job by ‘word of mouth’, either literally, or via the internet. Word of mouth, in a literal sense, would typically come from a family member, a friend or an acquaintance. In the context of the internet, ‘word of mouth’ would come from a Google search, social media, online reviews, chatting and suchlike.

 

 

Ho Chi Minh City is ‘English teaching central’ in Vietnam. There are more schools, more students, more teaching jobs, more teaching vacancies and more teaching-related social media platforms in Ho Chi Minh City compared to Hanoi and Phnom Penh. With more foreigners teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City than in any other city in Vietnam or Cambodia, it follows that there will be more people spreading the good news. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen a classic ‘snowball effect’ playing out with ‘word of mouth’ related to teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City. We haven’t seen the same in Hanoi and Phnom Penh – it may well be a case of ‘watch this space’.

 

Location

With a population of just under 9 million people, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s commercial hub and international gateway. Ho Chi Minh City is conveniently located in the south of Vietnam. You can travel by bus from the central business district to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, within six hours. Likewise, you can fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, or Indonesia within three hours.  

 

In addition to being Vietnam’s international gateway, Ho Chi Minh City is the transport hub for domestic travel in the south of the country. Tourist destinations in the south of Vietnam, including Vung Tau, the Mekong Delta, Phan Thiet, Muine and even Dalat, are a relatively short bus journey away. You can even fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc or Danang within a couple of hours; both are hugely popular with domestic and international tourists.  

 

The ‘knowledge’ aspect of a TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City is undoubtedly important, but the overall ‘TEFL experience’ is multi-faceted. Spending a month with like-minded souls from the 4-corners of the world, finding your way around Ho Chi Minh City, taking a bus to an exotic location for the weekend or flying to a neighbouring country for a short trip are all part of a brilliant TEFL experience – and a ‘pull factor’ that clearly favours Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Climate

Initially, it might seem counter-intuitive to list climate as a pull factor for doing a TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City over Hanoi and Phnom Penh. However, when you scratch a bit below the surface, it’s not counter-intuitive at all; it makes perfect sense.

 

 

Ho Chi Minh City has two seasons, the dry season and the wet season. The dry season is characterised by oppressive heat and very little rain. Oppressive heat, high humidity and a daily downpour are the key features of the wet season. In contrast, Hanoi has the classic four seasons and extreme weather events on occasions that are not prevalent in Ho Chi Minh City. When it’s hot in Hanoi, it’s very hot. When it’s cold, it’s very cold. Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City are only 203 kilometres apart, and the two cities have similar latitude and longitude lines. These factors dictate that Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City have a similar weather pattern, although Phnom Penh does present an array of challenging variables. When you add dust, dirt, abject poverty, and poor infrastructure – all commonplace in Phnom Penh – to oppressive heat, high humidity and severe flooding, it’s pretty easy to understand why some folks would choose to stay away.

 

The weather in Ho Chi Minh City may be hot, but it’s a known quantity. So, you would have ‘built it into the equation’ before leaving home. Moreover, there’s a lot of upsides to hot, predictable weather, 24/7 – socialising with friends late into the evening, getting around in shorts and a t-shirt, flip flops rather than lace-up shoes, pursuing outdoor hobbies, trips to the beach and suchlike. Conversely, the weather in Hanoi and Phnom Penh is far less predictable and can present unwanted challenges.

 

Conclusion

In this blog post, from a layperson’s perspective, I’ve analysed enrolment numbers and feedback from students who completed AVSE’s TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh over a many of years. The analysis suggests that: 1. most people do the TEFL course at AVSE because they want to know how to teach English as a second language – and get a teaching job; and 2. pull-factors – ‘word of mouth’, location and climate – have driven exponential growth in AVSE’s TEFL programme in Ho Chi Minh City, while student numbers in Hanoi and Phnom have remained relatively stable.

 

Turning your mind to what motivates paying customers is undoubtedly a good thing.  

 

About the blogger: Peter Goudge is the founder and Managing Director of AVSE-TESOL in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Phnom Penh. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Peter now calls Ho Chi Minh City home. Check out the AVSE-TESOL website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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Do some ‘taxi homework’ before arriving in Vietnam…

 

I can say, with my hand on heart, that I’ve heard a taxi-tale from every continent, except Antarctica. I’ve heard some horror stories from ‘globetrotters’ of all ages and backgrounds while going about my business running a TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Equally, I’ve had my own undesirable experiences in several countries, including my native Australia.

 

Taxi tales

Some taxi tales are good news stories, the birth of a baby on the back seat, for example, but most are about situations that travellers dread. We’ve all heard stories, or experienced them first-hand, about getting ripped off, taken to the address, arguments about paying a tip (or surcharge), lecherous cabbies, lead-foot drivers, tailgating, jackrabbit starts, clutch dumps, modified meters, and road rage; the list goes on.

 

 

This taxi-related blog post comes with four tips based on ‘coalface’ experience. It’s directed at the 400+ students (annually) who travel to Vietnam from countries near and far to complete the Australian Government accredited TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE. Having said this, three of the four ‘taxi tips’ are relevant to everyone who visits Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

Tip One:

Avoid privately-owned taxis at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Why? There’s a high chance your experience will result in displeasure due to aggressive behaviour, an argument about the agreed price, taken to the wrong address and suchlike.

 

Let’s assume you’re travelling to Vietnam to join the TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE, with the view of teaching English after the 4-week programme concludes. Almost certainly, your first ‘taxi experience’ in Vietnam will be at airport in Ho Chi Minh City immediately after you exit the terminal building. If you choose to travel by taxi from the airport to the AVSE campus or somewhere else, you’ll essentially have two choices – a ‘taxi’ that’s privately owned or a ‘run-of-the-mill’ taxi that’s operated by one of the branded taxi companies.

 

 

Distinguishing between the two taxi options can be tricky for a rookie, but there are tell-tale signs. The privately-owned taxis tend to come with aggressive touts, impeccably dressed drivers, vehicles parked in far-off places and zero branding. The importance of branding can’t be over-emphasised; it’s central to personal security. It’s much easier to track down a recalcitrant taxi driver when he (or she) works for a known cab company as distinct from tracking down a person who drives a ‘white Toyota’ or similar like 50% of other drivers on the road. How the service fee is calculated is another telling difference between the two taxi options. Private taxi services tend to set an arbitrary price that’s well above the market rate in the hope that you won’t know any better. People fall for it! The regular taxi services in Ho Chi Minh City charge according to a meter reading. You’ll see the meter clicking over as you travel from Point A to Point B. If the taxi you’re thinking of using doesn’t have a working meter – walk away, it’s that’s simple.

 

Tip Two:

Use Vinasun taxis in Ho Chi Minh City for a trouble-free experience.

 

If you choose to heed Tip One, you’ll find an ‘everyday’ branded taxi at the airport’s designated taxi rank – turn left when you leave the airport building and walk to the end of the concourse. There are plenty of signs to point you in the right direction. On the way to the designated taxi rank, there’s a good chance that private taxi touts will harass you (see Tip One); it’s best not to engage with them, just keep walking. The taxi touts at Tan Son Nhat Airport are very shrewd. If you engage one of them, it’s not easy to disengage. 

