Netizens are bustling with suggestions on how to learn a foreign language 'if you're not good at it, don't go home'

Taking advantage of the fact that Nguyen The Hoan won two gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad but was rejected by an American University just because his foreign language skills were not good enough, netizens rushed to share ways to learn foreign languages ​​"if you are not good, don't go home".

Free tour guide reported by CNN

Founded in 2013, Hanoi eBuddies (abbreviated as HeBs) is a volunteer group that specializes in guiding foreign tourists around the city for free. CNN on April 14 introduced an article by author Halima Ali, in which she talked about the interesting feeling of going on a tour with a HeBs member, "like going out with a friend, because we talked about all kinds of things in life, not just simply introducing the places we went through."

Previously, the HeBs group was also rated 5 stars by users of the famous travel site TripAdvisor.

Most members who come to HeBs have the same goal: to find opportunities to communicate with foreign guests, thereby improving their foreign language skills!

Nguyen Thuy Quynh, a former member of HeBs, currently studying in the US, said: “I heard someone talk about HeBs, saw the interesting model so I signed up to participate. Later I found out that to be recruited, you have to go through an interview, and the organizing committee must see that your level is okay before you can be accepted.

In the first days of taking customers, although I had been carefully trained, I still made many mistakes. I apologized constantly, but luckily most of the customers were nice so I was less embarrassed. At that time, I talked with my mouth, hands, and face, and I also kept my phone in my hand so that if I came across any difficult words, I could look them up right away. Thanks to this practical way of learning, my listening and speaking skills improved very quickly. When I went to study abroad, I was almost not surprised or shocked."

Tran Huy Hoang (University of Architecture) shared: “I studied French at L'espace, but after six courses I ran out of money and had to quit. Once I heard a friend talk about HeBs, so I thought it was just for fun. Since there weren't many students studying French, I was accepted even though my level was a bit weak. After about eight months of touring, I returned to L'espace to take the test and, in a flash, my level jumped three levels. I have now seen how extremely effective this direct learning method is.”

Pham Diem Huong (Hanoi University) concluded: “Being a tour guide not only improves foreign language skills, but also improves understanding of history, culture and other life skills. Most importantly, you can communicate with foreigners without spending a penny on tuition and still learn how to speak correctly.”

Answer all questions from bar addresses to where to buy cheap, beautiful souvenirs.

Traveling with the West and one word a day

Tours that “travel and learn foreign languages” are currently flourishing in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to this model, travel companies will connect Western tourists and Vietnamese people who want to learn foreign languages ​​in the same excursion (from 2-7 days) within an “acceptable” price range of 2-7 million.

Thus, people who want to learn a foreign language will have the opportunity to practice the language for eight hours a day, in specific contexts, without feeling like they have to sit in class and recite lessons.

This is a foreign language learning trend that is being praised by working people because of its relaxed conditions and “fun is the main” spirit. “I say “fun is the main” but I find this type of communication very effective. Because they are “tied” together in the same space and living conditions, both sides (Westerners and Vietnamese) have to make an effort to find ways to express themselves in order to understand each other.

The conditions to support foreign language learning are now available, any difficult words can be looked up online immediately so progress is often faster than usual. Moreover, because each situation has high applicability, once it comes up, it will be remembered for a long time," shared Ms. Tran Kim Anh (Hoa Phat Company).

A way to accumulate foreign languages ​​without rushing as suggested by writer Duong Thuy is also widely shared. Duong Thuy told about the situation where she met a fellow countryman who had lived in France for more than ten years but still did not know French. The writer suggested that she “just learn one word a day, maybe next year when we meet at the airport you will not need me to translate anymore”.

Along with Duong Thuy's experience sharing line, people who want to eliminate foreign language illiteracy also attached many websites specializing in teaching pronunciation for free such as forvo, lingohut... Some persistent people have also achieved very positive results.

Linhcaoden (Hanoi) boasted: “After practicing Lingohut for three months, I went to China to buy, sell, bargain, and communicate in general. Because I only tried to memorize lessons related to traveling such as asking for directions, on the plane, in the hotel, on the street, etc. It's really not as difficult as many people threaten.”

Ask me anything!

“Ask Me Anything”, abbreviated as AMA, was established in Hanoi in 2015, attracting thousands of participants.

The founder of AMA is Tran Van Tien (30 years old), owner of The Note coffee shop opposite Hoan Kiem Lake. Due to the nature of his work, Tien is often "complained" by foreign tourists, especially individual customers, because Hanoi lacks information boards guiding scenic spots, historical sites, and places to eat in English. On the contrary, from his own experience, having the need to learn a foreign language but not having a training environment, and learning ineffectively due to the rigid curriculum of the school, he came up with a way to connect these two groups.

So since April 2015, every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in front of Ly Thai To statue, opposite Hoan Kiem lake, a group of young people wearing Ask Me Anything uniforms will gather and hang a sign: “Ask Me Anything (for) Free. Direction, Cuisine, Culture, History, Where to go, What to do. We can speak English, Dutch, French, Chinese”.

Over the past two years, AMA has welcomed several generations of “successful and successful” students, and has increasingly expanded its volunteer team. Currently, the youngest record holder at AMA is Nguyen Quang Minh (Thanh Xuan), who is only 10 years old. In addition, AMA also attracts a number of international volunteers, such as Kylie (American) who is currently doing her PhD thesis on community projects like AMA…

AMA is also expanding its reach by continually adding “supportable” foreign languages ​​to its lineup: recently, Japanese and German were added.

The AMA model has been proven to be a delicious, nutritious, and cheap way to learn a foreign language, and members have been constantly cheering for and “showing off” their achievements. Since the end of last year, AMA has spread to Ha Long, Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho…

According to TPO