Yen, Vietnam
My name is Khúc Hai Yê´n, but people call me Yen. I come from Vietnam. In 2006, after graduating from university, I left Hanoi to return to my hometown Haiphong city. When I was a high school student, I dreamt of studying and working in Hanoi after graduating. However, the traffic and service charges were off-putting. I found a job in my hometown as an English teacher at the largest foreign language centre here. I was accepted after two rounds of interviews and one sample lesson in class.
I taught English communication programmes for students and adults. The classes were all in the evening because the students went to work and school during daytime. The classes were so large: 60–70 people. They often came to try it out first then decided to pay. That means I had to try my best to give interesting lessons to attract learners. Fortunately, my classes became more and more crowded. However, due to the big classes and teaching without a microphone, after a period I almost lost my voice. I had to take a break, but later I returned to continue teaching.
I learnt from my own experience how to manage activities during class. Do not talk so much! On this stage, the teacher was just the guide while students were the main characters. Some tips for teachers include: doing things from your heart, preparing for good health, coordinating your breath and controlling the volume of your voice effectively. And, don’t forget to always have a jar of honey lemons to suck for your throat every night!
Now, I work for Haiphong Department of Education and Training, where I train new language teachers. Key approaches and techniques I recommend are gaming (such as games, quizzes and competitions to make learning more enjoyable) and communicative language teaching, focusing on interaction and emphasising speaking and listening skills through real-life communication. Blended learning is more common now, combining traditional face-to-face instruction with online activities, if we have the right technology and skills. However, being a classroom teacher remains a memorable experience in my life that I will never forget.