 

Okay, you’ve found the public taxi rank at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. One of the first things you’ll notice is that there are six or so branded taxi companies that want your business. Personally, I use Vinasun taxis in Ho Chi Minh City, or I walk. Why Vinasun? Here’s my response.

 

From my experience, Vinasun taxis in Ho Chi Minh City are clean, reliable, 100% metered, have decent air-conditioning, you’ll see them everywhere, and the drivers mostly know their way around the city. Vinasun taxi drivers are purposely trained to: 1. be polite to customers; 2. deal with language issues in a professional manner; 3. load and unload baggage; 4. check if anything has been left in the taxi before the passenger disappears into the Ho Chi Minh City crowds, and 5. give the correct change.

 

There’s a quirky feature about Vinasun that you’ll notice the first time you take a cab ride with them. When a foreigner sits in a Vinasun taxi, seemingly by divine intervention, a recorded message in beautiful English plays, expressing gratitude for choosing Vinasun and wishing the person well during their time in Vietnam. I have heard a few variations of the same message over the years. It’s a nice touch.

 

In the 10+ years that I’ve been running a TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE, we’ve literally had thousands of students from the four corners of the world go through our programme. Almost to a person, I have recommended Vinasun taxis. I haven’t received a single complaint. Conversely, I’ve heard about mishaps with some of the other taxi companies in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Tip Three:

Don’t get into any taxi that doesn’t feel right – go with your gut feeling.

 

Put simply, what I want from a taxi service is to get from point A to point B for a reasonable price, without any surprises. I think most commuters want the same. Certainly, that’s the message I hear from work colleagues, friends, neighbours, students doing the TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at my school and from other folks in my orbit. Before you get into the back seat of any taxi – including a Vinasun cab – make sure it feels right. If it doesn’t feel right, there’s a good chance it’s not right, so let it go. There are plenty of other taxis in Ho Chi Minh City that will feel right. Classic tell-tale signs that a planned taxi journey may leave you disillusioned, in tears or worse, include:

 

• impatient driver
• driver who appears not to listen to your instructions
• driver who doesn’t understand where you want to go
• dirty exterior or interior
• unbranded ‘taxi’
• no meter
• meter present, but the driver wants to negotiate a set price
• driver’s body language
• inappropriate conversation
• driver and a passenger in the cab when you are collected

 

 

Tip Four:

If you’re enrolled in the TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE, lock in a plan before your arrival date to be collected from the airport by an AVSE staff member (fee involved).

 

 If you don’t want to be harassed by taxi touts after a long flight or find your way to the public taxi rank at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, arranging for an AVSE staff member to collect you on arrival makes sense. The airport collection service comes with a fee of US $30.00, which covers the return journey for the staff member, your one-way journey to the AVSE campus and up to three hours waiting time in the event your flight is delayed. By any measure, it’s a bargain – and it’s super convenient. You can book the airport collection service by sending an email to the coordinator of your TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City at AVSE.

 

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve noted that: taxi-touts at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City should be avoided; Vinasun cabs are my personal favourite; you should pay attention to your ‘gut feeling’ before getting into the back seat of a taxi, Vinasun or otherwise; and last but not least, there’s always the airport collection service offered by AVSE if you can’t be bothered with taxi-related matters on arrival in Vietnam.

 

The reality is that all of us are only one dodgy taxi ride away from having a horror taxi tale. Do some taxi homework before you arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, and be smart when you’re getting about town. If you follow a few simple ‘rules’ with taxis, there’s a good chance that you’ll be a listener rather than a storyteller when taxi tales are the topic of conversation.  

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the owner of Australian Vocational Skills and Education (AVSE) in Vietnam and Cambodia. AVSE has been delivering an Australian Government accredited TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh City and at other locations in Southeast Asia for more than a decade. Check out the AVSE website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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What is TEFL Certification?  

 

Let’s deal with the ‘TEFL’ part first. TEFL is an acronym for ‘Teaching English as a Foreign Language’. You may have heard about or know someone who is a TEFL Teacher. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is what TEFL Teachers do for a job. ‘Certification’ in the context of the term ‘TEFL Certification’ is essentially an ‘official’ document. When the acronym TEFL is coupled with the word certification, we’re referring to an official document that confirms a person has met the knowledge and skill requirements for employment as a TEFL Teacher. TEFL certification serves the same purpose as certification in other professions. It’s about knowledge and skills being independently validated, upholding standards, and more.

 

 

Who should obtain TEFL Certification?

Anyone who aspires to work as a professional TEFL Teacher in their home country or abroad should obtain TEFL Certification. Obtaining the certification involves completing an in-class or online study programme that typically comes with a time commitment of no less than 120 hours over four weeks. There’s a lot of theory and skills-related work to get through in a short space of time. For example, how do people learn new things? Almost certainly, you’ve never had a reason to reflect on this question. Fair enough, but if you plan to teach people new things, it makes sense to turn your mind to how people learn things.

 

Pathways for TEFL Certification

People new to ‘teaching English abroad’ can be excused for thinking all TEFL programmes are the same. I often hear newcomers, like Barry from Perth last week, say things like:

 

“120 hours with course provider ‘X’ (who charges a token sum) can’t be much different than 120 hours with course provider ‘Y’ (who charges a sum that’s consistent with what you’d expect to pay for vocational ‘qualification’) – I’ll get the same certification at the end of either programme”.

 

While Barry’s take on TEFL Certification programmes is understandable, it couldn’t be further from the truth. TEFL programmes worldwide fit into one of two categories; there’s no middle ground: 1. government-regulated and 2. non-government regulated. So, let’s examine these two categories.

 

Government-regulated TEFL programmes: TEFL Certification, that’s a product of nationally-recognised training (government-regulated) in the country of origin, is a legitimate vocational qualification under the relevant country’s ‘Qualifications Framework’. For instance, the AQF is the national qualifications framework in Australia. In South Africa, the SAQA is the national qualifications framework. If your TEFL certificate is a product of a government-regulated programme, not only is it recognised in the country of origin, but you have every reason to believe it will be recognised in other countries. Sure, you might have to jump through a few hoops, but it’s manageable, and you’ll have legitimacy on your side. Qualified lawyers, doctors, architects, musicians, accountants, bankers, engineers and the like who choose to work abroad have been navigating the qualifications-related bureaucratic processes for eternity. It’s not a new thing. 

 

 

If you’re considering doing a quality TEFL programme in Vietnam, Cambodia or online that’s government-regulated, check out what AVSE-TESOL offers. They’re the Industry leaders in Southeast Asia. Here’s the AVSE-TESOL website address: www.avse.edu.vn

 

Non-government regulated TEFL certification:  Certification that’s not a product of nationally recognised training (government-regulated) in the country of origin, at best, carries personal development (PD) value. It follows that when a ‘qualification’ is not recognised in the country it comes from, it can’t (or shouldn’t) be recognised in other countries. TEFL Certification that originates from the United Kingdom (UK), for example, that isn’t a product of nationally recognised training in the UK, can’t somehow morph from being a PD certificate to a legitimate ESL teaching qualification enroute from London to Ho Chi Minh City. You might be surprised, perhaps even saddened, to learn that this ‘morphing thing’ happens daily. If I was a fee-paying student and became aware that my TEFL Teacher was unqualified to do the job, I’d be more than peeved – and if my old mum was around, she’d be insisting on washing my mouth out with soap! How the ‘morphing’ happens will be the subject of a future article.

