This year, students at the Faculty of Biology have enjoyed being taught by an American Volunteer, Alyssa Meyer from Resource Exchange International (REI). Knowing that improving student’s confidence in English is often the most difficult task for teachers, she assigned her students in K67 to write about what they will do, and how their life will change when they have fluent English. This is meant to motivate them, and help them remember why it is important to study hard, even outside of class. When asked what the best way to learn English is, she said: “No one taught me the grammar rules of English as a child. I just learned by watching, listening and exposure, and my students have to do the same. One of the best things you can do to help your English is to watch an English TV show. It’s entertaining, gives you long-term exposure, and is extremely practical. All the the best ESL speakers I know say that watching English speakers on TV is what helped them the most.”

Below are some corrected examples that the students have written about their “English Dream”. 

Currently, English is one of the most popular languages ​​in the world, and most people know how to use basic English to communicate. In the future, if I am a person who is very good at English (7.5 IELTS), I think my life will change. Firstly, study and employment opportunities will come to me more often. Studying abroad is my dream, and if I am good at English this will become easier. When I graduate I would also have many good opportunities to get a stable, high-income job. Secondly, when traveling abroad, I will be more confident in my ability to communicate, and I will not be embarrassed when communicating with foreigners. Finally, if I study English well, I will be able to inspire people around me, for example, I can teach my younger brother by communicating in English with him daily. In the end, my life will change a lot if I am fluent in English.

Name: Đang Thi Minh Hồng

Class: 67A

When I got your homework, I joked with my friend: “If I have good English, I will get more money!” However, when I went to my room, I thought more about your question. If I have good English, I would do alot of things, and my life would change positively. I can teach English for people by becoming an English teacher. People make a lot of money by teaching English, so then I could travel a lot of countries! However, this dream is just a dream. Sometimes I feel that I am too lazy to learn English even though I know the benefits of it. It’s only been recently that I’ve been inspired to improve my English, and sometimes I just don’t know the best way to do it! All in all, having good English will bring a lot of benefits to me, so I hope I will continue to work hard in learning English.

Name: Vu Minh Chau

Class: K67C

English fluency is something I have always wished for. As you know, my English is not really good, and I have difficulty hearing and speaking. Speaking English fluently will be a major tuning point for my life. To be honest, I want to study abroad once because it will help me to approach professional teaching methods and help me become more mature. Studying abroad would also help me to learn from foreign cultures, as well as to travel and communicate confidently with the natives of that country. If I am an expert in English, there will be a lot of work waiting for me, especially because I will have a B1 certificate upon graduation. Vietnamese employers prioritize candidates who have more English certificates, and I can even work for foreign companies. I would also fit well into jobs like teaching English in biology, teaching English to children, or doing research in laboratories. English will help me to look up relevant research to serve my employer. Certainly, I will be more confident when I am good at English. Although the above is just a dream, I will try my best to make it come true.