Vietnam offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty. This thriving nation possesses one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, yet it is home to some of Asia’s most beautiful scenery. Divine beaches dot the coast, while the soaring mountains are often cloaked by dense, misty forests. Mirroring the country as a whole, the Vietnamese people are hard-working and industrious, and at the same time strikingly friendly and optimistic.
While working in Vietnam, you should absolutely tour the countryside and visit the beaches and islands. The landscape surrounding Ho Chi Minh City is lush with greenery, while wide sandy beaches and breath-taking islands are within easy reach.
The School
The TEFL school is located in Ho Chi Minh City. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious city. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, are a jumble of markets, shops, pavement cafes, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. It's impossible not feel the exhilarating vibe of native heritage, French cultural influence, and Western capitalism. There you will witness a mix of the old and new where modern skyscrapers are juxtaposed with fading colonial buildings, Chinese-style pagodas, and historical landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Post Office and the Reunification Hall.
Ho Chi Minh City has a vibrant nightlife with many local and Western bars and cafes concentrated in the city center. The city is also the culinary capital of Vietnam. You can sample a variety of foods ranging from Vietnamese regional specialties to international cuisine. Here you can find the best Vietnamese, French, and Chinese restaurants.
The 140+ hour, four-week course integrates the aspects of teaching that we have found most important:
Ninety hours of classroom-based Academic Inputs
Thirty hours of Vietnamese Language and Cultural Awareness Training
Up to thirty hours of Teaching Practice
The Vietnamese Language and Cultural Awareness program is designed to:
Give you the local language skills necessary for daily life in Southeast Asia
Put you in the learner’s seat, re-acquainting you with the struggle to acquire a new language
Let you be part of the learning process
Provide a major cultural overview and orientation to Vietnamese customs – what’s polite and acceptable, how to fit in, the importance of making an effort toward understanding, etc.
Our TEFL Practicum is similarly goal-based:
You will typically be seeing the same students on a regular basis for 8 to 10 hours each week, so your lessons will be continuous, which build on the previous lesson and lead to the next. The students you teach are actually your students, allowing you to plan from class to class based on student progress and need.
Your teaching assignment will often be a local community resource (hospital, police station, city hall, orphanage, immigration office, etc.) so your teaching time directly benefits the community. By the end of the class, your students will have had thirty hours of free English Language classes. This may not seem like much, but it is approximately the same number of hours a class in many public schools will have in one academic year.
You will be given access to the internet at the Training Center during training. Most select schools have internet access available to teachers during school hours. Public internet cafes are also available. They usually charge about $1.00 USD per hour.
Housing
Housing options and pricing are dependent upon availability and season at the time of your course. Your onsite coordinator will be able to provide more details and recommendations.
During training, participants stay in private rooms in small boutique hotels very close to the Training Center. Rooms typically have air-conditioning, a private bath, and are clean and nicely furnished. The housing cost is approximately $600 USD per month and $150 per week thereafter.
Budget additional housing for about an additional week or two following training, after which time you should have secured a job.
Once your job assignment is secured, the hiring school will assist you in locating a local apartment nearby. Typical apartments are small, but most are comfortable and stylish, with air conditioning and Western appliances. Houses usually have 3-4 bedrooms that you can share with roommates. Often, a one-month security deposit and the first month’s rent are required at the time of rental.
Cell phones may be purchased for a nominal fee in and around Ho Chi Minh City on a “pay as you go” plan.
Transportation
Ho Chi Minh City is served by Tan Son Nhat International Airport, located in Tan Binh District.
Ho Chi Minh City is also a terminal for many Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The Reunification Express (tàu Thá»ng Nhất) runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi from Saigon Railway Station in District 3, with stops at cities and provinces along the line.
The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city. Taxis are plentiful and are usually metered, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a long trip, for example, from the airport to the city center. Public buses run on many routes and the fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, "xe ôm" (literally, "hug vehicle") motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike. A popular activity for tourists is a tour of the city on cyclos, which allow for longer trips at a more relaxed pace.
Climate
The wet season lasts from May to October in the south, and the best times for traveling to Ho Chi Minh City are late November through January. Consider that "dry season" is a relative term in Indochina. Temperatures range from hot in the winter to hotter in the summer. The humidity nears 100 about every day. Expect tropical storms often in the summer.
Tuition Includes
Tuition Includes:
Tuition DOES NOT Include:
TEFL Institute course fee
Job placement assistance
Pre-enrollment and departure advice
Assistance finding housing
Course materials
Assistance in obtaining a long-term visa
Accommodation and meals
Personal expenses
Travel to and from the course
Visa, if needed
Airport pickup
Medical insurance (TEFL Institute can recommend medical insurance)
Immunization
Additional Information
Food
Vietnamese cuisine differs strikingly between the north, south, and central regions, but two key features stand out. First, rice plays an essential role in the nation's diet as it does throughout Southeast Asia. But this is also a noodle-crazy population, regularly downing them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in homes, restaurants and at roadside stands. Noodles are eaten wet and dry, in soup or beside soup, and are made in different shapes and thicknesses.
Second, no meal is complete without fresh vegetables and herbs. A key portion of every meal, north, south and central, is a platter containing cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper, and sprigs of basil, coriander, mint and a number of Southeast Asian herbs. A typical meal ranges $2-4 USD dollars.
Chopsticks are standard, especially with noodles or rice. Western utensils are nearly always available, however, and are commonly provided with international fare.
What to Wear
Light, comfortable, easy to launder clothing in natural fabrics such as cotton suits Vietnam. Good walking shoes and sandals that can be easily slipped off are recommended, as shoes are removed when entering temples and homes. There is no need to over pack, as high-quality clothes are strikingly cheap, while inexpensive laundry service is generally available wherever you go.
Vietnamese people are quite conscientious of their dress. The nationwide stress on maintaining a neat and clean appearance creates a marked disparity with some Western visitors. For instance, Vietnamese would never dream of wearing dirty clothes while traveling, and visible tattoos and piercings are frowned upon.
When working, teachers are expected to adhere to the local working culture and ideas of professionalism. “Casually smart” attire means that women should cover their shoulders (sleeveless shirts are acceptable, but very thin straps or tank tops are not). No low-cut necklines or very short skirts. Bare midriffs must not be visible, even when lifting arms up. Open-toed shoes are acceptable.
Men should wear long pants (not jeans), short- or long-sleeved shirt with a collar (possibly with a tie), and loafers or dress shoes. Sandals and tennis shoes are not acceptable when teaching. Long hair should be neatly tied into a ponytail.
The TEFL school is located in Ho Chi Minh City. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious city. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, are a jumble of markets, shops, pavement cafes, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. It's impossible not feel the exhilarating vibe of native heritage, French cultural influence, and Western capitalism. There you will witness a mix of the old and new where modern skyscrapers are juxtaposed with fading colonial buildings, Chinese-style pagodas, and historical landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Post Office and the Reunification Hall.