 

 

Study modes for TEFL Certification

Like every other area of study, there are TEFL programmes available via in-class and online study modes. These days, employers (schools) aren’t particularly bothered if your TEFL Certification comes from an in-class or an online course. However, employers attuned to what is a legitimate TEFL Teaching qualification and what’s not, government-regulated versus non-government regulated, will be bothered if you present a dud certificate.

 

There are pros and cons to both the in-class and online study modes. In-class pros include – all over in a matter of weeks, often in an actual school environment and immediate access to support. The cons include – higher costs, a set schedule, and being stuck in a classroom for hours on end. Online pros include – studying at a time that’s good for you, at a location of choice, and at a lower cost. Online cons include – isolation, taking much longer to complete and being less ‘hands-on’. Personal preference will dictate which study mode is best for you.  

 

 

Career options with TEFL Certification

Career wise, where can a legitimate TEFL Certificate take you? As the age-old expression goes, ‘how long is a piece of string’. The career options available to people with government-regulated TEFL Certification are limited only by their imagination.

 

Throughout my journey in the TEFL Industry, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing TEFL-certified people who have: volunteered abroad as TEFL Teachers, worked as professional TEFL Teachers abroad in English Language Centres, Government Schools, Private Schools and universities, taught English online, used their knowledge and skills to create and sell ESL resources, opened their own English language school abroad, worked as an industry consultant, advised governments on ESL policy, made a decent living developing policies for the ESL industry, specialised in exam preparation classes – TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL, found a niche teaching English to company employees, set themselves up as a recruiter – and a lot more. To draw on another age-old expression, with quality TEFL Certification, ‘the world is your oyster’.   

 

Conclusion

I covered a lot of ground in this relatively short document. I defined the term ‘TEFL Certification’ and then discussed who should obtain this certification, pathways to certification, study modes and career options. Almost certainly, the existence of two pathways to TEFL Certification, ‘legit’ versus ‘non-legit’, will be news to many people.

 

This article was largely directed at piquing interest in a subject that barely rates a mention – anywhere. If there was more discussion about TEFL Certification, presumably, there would be fewer opportunities for bogus TEFL certificates to morph into legitimate ESL Teaching qualifications, somewhere between ‘developed country X’ and a developing country.

 

It’s abundantly clear to me that there’s a lot more to TEFL Certification than a four-letter acronym and a single sheet of coloured paper with a nice emboss and flags from the four corners of the world. Do you agree or disagree?   

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director and founder of AVSE-TESOL in Vietnam and Cambodia. AVSE-TESOL delivers an Australian Government regulated TEFL programme in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. Check out the AVSE-TESOL website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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5 Compelling Reasons to Complete a TEFL Certification Course Now

 

Over the past five years, there has been an explosion in the number of people who have signed up to complete a TEFL Certification course, in-class or online. Why? Someone ‘let the cat out of the bag’. It wasn’t me. I wanted to keep it all ‘hush hush’. TEFL Certification is the key to a quintessential teach and travel abroad lifestyle. Do you want to live in the Maldives for a few months? No problem. You can meet the costs of a Maldives adventure by teaching English in-class at a local school – or online.  Have you always wanted to check out the Pyramids in Egypt? Do it! You can take on some teaching work in Egypt to fund the trip.

 

This isn’t fantasy, it’s a reality for many people. It was my lifestyle for a long time until family responsibilities – and age necessitated some fundamental changes. Assuming you’re still not convinced that TEFL Certification can deliver the kind of lifestyle that most people only ever dream about, here are five compelling reasons, in plain English, to complete a TEFL Certification course now.

 

 

1. Earn money while travelling abroad

For many people, young and more mature alike, this fact alone is enough to convince them that doing a TEFL course is a wise move. Rather than spend their savings while travelling abroad, folks who hold quality, government-regulated TEFL Certification can make money teaching English in-class and online from wherever they are in the world. This week it’s Venice. Next week it’s Munich. A month from now, it will be Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, my personal favourite TEFL destination of all time. Speak to the good people at AVSE-TESOL in Ho Chi Minh City, and they’ll get you sorted with government-regulated TEFL Certification and a terrific ESL teaching job in record time.

 

If you turn your mind to other vocational training programmes available in-class and online – barista, coding, business management and the like – nothing even comes close to the ease and convenience of teaching English abroad to fund your travels.

 

2. Pathway to other exciting opportunities

As long as you get your TEFL Certification from a government-regulated programme (such as AVSE-TESOL in Vietnam or Cambodia), you’ll emerge from your time teaching and travelling abroad with knowledge, skills, hands-on teaching experience and perhaps even credit towards further studies. You will have laid a solid foundation to take your teaching to a higher level. On returning to your home country after teaching and travelling abroad, you may decide to specialise in kindergarten teaching, primary teaching, secondary teaching or special education. You might choose to become a TEFL Trainer – teaching newcomers how to teach and travel abroad as you did. When you return home, you might stick with teaching English as a foreign language. After all, those online ESL jobs that funded your teach and travel abroad adventure because you hold quality TEFL Certification, will presumably still be available. The reality is people who have successfully navigated a teach and travel abroad adventure have so many transferrable skills that they’re spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding ‘what’s next’.

 

 

3. Respect

Teachers in developed countries like my native Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand often paint a gloomy picture of what happens in local schools. Abuse, unruly behaviour and violence are commonplace. The prevalence of gun violence in American schools is shocking and well-documented. Here is some good news. With TEFL Certification, you can teach English as a foreign language in Vietnam, Cambodia and a raft of other countries where teachers, especially ESL teachers, are revered for their knowledge and highly respected in local communities. In the Mekong Delta in the south of Vietnam, for example, from my firsthand experience, foreign teachers are almost ‘god-like’ to the extent that it’s embarrassing to those who are ‘worshipped’. I was embarrassed! It’s the polar opposite of what many foreign teachers have endured in their home country. It’s the polar opposite to what I had witnessed in my native Australia.    

 

If you bump into a foreign ESL teacher in a country like Vietnam who has been teaching locally for an extended period, you might be inclined to ask them why they have stuck at it. I’m ‘betting’ the ‘high respect’ thing is close to the top of the list.    

 

 

4. TEFL Certification delivers freedom

Everyone loves a bit of freedom. However, if you’re leading a typical suburban lifestyle, including a ‘9 to 5’ job, there’s a good chance that your version of freedom comes around one or two days a week. Outside of your ‘freedom’ time, perhaps even during your ‘freedom’ time (lawns, washing the car and the like), life is pretty regimented – correct? For many folks, a regimented life meets their needs, and that’s fine, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you find it unappealing, possibly even soul-destroying.

 

TEFL Certification allows you to teach English as a foreign language and earn a decent income when, where, and how you like – you’ll have ‘freedom’ 24/7, or at least you’ll be in control of when you don’t. If you want to lay in a hammock all day on Phu Quoc Island, off the southern coast of Vietnam, taking online ESL classes, then do it. How about a short-term contract with the Cambodian Government teaching English to Tour Guides at the world-famous Angkor Wat historical site in Siem Reap, Cambodia? I saw this job advertised when I was last in the neighbourhood. With TEFL Certification, ESL gigs like those that I mentioned on Phu Quoc Island and in Siem Reap, will be available for you.

