Schools and Colleges in Vietnam

GETTING THE JOB.

This link to ESL Teachers United gives details of the more important schools and colleges. Some comments on each are included.

http://www.eslteachersunited.org/ESLForum/viewforum.php?f=26&sid=c76bf0f0b54fd4c65de34ba258a86dba

Here you will see web-sites, e-mail addresses and sometimes names of people to e-mail.

Employers in Vietnam will usuallly NOT offer employment from an e-mail, but WILL employ you once you are here and visit them face to face;

Recruiters will offer employment on conditions, BUT beware- you will probably end up in a low paying job. Doing it yourself will be much more rewarding.

So here's what long experience has proven to be the correct way to go about this.

1. Select the establishment you think you want to talk to

2. Send them an e-mail cover letter, and attach your CV and scans of qualifications.

In the cover letter indicate that you WILL be coming to Vietnam and that you will contact further on arrival.

3. Send this package to AT LEAST 10 possibilities.

4. Keep track of who you have contacted- you will need to contact when you have settled in in Vietnam.

5. Get a flight that arrives IN DAYLIGHT HOURS- This is simply so that you do not get disturbed by the strange sights and smells and noises in the dark. They will probably be strange enough in the day time.

6. Once through the Immigration and Customs (You are very unlikely to be asked if you have anything to declare- the only time will be if they suspect you have drugs or a motorbike engine in your luggage), head for the Currency Exchange counter, (near the exit) and change what money you have to local currency. US$ ARE acceptable but they are quite a problem as they must be clean, not wrinkled, and certain numbers are suspect. Quite honestly, save the hassle and change to Vietnamese Dong. It will make you feel very rich as the rate is about 17,000 to the $US, and about 15,000 to the Aussie$.

7. Outside there will be taxis- Cheaper than them are available, but for the little extra they are worth it after a tiring flight.- Get one and show him this address:

PHAM NGU LAO--KACH SAN--Q1. THERE IS NO NEED TO BOOK A HOTEL BEFORE YOU COME- There are plenty!

The driver will most probably speak enough English to get by and he will understand you.

8. The taxi will take you on a drive that should take about 40 minutes to the centre of the city, and cost you about 80,000-100,000 Vietnamese dong.

If you arrive in Hanoi, the airport is 40 Kms out of town and the taxi will cost about 300,00 Vietnamese dong, and there is no alternative transport available.

Ask to go to the Old Quarter in Hanoi. (QUAN HOAN KIEM).

As you drive through the city, you will get your first glimpse of how hectic the traffic is, and if you have not been here before, it will be a little frightening. So get in the front seat and hang on! If you are a bit shattered, get in the back seat and close your eyes.

9. The driver will canvass a few hotels for you- Dont panic, there will definately be one available- the driver will most likely get a small commission from the hotel, but after a long trip, what he gets from that wont hurt much. The hotels will quote you in $US, and they can be had for as little as $10 a night, but for your first night I suggest you treat yourself to one for about $25.

It should be on either Pham Ngu Lao st or Di Tham St, or in an alley off either of these. There are literally hundreds. When you know you will stay a while, you can negotiate a better deal, OR move to another- The mini hotels are a very good base and cheap- You get all the amenities of home and at about $200-$300 a month.

10. Settle yourself in your room- It should have air con, cable TV, and its own shower/toilet, and be within easy walking distance from numerous food places.

You will NEED to allow the hotel to hold your passport, as they can not allow you to stay unless they can show the Police a passport. They will likely want to keep it to ensure you pay your bill, which you will be expected to pay either at the end of the month, or when you check out. They wont take credit card-cash only. You can get cash from the teller machines on Pham Ngu Lao St.

Your first pay should be at the end of the month, so you need to ensure you have access to about $1000 until pay day- Persinally, I would try to have at least $2000 available- Who knows, you may really hate the place and want to get back home quickly.

Take a shower, a nap and spruce up- Get a card from the hotel so you know where to come back to, and hit the street. This is the "foreigner" area and you will see lots of tourists- No chasing up work today, BUT there will be numerous places where you can get a SIM card for your phone- Look for the sign MOBI, Its the best company for phone, and you can buy a card for about $20, and it will have credit for about $25. You CAN choose the number, but it will be more expensive.

Most shop keepers in this area speak pretty good English.

The shop assistant will set up your phone for you- Tell her you want it in English. Make sure you know your new number- Call home and give the folks the number (they have to put +84 and drop the 0 to call back).

