The TfV Experience
Teaching English at a university in Vietnam will introduce you to a place you can scarcely imagine now, but one which will stay with you forever. We have been sending teachers to Vietnam for over ten years. Many of our teachers return for a second or third year, or continue to support our program once they’ve settled back into life post-TfV. The ties our teachers develop with their students are mutually enriching — whether it’s standing in front of the classroom, playing soccer with them, cooking dinner on weekends, or having coffee together after school, our teachers have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Vietnamese culture. It’s no wonder many of our teachers feel as though they become the students, while their students become their friends. After their year abroad, our teachers often find other jobs in Southeast Asia, study Vietnamese, or start careers in teaching back in the States. Teaching in Vietnam has helped them to find out who they are, and what really matters to them.
What We Do
TfV is a small, not-for-profit organization dedicated to building bridges between cultures and improving the teaching of English at the university level in Vietnam. Each fall we send 4-6 teachers, certified in TEFL, to several universities in the Mekong Delta, where they offer classes in oral communication, pronunciation, American culture, and literature. For many students, our teachers are the first native English speakers they have ever encountered, and so they quickly become role models for using English. While teaching students is the main focus of their job, our teachers find that living and working in Vietnam has many other richly rewarding aspects — experiencing one of today’s most dynamic, youth-driven societies, observing the contrasts between respect for centuries-old traditions and infatuation with the latest pop craze, and getting to know the friendly, endearing Vietnamese people in a way no tourist can. One year teaching abroad in Vietnam might just be the experience you are looking for, the chance to make a big difference in others’ lives while shaping your own.
