American son-in-law opens free English club in Vinh city
(Baonghean.vn) - Nearly 5 years ago, when he first set foot to work in Vinh City, perhaps even Sean William Laurence, an American born in Boston, did not expect that he would be attached to this land, even get married,organize community activities.
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| Sean and his wife. Photo: NVCC |
Being a person who loves to experience, in 2013, when a close friend of Sean invited him to teach in Vinh City, he did not hesitate to nod in agreement.
Eager to explore and integrate into the customs of Nghe An, the Boston native initially faced some culture shock. Language barriers, differences in food, transportation, communication habits, etc. made it difficult for Sean to adapt to the new environment.
It was also during the first few awkward months in Vinh City that Sean met Dang Thi Minh Thuy - the girl who, as Sean described it, "locked his heart in a box that only she had the key to"! Falling in love at first sight, after 5 or 6 months of pursuing, Sean officially received a nod from the pretty Nghe An girl.
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| Overcoming cultural barriers, Sean has integrated and gradually become a part of Nghe An land. Photo: NVCC |
Due to cultural differences and some family issues, Sean decided to return to the US. During his year in the US, the American man continued to keep in touch with his girlfriend. When he realized he could not live without her, Sean returned to Nghe An to work and proposed.
The process of Sean and Thuy going from lovers to husband and wife is difficult to describe in words because there are many barriers and cultural differences such as dating, family behavior, eating habits... However, with sincere love, the two of them overcame the difficulties together and became husband and wife more than a year ago.
When they got married, the idea of creating an English practice environment for everyone came up. Sharing the same passion for English, Sean and Thuy founded “Hello! English Club”.
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| "Hello English Club" was founded by Sean and his wife and is completely free for all English lovers.Photo: Chu Thanh |
Ms. Minh Thuy confided that when she was a student, she used to be the head of the English Club of the Chemistry Department, Vinh University and loved participating in English programs with everyone. After she stopped being the head of the club and married Sean, the couple discussed establishing a club to "continue" their passion from their student days.
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| At “Hello! English Club”, all members communicate with each other in English. Photo: Chu Thanh |
Sean said: “The purpose of establishing the club is to create an environment for everyone to practice English in the most natural way, helping to bring English into life, not just use it in the classroom. We want to turn the club into a place where participants can feel comfortable, sociable, happy and pressure-free. Besides, participating in the club is also a volunteer activity for me. I want to spend time and contribute to help the English learning community in Vinh city, my wife's hometown, grow stronger."
In the future, Mr. Sean said he will continue to maintain the club's activities and plans to stay long-term in Nghe An, which has become his second homeland.
“Hello! English Club” was established in March 2016 and meets every Tuesday morning. After a period of operation, the club attracted about 50 - 60 people, including foreigners living in Vinh City, to participate in topics about love and life. During peak times like summer, the number of club participants can reach approximately 100 people, including many elementary school students. |
Chu Thanh