 

 

5. Tangible difference

Before completing a TEFL Certification programme and subsequently trying my hand at teaching English in Vietnam, I’d worked for years in highfalutin jobs in Australia at the Local, State and Federal Government levels. Despite the tailored, pin-striped suits, black shoes that were so clean you could see your face in them and holding positions of influence, I never had the opportunity to ‘create’ something. It was more about image and process. In stark contrast, if you take ESL teaching seriously, creating opportunities for people – including the chance for a better life in many instances – will be the mainstay of your work.

 

Other than medicine and logistics related to the supply of food and water, I can’t think of a line of work where tangible, positive results for effort in a short period of time come anywhere near what teaching English as a foreign language in a developing country can deliver. In addition to making a real difference in the lives of local people, the tangible difference that such rewarding work will make in your own life shouldn’t be underestimated. Quality TEFL Certification is the key.

 

Conclusion

I have identified five compelling reasons why you should complete a TEFL Certification course now. You can make money while travelling overseas. ‘Doors will open’. Respect and freedom will come your way. You’ll have the opportunity to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of others – and your own life.  There are only five more words that remain to be written and here they are: what are you waiting for?

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director and founder of AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. He’s passionate about high-quality, government-regulated ESL teacher training. Peter has written extensively about his personal experience as an ESL teacher, a teacher trainer and a school owner in Southeast Asia.  

 

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Is it best to complete a TEFL Certification course in-class or online?

 

With TEFL Certification courses being offered in-class and online by vocational training providers worldwide, I’ve decided to look at the benefits and drawbacks of both options. This might help you to decide which option, in-class or online, is best for you – and address some of the misinformation that pops up, especially on social media.   

 

 

What is TEFL Certification?

TEFL Certification is akin to a licence to teach English as a foreign language. Assuming your certification comes from a government-regulated TEFL training programme, you’ll be qualified to work as an English language teacher in your home country and abroad. If you plan to use your TEFL certification abroad, you’ll have to jump through a few hoops to meet Work Permit (or similar) requirements in the host country, but this is simply a matter of following in the footsteps of those who came before you. If you’re unsure where to locate the ‘footsteps’, you can find Work Permit and visa processes for every country worldwide with a basic Google search.

 

Do schools prefer in-class or online TEFL Certification?

From my observations in Vietnam and Cambodia, especially in this ‘post-covid’ period, schools don’t care if the TEFL Certificate presented for a Work Permit (or similar) is a product of an in-class or an online TEFL programme. While it might have been frowned upon previously, completing a qualification online is commonplace and an accepted practice. I did notice two or three posts quite recently in ESL teaching-related Facebook Groups – the prime impetus for this article – that the bigger Language Centres in Vietnam, ILA, VUS, Apollo and the like, will only accept ‘in-class’ TEFL certification. I checked with the schools, and it’s untrue.

 

While schools aren’t concerned how you obtained TEFL Certification, in-class or online, they will closely examine whether the certificate is a product of a nationally recognised training (government-regulated) or a random personal development course. If it’s the latter, you shouldn’t be surprised if your applications for teaching jobs at reputable, well-known schools are continuously declined. Why? Your core ESL teaching ‘qualification’ doesn’t stack up. It’s not an ESL teaching qualification at all. The likelihood of being rejected for your dream ESL teaching job abroad can be substantially reduced by doing a government-regulated TEFL programme, in-class or online; it doesn’t matter. I advise doing the Australian Government-accredited TESOL/TEFL programme at AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh or online. TESOL/TEFL Certification from AVSE-TESOL is government-regulated and the ‘Gold Standard’ in Southeast Asia. CELTA is also a decent option, but keep in mind that the ‘TA’ in the CELTA acronym stands for ‘Teaching Adults’, which might create issues given that 90%+ of the ESL teaching work in Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere involves young learners.

 

 

In-class ‘pros’

 

Pro one: Structured

Most in-class TEFL Certification courses run for 120+ hours over four weeks. They tend to be fast paced. This is ideal for quick learners who want to get the whole certification requirement over and done with at the earliest opportunity in a structured, immersion environment.  

 

Pro two: People

In-class TEFL programmes typically involve a mix of people from around the world, classmates, your trainer, tutors, administrative folks and others. You’ll love the training environment if you’re a ‘people person’ by nature. Being surrounded by people with a common purpose allows for new friendships, real-time feedback and a helping hand when needed.

 

Pro three: Resources

‘In-class’ implies a designated, specialist learning environment where you’d expect to find all the resources an ESL teacher would use when taking ESL classes. Almost certainly, you’ll have immediate access to a whiteboard, overhead projector, a computer, textbooks, internet access, paper, markers and suchlike. As a result, you can focus on the training without worrying about distractions.

 

 

In-class ‘cons’

Government-regulated in-class TEFL programmes are not cheap. The high cost of in-class training is prohibitive for many aspiring ESL teachers. An intensive, four-week study programme isn’t an option for people with ongoing daytime (or evening) commitments, such as a regular 9 to 5 job or childcare responsibilities. In-class learning requires people to travel from their homes to where they will study. This is problematic for people who don’t own a car, don’t have ready access to public transport or have trouble getting around due to a disability.  

 

 

Online ‘pros’

 

Pro one: Freedom

Online learning programmes, TEFL Certification or otherwise, allow you to choose when, where and how you will study. There might be the occasional webinar or similar that you must attend at a specific time, but in the main, you’ll manage the ‘when, where and how’.

 

Pro two: Choice

Seemingly daily, new online TEFL Certification programmes pop up on the internet. Putting quality to one side, for every in-class, TEFL Certification programme that’s available, there are at least ten online programmes to choose from.

 

Pro three: Hone IT skills

These days, students expect that ESL teachers will incorporate Information Technology (IT) into the teaching and learning experience. By doing an online TEFL programme, aspiring ESL teachers can hone their IT skills, while building teaching knowledge and skills.  

 

 

Online ‘cons’

Doing an online study programme requires self-discipline. Some folks have oodles of self-discipline, while others, like me, have very little. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Students who struggle with self-discipline will almost certainly struggle with an online course. By its very nature, teaching is a ‘people profession”. Inclusivity, and recognising individual differences, are pivotal. It could be argued that online learning is inconsistent with the ‘pillars’ of teaching. The number one drawback with online study programmes is susceptibility to disreputable practices. For example, can we be sure that Student A’s mum didn’t do the TEFL Certification course on his behalf? Moreover, why have we seen a proliferation of TEFL programmes that aren’t government-regulated? Answer – anyone with a keyboard and a monitor can upload an accredited course on the internet, mostly accredited by an entity they set up. Online learning still has a bit of the ‘wild west’ about it. It’s a haven for dodgy characters, and TEFL is not immune.

 

Conclusion

Should you complete a TEFL Certification programme in-class or online? Given that I largely control my schedule and have the flexibility that many others don’t, in-class would unquestionably be the best option for me. I’d go further and say that the in-class course at AVSE-TESOL in Ho Chi Minh City would be my choice because I know it’s government-regulated, and I know the trainer. What’s good for me, may not suit you or others. Personal circumstances will largely dictate which route you take.