If you have a charger and it doesnt fit the local system, ask the hotel to get you an adapter- IR buy one at the electric shop on the north east corner on the outside of the Ben Than market- they are about $1

11. Drop into a cafe and check out the monstrous menus- before long you will find a favourite.

12. If you are up to it, ask the hotel to organize a "CYCLO" tour of the city for you. The driver will quote you a price but he will always exceed it.- NEVER go at night with a cyclo.

Alternatively, you could take a Xe Om- Motor bike taxi, who will show you around- About 7-10,000 per Km should be enough. Ask to see the People's Palace, The Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and Ben Thanh Market- (Shoppers paradise, but touristy and tourist prices- about 2/3rds of asking price is still good for the vendor).

13. Rest in Hotel, and get to the night market at Ben Thanh Market to sample excellent Vietnamese food in an outdoor setting. The best curried chicken is at "Pho 2000" on the corner opposite the market. Also a good outdoor restaurant is "Sao Dong" on the eastern side of the market. Many foreigners go there.

14. Next morning_ Get to an internet shop and print more copies of your cv etc and collate them, and e-mail the places you sent to from home, saying you are now in Ho Chi Minh City, and your phone number is..........., and that you would like to set up an appointment.

15. Back at the hotel, take it easy or go shopping- It will take your employers a day or two to do anything anyway. Take a one day tour down to the Mekong- about $12 for the full day, meal included-great value- OR if you are into War stuff- take a tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, and fire an M16.

16. Next day- check e-mails- If you have a wi-fi lap-top, its most likely you can hook into the public wi-fi in the Pham Ngu Lao area.

Start calling employers to set up appointments. Remember the receptionist may not speak good English.

17. Put on your good gear and get a taxi or Xe Om to the place- make sure the driver can read the address. He will wait for you if you want, and usually at no extra.

18. At the interview- Be natural and positive- Smile- In Vietnam, the best teachers are the friendly ones, not the qualified ones. Business is done here by network. The Director may ask you to do a demo class before offering you a position- this is normal- and he/she will give you the book, and indicate the page you are expected to teach, as well as the class time.

19. Follow this procedure with a couple more schools, and before long you will have 3 or 4 possible employers asking for demo classes.

20. Dress appropriately for the demo classes- someone will observe you. Remember, it is not the qualification that gets you the job now- Its how friendly you are and how much the students like you. After your class, you will have an iterview with the director or DOS, who will make you an offer, or will ask you to come again in a day or two when they have some classes for you to start.

21. About a week later, you will have a full schedule and you will be deciding which schools you want to stay with, and which ones you will leave. Try to cut it to about 20-24 hours a week, and at least one full day per week free. You work to live, not live to work.

22. Your employer will handle Visa requirements when due, BUT if you work for a few schools, its best to get your own- Your hotel will arrange for you- its very easy to do.

So there you have it- the world is now your oyster, and you did not pay a cent to a recruiter to tell you what I just told you how to do for free.

WELCOME TO VIETNAM!

BEING UNDERSTOOD

LIVING AND WORKING IN VIETNAM

The Language:
Despite what so called “bush lawyers” will tell you, there is no need to be able to speak the local language to work as an English teacher, as all instruction is in English and the methods you will learn in your TESOL course will equip you very well for teaching English WITHOUT needing to know the local language.



However, a few well chosen words in the local language will have you at least recognizing what you have ordered at the restaurant, and will give you the ability to understand some simple signs.

The Vietnamese language is a very difficult language to master, and its complexities are compunded by the fact that there are at least three dialects in which the same words are pronounced differently.

Writing, however, is the same in all dialects, and luckily Vietnamese is written in the Roman script, just like English.
Some of the letters have a similar sound to English, but a lot do not, so to try to “sound out” words you see will only have the locals laughing. They are quite unforgiving of your attempts to speak their language, and you can provide many hours of amusement for them as you struggle to be understood.

As an English teacher, however, you need to be much more tolerant than the locals are about the way they use YOUR native language.

So here are just a few important words that you might like to know:

In the Restaurant:

Vietnamese food is very delicious and in the south lightly to heavily spiced- In the north its more like eating a newspaper- rather tasteless. Also, its very cheap if you are prepared to eat like the locals.

Thit cho- This is dog meat-by that I mean the flesh of a dog-and particularly in the north, it is eaten quite regularly. In Hanoi, the streets are lined with restaurants and food stalls specialising in dog meat.

Thit meow-easy to work this one out.

Tom- Shrimps- prawns- usually kept alive until needed, so they are very fresh

Cua (Coo ar) Crab- Crab soup is very popular and cheap- (Sup cua) Soop coo ar.

Ga (Gawr) Chicken- It is usually cut up very differently to what you may be used to in the west, and the head and feet are usually included. Viets like to eat “mountain chicken” or wild chicken- It is very tough and leathery, and offers very little meat.

Vit-duck

Bo Beef. Don’t expect T-bone steaks- Its usually very thin, in small pieces and often grilled. Usually also rather tough.

Heo- (Hey-ow) Pork- In the north Lon but in the south lon is a crude word meaning female genitals- so take care.

Ca- (Car) Fish

De (Yay) Goat meat In Hanoi pronounced Zay

Banh Mi- Bread- usually baguettes-often served with fried eggs-popular for breakfast- ask for “Banh Mi Opla” (Barn mee owp lar). Never buttered.

Banh Xeo- (Barn Say-Oh) Pancake type dish typical of central Vietnam- a rice batter with sprouts and other vegetables inside, and sometimes pork and small shrimp (not peeled).

Sinh To- (Sin Toe) a fruit drink made of fresh fruit, a little milk and ice-Its very refreshing, and you can have a variety of fruits in your Sinh To. Popular fruits for Sinh To are Papaya (Sin Toe Doo doo), mango (Sin toe swai), strawberry (Sin toe yeow), and coconut (sin toe yuar).

Com (gur m) Rice of all types- With chicken Com Ga, beef Com Bo, and Asian fried rice Com a chau chien

Thit (Tit) Meat

Gio (Zaw) A type of pork sausage

Eche- (Ehe) Frog


Pho (Fow) Noodle soup- basically a thin broth with a choice of ingredients added to your desire. There is no middle ground with Pho- you either love it or you hate it.

Nuoc Mam (Nook Marm) a sauce that is made from the juice that runs off rotting fish- it sounds terrible, but after they try it, most foreigners become addicted to it. It can be eaten with most Viet meals.


Lau—(Low)- a shared dish in which a variety of meats is cooked on an open fire on your table.


Trung-(Choong) Eggs


Nem- Spring rolls with meat inside.- usually fried.

Café- (Kar fey) Coffee. Café sua da (Kar Fey Sewer Dar) Iced milk coffee
Café Sua nong (kar Fey Sewer nom) Hot milk coffee.
Coffee in Vietnam is excellent, but it is also very strong- If you want western style, ask for an extra cup of hot water to thin it down.
Coffee is served in coffee shops with a dripper on your cup. It takes quite a while for it to drip down into the cup.

Bir- Beer- Anyone, including children can buy beer from shops, etc. The most popular brands are Tiger, heineken, Ba ba ba, Saigon and Fosters.
Bir den- Black beer- usually sold at micro breweries which are easy to find.
Bir tiou (beer chewy) is draught beer and its very fresh.

Tra (Char) tea. Beware the local tea served with ice at most meetings and interviews- It is a powerful laxative.

Nuoc (Nook) Water




OTHER USEFUL WORDS:

KHONG (Kong) No
VANG (Varng) Yes
CO (Co) Yes
PHAI (Fai) Correct
PHAI (Fai) Right (Direction)
CHAI (Ch-eye) Left (Direction)
THANG (Tongue) Straight ahead “di thang (dee tongue) go straight ahead.
RE (Well) Turn- Re Phai (Well Fai) Turn right
DUNG LAI (Yoong lie) Stop (In Hanoi ZUNG LIE)
CAHN SAT (Carn sart) Traffic police
CONG ANH (KONG ARN) Criminal Police
Anh Cham (Arn Charm) Thief
Xin Chao (Sin Chow) Hello
Cam An (Kerm Arn) Thanks
Xin Loi (Sin Loy) Sorry.
Xe Buyt (Say Beat) Bus- Ben Xe Buyt – Bus station or stop
Xe Om- (Say Ohm) Motor bike taxi
Nha (Nar) House
Nha Tuoc (Nar Two ook) Chemist-Drugstore
Ban (barn) For sale
Cho Thue (Chow Tway) for rent
Phong (Fong) Room Phong cho thue –room for rent.
Kach San (Kak San) Hotel.
Cong cong (Kong kong) public
Dien thoi (Dee-en Toy) telephone Dien thoi cong cong- public telephone
Buu dien (Boo Dee-en) Post Office (sometimes shortened to Boo.Dee)
Chup Anh (Choop Arn) Take a picture
Di cham (Dee chum) Drive more slowly
Di Ngyen (Dee nee-yen) Drive faster.