 

Regardless of whether you choose in-class or online study to complete your TEFL Certification programme, most schools in Vietnam won’t discriminate. Government-regulated versus non-government-regulated is where there is no leeway. Do a government-regulated TEFL programme, and you’ll be fine.

 

About the author: Warren Duffield started working as an ESL teacher in Vietnam in 2016. CELTA-certified, Warren has completed teaching contracts in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. While he’s currently taking a break from teaching to learn how to Scuba Drive, he plans to head back to the classroom in the second quarter of 2023.

 

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Five things to do on arrival… 

 

You’ve been planning this part of your life for years and the time has finally arrived. You’re heading off on an adventure, ‘uncharted waters’, teaching English in Hanoi, Vietnam. Your first stop in Hanoi will be the Australian Government accredited TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL. You’ve read more than 200 online reviews about AVSE-TESOL, with the vast majority being top notch. Given your background, as solid as it is, bears no resemblance to teaching English in Hanoi, you figure that investing in quality vocational training – teacher training – is a wise move. I think you’re right. Not only will the TESOL training at AVSE-TESOL provide you with the knowledge, skills and quality certification you need to land that all-important first teaching job, it gives you four weeks to find your feet in a new country, surrounded by like-minded people who ooze ‘positive vibes’..

 

Here’s the last bit of perspective. This blog post is focused on what to do immediately after you’ve arrived in Hanoi, taken a taxi to your accommodation, had a shower and a snooze. The tips that are provided are equally relevant if you’ve chosen to do a TESOL course with a provider other than AVSE-TESOL, probably more so given AVSE’s supportive arrival process. Applying these tips should make your transition to a new lifestyle, initially as a TESOL student followed by teaching English in Hanoi, more straight-forward than it might otherwise be.

 

 

Tip 1: Fix your phone

Walking around outside without a cell-phone that’s immediately accessible and useable, for many people, is akin to being ‘butt naked’ in the street. Rightly or wrongly, these days, cell-phones are an integral part of everyday life, especially when you’re located in unfamiliar surroundings. Google maps (via your cell-phone), may well end up being your best friend, at least for a few days until you know the backstreets and alleys that characterise Hanoi. Moreover, once you’ve fixed your phone, you’ll be able to reach out to family, friends and your TESOL provider. They’ll all be eager to hear that you arrived safely. Here’s a word of warning, however, when you need to use your cell-phone in the street in Hanoi, it’s best to take some cover in a doorway or similar. Why? You’ll reduce the chance of being subjected to a ‘ride-by’ snatch – a crook on a motorbike. 

 

Getting your phone up and running might be a simple case of inserting a new (local) SIM card. Conversely, it might be a nightmare. If you’re a cell-phone guru, you’ll be fine. If this doesn’t sound like you, visiting a cell-phone shop close to your accommodation should be a priority. The good news is, cell-phone shops in Hanoi are seemingly on every street corner. The receptionist in your hotel or guest house will surely point you in the right direction.

 

In the unlikely event that you’ve travelled abroad without a cell-phone, you will need to get one. Jobs offers for teaching English in Hanoi are typically made by phone. If the employer can’t reach you by cell-phone, he (or she) will simply move onto the next candidate.

 

Note, fixing your cell-phone at the airport – a common ‘rookie’ error – will cost you substantially more than visiting a ‘mum and dad’ phone shop downtown.

 

Tip 2: Know the local neighbourhood

Now that your cell-phone is in working condition and you can tap your best mate ‘Google Maps’ on the shoulder, there is less chance that you’ll get lost in Hanoi when you venture out. So, venture out. It’s time to get to know the neighbourhood where you’re staying, even if your current accommodation is only a short-term thing. Before venturing into the unknown, even though you have ‘Mr Google Maps’ in your pocket, take a business card from the place where you’re staying or write the address on a bit of paper and put it in your wallet as a back-up strategy to avoid getting lost. Worst case scenario, let’s assume you do get lost.  For sure, you will find the way back to your accommodation sooner or later, if only because downtown Hanoi isn’t that big. Anyway, it could be argued that getting lost in Hanoi is all part of the adventure.

 

 

Where is the grocery store, the pharmacy, the bus station, a great coffee shop, an area for passive recreation and most importantly for visitors to Hanoi who have done their research, the local ‘Bia Hoi’? What’s a Bia Hoi? Do a quick Google search and then make a point of visiting one when you’re in Hanoi.

 

Familiarising yourself with the neighbourhood extends to working out how to get to the address where your TESOL course will take place. Again, Google Maps will come in handy, but something as simple as a ‘Mud Map’ with landmarks might be enough. Doing a ‘dry run’ from your accommodation to the training venue would be time well-spent.

 

Tip 3: Bond with those around you

Assuming your TESOL course in Hanoi comes with high quality accreditation, like the Australian Government accredited programme at AVSE-TESOL, you’ll be mixing with people – classmates, professional Vocational Trainers and TESOL support staff – who are on the very same journey as you, or are leading the way. You’ll be with like-minded souls. It’s within this kind of environment where life-long personal and professional relationships are formed.

 

When you’re in a foreign country, friends are more important than ever. Almost certainly you’ll need to reach out at some stage for guidance on visa matters, travelling around Vietnam, where to get a job teaching English in Hanoi, where not to work, employment or lease contracts and the list goes on. It makes sense to have a pool of decent people you can call on when they’re needed. Human nature dictates that people are usually happy to give a helping hand to someone they consider to be a friend. As always, people will be more likely to consider you as a friend, if you’re respectful and nice to them.

 

Tip 4: Take safety precautions

Statistics show that Hanoi is markedly safer than the capital cities of most developed countries, but crime, especially petty crime, does occur. Foreign ‘tourists’ are ‘standout’ targets when they ‘flash their cash’ or get around town with their valuables on display – cameras, jewelry and suchlike. You will see this kind of behaviour pretty much on a daily basis in main tourist areas in Hanoi. I suspect it has more to do with ignorance than anything else. 

 

 

When a villain is apprehended by the police – or a member of the community – there are no ‘ifs and buts’. Justice Vietnamese-style is swift and often brutal. Vietnam is one of those countries in the world where it’s not a good idea to transgress the law, regardless of whether you’re a local person or a visitor. 

 

While Hanoi (and elsewhere in Vietnam) has a well-deserved reputation for being safe, it’s always smart to take precautions including, but not limited to: store your money, passport and other valuables in a place that’s secure; know how to get into your accommodation after hours; be accompanied by friends when walking in the street at night; don’t use your cell-phone when standing or walking in the street; if you have to carry a bag in the street, make sure it has a long strap so you can place it across your body; if you hire or buy a bicycle (or motorbike) to get around Hanoi, make sure it’s locked when left unattended; and know who to call in case of an emergency. It’s common for folks who are teaching English in Hanoi to have evening classes that go to 8.30pm and even later. Travelling home (alone) after a late class requires extra vigilance. All of these precautions equally apply to any other city in the world.

 

Tip 5: Always remember that you’re a visitor

I have been living and working in Vietnam for more than 15 years. Back in 2007, my old dad visited me in Vietnam. During this trip, he mentioned in passing ‘always remember you’re a visitor’ – and to this day, I’d like to think that I’ve heeded his astute advice.

 

Vietnamese people have every reason to be peeved with foreigners. For 3,000+ years, foreigners have felt the need to turn up without an invitation and tell local people how to run their life. Despite what’s happened throughout history, almost certainly you will form a view that Hanoians and other Vietnamese folks are up with the loveliest the world has to offer. Those who felt the need to trespass have long since been forgiven. These days, foreigners who are teaching English in Hanoi, are revered. Personally, I’d like to keep it that way.

 

You and I – and hundreds of thousands like us – are now welcome in Vietnam, but as my old dad said ‘always remember you’re a visitor’. Be polite. Go about your work teaching English in Hanoi in a professional manner. Respect local customs and traditions. Don’t get involved in discussions about politics and religion. If there are language problems, be mindful that in Vietnam people speak Vietnamese and if you’re having issues with understanding something or getting your point across – they’re your issues. To drive home the importance of ‘always remembering you’re a visitor’, here’s a succinct analogy: when visiting a friend or neighbour’s house, would you take it upon yourself to rearrange their furniture? I don’t think so.

 

Summary

In summary, I’ve provided 5 tips that should make it easier for you to your new life as a TESOL student in the short-term and then teaching English in Hanoi. Fix your phone, know what’s available, make an effort to network, take sensible steps to enhance your safety and be respectful towards locals. You’ve been brave enough to embark on this ‘once in a lifetime’ adventure, so it makes sense to grab the opportunity with both hands.

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director (and owner) of AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Online. AVSE-TESOL has been training aspiring educators for jobs teaching English in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and other parts of Southeast Asia for more than a decade. Check out the AVSE website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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Teaching English in Hanoi versus teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City

 

I am often asked if teaching English in Hanoi is better than teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City or vice versa. How do you answer that kind of question with so many variables, including personal preference? Typically, I’ll offer comparisons between the two destinations and remind the person who asked the question that neither place has to be their forever teaching location. If you’ve had enough of a particular teaching destination, move to a new one. Teaching English in Vietnam and elsewhere abroad is one of only a few professions that allow moving from location A to B to C with minimal fuss. Why? There are many more ESL teaching jobs available in Vietnam than there are suitably qualified people to fill them. This is one time in your life when ‘market forces’ will well and truly work in your favour.

 

 

Five comparisons

Immediately below, you’ll find five comparisons between teaching English in Hanoi and teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City. I trust you’ll find the comparisons helpful if you’re one of those people who’s not sure whether north (Hanoi) or south (Ho Chi Minh City) should be your teaching English abroad start point.

 

One – Pace of life:

Teaching English in Hanoi offers a much slower pace of life compared to teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City. With a bohemian feel, you’ll find an aspect of art, culture, or history in every street in Hanoi – in some streets, you’ll find all three. In contrast, Ho Chi Minh City is a modern metropolis and international hub. There are places in Ho Chi Minh City that provide an insight to the ‘old Vietnam’; Ben Thanh Market, and the Quan Am Pagoda are two examples, but increasingly the landscape is being consumed by high-rise apartments and offices.

 

Two – Weather:

Teaching English in Hanoi comes with the classic four seasons – with a Southeast Asian variation – hot and wet in the summer months and cold and dry in winter. Ho Chi Minh City has only two seasons, wet and dry. The wet season is characterised by high humidity and a daily downpour, the like of which most folks have never witnessed before travelling to Ho Chi Minh City. As the name suggests, there’s zero rain during the 6-month dry season. Regardless of the season, Ho Chi Minh City is oppressively hot 24/7.

 

 

Three – Teaching jobs:

The availability of English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching jobs is one area where Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are hard to separate. There is an abundance of ESL teaching jobs available in both locations. Moreover, the type of ESL teaching work on offer is similar. In both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, teaching jobs are available in privately owned English Language Centres, government schools and tertiary institutions. Private tutoring and onsite ESL classes for business people are also common in both cities.

 

Four – Cost of living:

There are some cost-of-living factors, accommodation, for example, that are seemingly more expensive in Hanoi compared to Ho Chi Minh City. Equally, there are other cost of living factors; food is one example that comes to mind, that are more expensive in Ho Chi Minh City compared to Hanoi. Overall, the cost-of-living difference between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is negligible, if it exists at all. By any measure, Vietnam is a cheap place to live. The wages and employment conditions afforded to foreigners who are teaching English in Hanoi – and Ho Chi Minh City provide for a savings capacity and lifestyle that most people can only dream about.

 

Five – Crime:

Personally, I have always felt safer in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere in Vietnam than I did when I was living in Melbourne, Australia – my hometown. Of course, scams and petty crime are not uncommon in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but the prevalence is not a distinguishing factor between the two cities, in my opinion. Sure, there are places where it would be unwise to walk alone at night in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and you do need to avoid rookie errors like using your cell phone in the street and carrying your wallet in your back pocket, but the same applies to pretty much every city in the world.

 

Summary

In this blog post, I have touched on five factors that people commonly weigh up when deciding whether to start their teaching abroad journey in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. The pace of life and the weather are obvious differences between the two cities. However, if there is a difference between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with the availability of teaching jobs, the cost of living and crime, it wouldn’t be enough to say that one of the two locations is a better place to work as an ESL teacher over the other. Overall, that old expression, ‘same, same, but different’, certainly applies when drawing comparisons between teaching English in Hanoi and teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director and owner of AVSE-TESOL in Australia, Vietnam and Cambodia. With TESOL training schools in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, Peter has spent the past two decades working in the ESL sector in Southeast Asia. Check out the AVSE-TESOL website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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‘Me Time’ While Teaching English in Hanoi

 

I’ve got it pegged that you’re here because teaching English in Hanoi is on your radar. Of course, it might be a far-off ‘blimp’, a flashing red light with a deafening siren, or somewhere in between. Regardless, it’s terrific that Hanoi is on your mind. You’re in for a treat. It’s a fascinating city. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where you’ll find so much history, art and culture in one place. Yes, it’s chaotic, densely populated, and the quirky weather – hot, humid, and wet for half of the year and dry and cool for the other half – takes time to get used to, but you’re in the market for change. Correct?   

 

Teaching English in Hanoi comes with a range of benefits, including: a decent salary, the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of local people, a much lower cost of living compared to western countries, and the chance for plenty of ‘me time’. Personally, I’m a big fan of ‘me time’. It’s good for the heart and soul. My version of quality ‘me time’ involves being out and about rather than sitting in front of the ‘telly’. If your version of the best ‘me time’ is like mine, being out and about, here’s a list of five places in Hanoi you’ll absolutely love.

 

Train Street

Train Street in Hanoi is a popular destination for local people and visitors because it’s so unusual, and there are always plenty of people ‘hanging out’. Most railway lines in developed countries come with an easement of ten to fifteen metres on both sides of the track to protect people and property. The easement in Train Street on the left and right-hand side of the track is twenty centimetres (+/-). There are rows of old houses on both sides of the track on Train Street. Many have been converted into restaurants, cafes and bars. Somehow, trains squeeze between the dwellings day in and day out with zero ‘wriggle room’. Pull up a chair, order a cold beer and wait for a train to go by. It’s a sight to behold.

 

 

Underground shopping mall

People go to shopping malls for all kinds of reasons – to buy things, see a movie, catch up with friends and the like. However, Hanoi is one of the few places where people visit a shopping mall to experience subterranean life. The Vincom Mega Mall in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District is entirely underground. The outside roof of the mall is a park, similar to a park you find in any other major city. While the 800+ retail shops at Mega Mall are the key drawcard for most visitors, the quirky design of the building is enough reason to pop down there when you have a chance.  