PREPARING TO COME TO VIETNAM

PREPARATIONS



COMING TO VIETNAM?










Now you have made the decision, what to do next?









These suggestions not necessarily in order.









1. Get your TESOL/TEFL certificate- Not totally necessary, but if you dont have it, be prepared to be the last person the schools call.




http://tesolinvietnam.blogspot.com/












2. Get a Police check









3. Get a flight and Visa arranged- Use a travel agent as the visa process can be very difficult-Get a 3-6 month TOURIST Visa. Buy a RETURN flight-Do NOT buy a one way. You will not be allowed to enter Vietnam on a one way flight. Ask the travel agent to extend the return date to 12 months- If not, its easy to do that once in Vietnam.
Some recent information indicates that to get a visa on arrival IS easier than in the past now, but personally, I would give myself the peace of mind of having it BEFORE I got to Vietnam.









4. Google as much as you can about Vietnam-It pays to know where you want to go- The north and the south are VERY different from each other.




Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (in the south), is vibrant, bustling, noisy, exciting and full of fast paced life, with spicy and flavoursome food. Hot in the summer and warm in the winter. Vietnams economic centre- some petty crime, but limited mostly to drive by bag snatching etc. Crazy traffic.









Hanoi is slow, conservative, with shy introverted people, a very rich culture, rather bland food (including lots of dog meat restaurants), and hot in summer and quite cold in the winter.




The "sightseeing" possibilities in Hanoi are vast- Take a quiet afternoon to explore the "Temple of Literature", a University which opened in 1066.




Little crime, limited to bag snatching and home invasions for theft.









Country centres offer less liklihood of employment, but a quiet lifestyle-




Danang in the centre of Vietnam has extensive beaches, Can Tho in the Mekong Delta offers hot steamy summers and hot steamy winters, but is a surprisingly active city on the mighty Mekong.









Vung Tau on the south coast offers glitz and sin.




Nha Trang is a beautiful beach city, but opportunities are very limited.









YOUR decision! Depends on your life style and what you want from your new life.









5. CV: Prepare your CV- KISS (Keep it simple).




Emphasise your ability to impart learning- If you have had no practical experience in teaching, slant such experience as volunteer work, baby-sitting, etc towards how that will assist you in teaching.




Talk about your intention to make teaching in Vietnam a long time career.




Save it in Word format (Not Word 2007 as most emplyers dont have it- 2004 or earlier is better) and have it ready to send to potential employers at a moments notice.




If you are prepared to teach children, you will DEFINATELY get offers quite quickly. So make sure you mention it in your CV.




(details of employers in another section of this blog.)









6. Education qualifications: Scan and file your degrees, TESOL certificate and any other relevant documentation and have them ready in a folder to attach to your application e-mails.









7. Scan Passport- Bio page and do as above.









8. Check out some web-sites of potential employers and send a cover letter, your CV, and education qualifications to the ones you wish to apply to, and indicate a time you are likely to be in Vietnam.









Do NOT expect replies to any of these- If you get a reply it will be ususual-treasure it.




In Vietnam, the employers will only make appointments with people who are actually IN Vietnam- (there are too many arm chairs wannabees who never have the guts to make the trip).



However, to send details first, and then follow up when you are actually here, leaves a very good impression.









If you apply to "recruiters" they are likely to make you immediate offers-BUT remember they will ask you for a fee, they will set up your trip and get a commission from the travel agent, and one from the hotel they put you in, and they will tell you that you have to take a TESOL course with THEIR business ($1200+). Do not trust anyone making such offers- remember, there are so many English schools in Vietnam, that this is YOUR smorgasbord. Do not be intimidated by recruiters offering sure jobs, and airport pick up etc. I will show you (For free), how to do all this yourself.









Don't allow the lack of response from schools to deter you-there are lots of jobs available, and within 10 days of arrival, you should be teaching if you follow my recommendations.









9. Money: You will need to have access to approximately $2000 to cover your expenses for your first month in Vietnam, until your first pay day. (Most schools pay at the end of each month).

Pay rates vary from school to school- recruiters will get you about $8-$15 an hour- You can get from $12-$22 by visiting the schools yourself. More in another section on how to do that.




Visa accessible accounts via ATM are best.




DO NOT BRING TRAVELLERS CHECKS. They are NOT cashable in Vietnam.