 

Hoan Kiem Lake

As much as you’ll love teaching English in Hanoi, finding the right balance between work and ‘me time’ is imperative. The Hoan Kiem Lake precinct in Hanoi is ‘me time’ central. There is always something happening at Hoan Kiem Lake and the surrounding area that will capture your interest. You’ll see people of all ages and backgrounds jogging, taking a stroll, walking their dog, ‘people watching’, playing board games and sharing quiet time with a friend. Informal, dance and exercise classes take place every evening at Hoan Kiem Lake. Step outside your comfort zone and join in. You won’t be imposing. You’ll be welcomed with open arms.

 

 

Cafe Dinh

If the walls in ‘Cafe Dinh’ could talk, there’d be enough material for a bestseller. The coffee and ambience at this place are superb. It’s like being in a time warp. Located on the second floor of an old, decaying building overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, it’s easy to miss Café Dinh. But once you find it, I’m confident it will make it to your list of ‘me time’ destinations while you’re teaching English in Hanoi. Interestingly, a family member of the current owners created the original ‘coffee with egg’ recipe in the 1940s, that’s a favourite of pretty much every Hanoian I’ve met. Unfortunately, the ‘coffee with egg’ concoction and my taste buds don’t get on very well, but you should try it at least once.

 

Bach Thao Park

London has Hyde Park, New York has Central Park, Melbourne has Treasury Gardens – and Hanoi has Bach Thao Park, also known as the Hanoi Botanical Gardens. With mature trees, lakes and open space – yes, there’s grass – Bach Thao Park is like an oasis in the middle of an urban jungle. The park is very popular with Hanoians and foreigners seeking to escape city life’s hustle and bustle. I read somewhere that Bach Thao Park is the ‘lung’ (singular) of Hanoi. While I think that’s an exaggeration, you’ll undoubtedly appreciate the greenery. Lay out a blanket under one of the beautiful, old trees at Bach Thao Park, open a book, and you’ve got half a day of ‘me time’ at zero cost.

 

Conclusion

In this short article, I have identified five places that are well worth considering when you’ve got time away from your job teaching English in Hanoi. Train Street and Mega Mall rated a mention because they’re so unusual. Next, Hoan Kiem Lake and Bach Thao Park are brilliant locations for ‘me time’, offering serenity that can be hard to find in a big city. Finally, the ambience and history of Cafe Dinh make this place my personal ‘me time’ favourite location. Visit Cafe Dinh once, and it will almost certainly be your ‘me time’ favourite.

 

Have you already visited one or more of the five locations on my ‘me time’ list? If so, share your opinion in the comments section below.

 

About the author: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director (and founder) of AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. AVSE-TESOL delivers an Australian Government accredited TESOL programme in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. Check out the AVSE-TESOL website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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Don’t forget insurance

 

The key indicators – job advertisements, pay rates, ‘me time’, cost of living – suggest that Hanoi, Vietnam, is one of the hottest destinations worldwide for adventurous people who are keen on teaching English abroad.  If you’re somebody who is thinking about teaching English in Hanoi, here’s some advice. Do it. Assuming your credentials are in order, you’ll find a job with relative ease, earn a decent wage and only work 100 hours (+/-) a month. When the low cost of living is added to the mix, there’s a quintessential expat lifestyle on offer.

 

Perspective

While there is every reason to believe that your experience teaching English in Hanoi will be rosy like my own over the past 15 years, and tens of thousands of others over the past three decades, travelling anywhere abroad comes with risks. Heaven forbid you have a motorbike accident, pick up a horrible bug of some kind, be attacked by a rabid dog or meet some other misfortune. We might think that we’re indestructible, but the reality is, we’re not.

 

 

The consequences of meeting misfortune while abroad, as distinct from home turf, is where problems arise. Days, weeks or perhaps even months recuperating in a Vietnamese Public Hospital do not come cheap for foreigners. There are sad stories all over the internet of mums and dads in England, the US, Australia and elsewhere being lumbered with substantial medical bills because their son or daughter had an accident, got sick or suffered an injury while teaching English in Hanoi – and they didn’t have insurance. Travelling abroad without insurance is irresponsible! If you’re unable to meet the cost of basic insurance for the time you plan to spend in Vietnam, then it’s best to put your plans on hold. It’s that important.

 

Like you, I’m not happy about paying insurance premiums of any kind, but the idea that my old mum and dad (both in their 80s) would be forced to mortgage or sell their house to cover my medical bills or to ship my mortal remains back to Australia, fills me with horror. Without wishing to alarm you,  I know six expats who have been shipped home in a box and two in a vase, during my time in Vietnam. In each case, the costs were passed onto the next of kin. You cannot assume that your job teaching English in Hanoi will come with insurance coverage. Some do, but 90%+ don’t.

 

Key features

Decent travel insurance with medical coverage is relatively easy to find with a simple Google search. ‘Compare, compare, compare’ is the key to getting a good deal. Once you think you’ve found a good deal, then it’s time to use your bargaining skills to get an even better deal. You may be surprised to learn that insurance costs are less than you expected and the inclusions are more than you expected. Personally, I’m covered by World Nomads, and I have been for all but one year of my teaching abroad journey. Here are some of the key items that a decent insurance policy will cover:

 

Medical: This is not an area where you can scrimp. Your insurance policy needs to cover all medical expenses – inpatient and outpatient – in the event of an accident, sickness or injury while you’re teaching English in Hanoi. The language typically used in a travel insurance policy is ‘Unlimited’, or words to that effect. You need ‘Unlimited’ medical coverage.

 

Baggage: It’s about the replacement cost of items that are lost, stolen or damaged while you’re abroad. Depending on the value of your possessions, this might be an area where you can reduce your insurance premium. If your possessions aren’t worth much, you should ask the insurance provider if you can obtain a cheaper fee by: 1. excluding ‘Baggage’ from the policy; or 2. only covering items that will be costly to replace.

 

 

Trip cancellation: If you need to cancel your travel plans for whatever reason, you’ll be able to claim non-refundable payments. For example, you may have paid US $800.00 for airfare from Rome to Hanoi. You need to cancel your ticket. The airline charges you a cancellation fee of US $250.00. It’s possible (depending on ‘Deductibles’) that your insurance will cover the US $250 fee. Trip cancellation is an area where you can be thrifty following a simple risk versus benefit analysis. It’s worth considering.

 

Death or disability: The cost of having mortal remains shipped from Vietnam to another country is astronomical, in the realm of someone having to mortgage their house. Without insurance, either a family member or friend will have to meet all expenses to get you home for burial. The alternatives are to be ‘shelved’ in a Vietnamese mortuary as an unclaimed body or to be ‘unceremoniously’ cremated and posted home. Both options are frightful. The consequences of suffering some kind of permanent disability while you’re in Vietnam are equally dire without insurance. Scrimping with death or disability cover is unwise.

 

Deductibles

Pretty much every travel insurance policy that I have seen references ‘Deductibles’ by way of a monetary sum. The term ‘Deductibles’ is insurance jargon for what you must contribute in the event of a claim before your insurance policy kicks in. For example, let’s say you’re out with your mates on a Friday night, you walk into a wall and break your nose. The total cost of getting your nose fixed in Hanoi is US $1,000.00. Your ‘Deductibles’ are US $650.00. At best, your insurance provider will reimburse you US $350.00 (US $1,000.00 – US $650.00 = US $350.00). Why have I raised ‘Deductibles’ in this post? Firstly, most people don’t know they exist until they make a claim – and receive a lower payment than they expected. Secondly, you might be able to use the ‘Deductibles’ number to achieve a lower premium for your insurance policy. The higher the ‘Deductibles’, the lower the premium. Suppose your goal is to be covered for high-cost, ‘worst-case scenario’ type situations during your time teaching English in Hanoi. In that case, you might choose to increase the ‘Deductibles’ to a sum that’s terrible to contemplate, but is manageable, in exchange for a cheaper insurance policy.  

 

Summary

The message in this short article is straightforward. Teaching English in Hanoi is an ‘adventure of a lifetime’, but make sure you’re covered by medical, death and disability insurance (as a minimum). If you have an accident, get sick, suffer an injury or worse – and you’re not covered by insurance – your ‘adventure of a lifetime’ may well end up being a nightmare. If you’re unable to pay for insurance before departing from your home country, put your plans on hold until you can. Shop around until you find an affordable insurance policy, that comes with the coverage you need – and ‘Deductibles’ that are manageable.

 

Enjoy your time teaching English in Hanoi. Most importantly, stay safe.

 

About the writer: Peter Goudge is the Managing Director (and owner) of AVSE-TESOL in Vietnam and Cambodia. AVSE-TESOL offers an Australian Government accredited TESOL programme in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and online – a brilliant pathway for people looking to teach English in Southeast Asia and beyond. Visit the AVSE-TESOL website: www.avse.edu.vn

 

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Teaching English in Hanoi to clear student debt

 

My name is Monica Willow. I’m from Denver, Colorado. AVSE-TESOL asked me to write a Guest Post for their Vietnam Blog, and I’m delighted to help out. I’ll take this opportunity to share my personal experience with teaching English in Hanoi as a way to clear student loan debt.  

 

Circumstances

Attending university or college in the United States is expensive. Every year, students take out loans to further their education. I’m no different to millions of students in America and around the world doing the same thing. Accumulating student debt is the ‘norm’ for people who want a tertiary education. Literally, millions of Americans living in the world’s most prosperous country are left debt-ridden because they pursued a university or college degree. There are reported cases of people carrying student debt from their early twenties through to retirement age.

 

 

I completed a Social Work Degree at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2014. By the time I graduated, my student debt was just shy of US $50,000. You might be surprised to learn that the debt I had accumulated was only a fraction of what some university friends and acquaintances had amassed. Within a month of finishing my degree, I moved back to Denver to live with my mum and dad. My thinking at the time was that I’d be able to: 1. find a well-paid job in Denver because of my degree, and 2. chip away at my student debt because I’ll be living rent-free at my parent’s place.

 

Within a week of moving back to Denver, I found the job of my dreams. Good news! Well, not exactly. It took less than two months to realize that the ‘job of my dreams’ doesn’t pay enough to cover everyday expenses, let alone to reduce my student debt. I was working long hours as a professional Social Worker and getting nowhere fast. My social life was non-existent because I was ‘penny-pinching’ and if it weren’t for the free accommodation at my parent’s place, my student debt repayments wouldn’t have even covered the interest. Was I naive? I think so. My life at the time was soul-destroying. I needed a new approach that would allow me to meet my financial commitments while enjoying a ‘normal’ life – spending time with friends, going to movies, dancing, eating out, pursuing a hobby, and doing other things that I enjoy.  

 

Vietnam, here I come

In April 2015, a friend of mine from university, Tory, sent me a Facebook message about her life teaching English in Hanoi, Vietnam. Tory’s message piqued my interest. I’d especially noted that I could earn more working as an English language teacher in Hanoi than working as a Social Worker in Denver. Moreover, everyday expenses in Hanoi are markedly less than in Denver. Putting the financial aspect to one side, I’d always wanted to travel outside of the United States and experience other cultures. Tory had traveled to Hanoi within days of completing her degree. The ability to make a snap decision (and live with the consequences) is one of Tory’s many positive attributes. I tend to procrastinate, but not on this occasion. Fast forward six weeks, I arrived in Hanoi on 27 May 2015.

 

 

Ask me about Social Work (or movies), and I’ll ‘gasbag’ forever because it’s what I know. Teaching English abroad requires a new skill set, knowledge, and internationally recognized certification. It’s not enough to hold an American Passport or be a native English speaker to take on a job as a professional English teacher. With this in mind, I chose to follow in my friend’s footsteps and enroll in the Australian Government accredited TESOL program (teacher training) at AVSE-TESOL in Ba Dinh District in Hanoi. I loved the people at AVSE-TESOL. I also loved the intensive 4-week TESOL course. The certification that comes with the TESOL course at AVSE-TESOL is highly regarded by Vietnamese schools. With TESOL certification from AVSE, I started teaching English in Hanoi on 29 June 2015.  

 

Bottom line

It’s now summer in 2019. I’m sitting in Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, writing this blog post while waiting for a flight back to the US. I’ve spent the past four years teaching English in Hanoi. Where has the time gone? It has been a privilege. How lucky was I to learn about this opportunity? Very lucky! On top of making many wonderful friends, Vietnamese, and other expats, I’ve seen tangible results flow from my teaching work. I’ve traveled extensively in Asia – and I’ve managed to clear US $45,000+ of student debt. Yes, I still have another US $5,000 to go, but it’s manageable. Vietnam has been good to me. I’m grateful.

 

Here’s a crude outline of my financial arrangements during the almost four years that I taught English in Hanoi.

 

• Average month salary (Language Center + Online): US $2,300.00
• Number of months worked (including paid leave, excluding vacations & unpaid training): 42
• Average hours worked per month: 108
• Average monthly rent + utilities: US $350.00 (predominately single room in a shared house)
• Average monthly expenses (food, personal items, socializing, motorbike…): US $600.00

 

Calculation: US $2,300.00 x 42 = US $96,600.00 – US $39,900.00 (US $350.00 + US $600.00 x 42) = US $56,700.00 (in the black). Of the US $56,700.00 that I cleared (after all expenses) from teaching English in Hanoi, US $45,280.00 was used to reduce my student debt and the balance was spent on airfares, my TESOL training, traveling and other sizable, one-off expenses. I should reiterate, this is a crude estimate.

 

Summary

Being saddled with student debt is the reality for many Americans of my generation. People work long hours for an eternity and lead unfulfilling lives because it’s the only way they know to clear their debt. If you’re anything like I was, up to my eyeballs in student debt, consider teaching English in Hanoi or elsewhere in Asia to turn your life around. This simple debt-clearing strategy worked for me. There’s every reason to believe that it will also work for you.

 

About the writer: Monica Willow arrived in Vietnam in May 2015 with some firm goals in mind. Working as an English teacher in Hanoi to clear accumulated student debt was one of those goals. An Alumni of AVSE-TESOL in Hanoi, Monica’s ‘good news’ story can also be yours. Check out the AVSE website: https://avse.edu.vn/

 

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