If you are using a credit card, make arrangements AT HOME for it to be paid for you, as sending payment back home is a major problem. I will explain later in another section how to arrange this once in Vietnam.









10. Clothes: Corporate wardrobe- Although most schools won't require you to wear formal attire at all times, it makes a good first impression.




Men- Trousers-not jeans, baggies or khakis, collared shirt and tie (class-rooms are air conditioned).




Ladies- Formal attire- No strappy tops, boob tubes, short skirts and DEFINATELY no shorts.




Tops should have short sleeves at least. Sandals are "out: covered shoes. "sensible" shoes. (sound familiar?)









Hair: Men -short or tied back, well kept beard and moustache.









Your job is regarded with the same reverence as that of a doctor or a lawyer- you need to reciprocate.









Clothes in Vietnam are readily available and at very cheap prices- BUT for westerners they are often too small. Tailor made shirts and trousers are a delight, and well priced.









Ladies- shoes over about size 40 (12) are almost non existent, and larger size bras also- tampons are almost unknown.









11. Pack light Remember weight restrictions on air lines- most things are easily available here, and the shopping is paradise.




It is NOT a good idea to bring English teaching books etc as there are very good bookstores here selling the same at much reduced prices.









Lap-Top: Good idea to bring one as they are quite expensive here, but desk tops are cheap.




Wi Fi enabled is good, as many districts have Free wi-fi.









On another section I will outline some excellent web sites where you can get great teaching materials, and have them "on call" when posted into your "favourites" folder on your web browser.

AND on another-

What to do when you arrive in Vietnam.

NO B.S. -HOW TO GET AN ENGLISH TEACHING JOB IN VIETNAM

So you've decided to take the plunge, take control of your own life, and exerience the treasures that living and working in exotic "Old Annam" (Vietnam) has to offer the adventurous.

As an English teacher, Vietnam offers the best of both worlds-Adventure, a rich diverse culture, and a better than the rest of Asia salary possibility, combined with a low cost of living. Adventure at every turn.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO TEACH ENGLISH IN VIETNAM?

1. Speak English: You need to be able to speak English like a native English speaker.

Preference is given to those who have passports from English speaking countries.

2. TESOL/TEFL: You don't absolutely NEED a TESOL/TEFL certificate (A certificate proving you have taken a course in teaching English to speakers of Other Languages), but it is very helpful in securing employment. In fact, you will be given immediate preference over those who do NOT have one.

How do I get one?

There are lots of operators who can offer you a TESOL Certificate, but be careful- The price can be very high for what you get. (from about $900-$2,000+).

You will likely see TESOL courses available in your home country, and even one in Vietnam, offereing guaranteed job placement at the end of the course. BEWARE-the jobs offered are of the poorest quality with most of these-They will say they have fulfilled their legal obligation by securing a low paying job in a school you will hate.

Remember, there are so many jobs available that it is YOUR buffet-not theirs. AND they direct you to the job/s where they will get a % of your salary, or at least a fee from the school- that affects your salary.

For a discussion on getting the necessary certification to teach English in Vietnam, go to:

http://tesolinvietnam.blogspot.com/

3. University Degree- Not absolutely necessary, but without it you will be offered jobs in Language Centres (not in Universities) which have unusual hours, and generally slightly lower rates of pay.

Your Degree can be in any discipline, it need NOT be related to English or teaching, BUT, if you are already a registered teacher in your home country, your entry into the market will be a lot easier.

4. Police Check: Be sure to get this BEFORE coming to Vietnam, as without it, you can not legally be offered a job. Ask your local Police Station about this- It is usually quite inexpensive, and will be issued as a certificate indicating that you have no criminal record. If you DO have a criminal record, it does not necessarily mean you can't get a job as an English teacher, but you may have to explain.

5. Visa: To travel to Vietnam, this is an absolute necessity from most countries (ASEAN Passport holders excepted), and it needs to be gotten BEFORE coming to Vietnam. Some information available indicates that visas can be obtained at the airport on arrival- The procedure is so cumbersome, that it is certainly best NOT to try this way, as it rarely works, and you have a strong possibility of being turned away at the border gates.

You can contact your nearest Embassy of Vietnam, BUT

A much simpler way is to get the travel agent who arranges your trip to get this for you. Sure it will cost you , but it is very much worth the effort.

The BEST Visa to apply for is the multiple entry TOURIST Visa- Until you are employed, that's exactly what you will be. Ask for 6 months visa.

Your employer will assist you to change the type when the tourist visa expires.

EXCITED?

See other blog pages for more details.