Month: May 2021

Mondly App | App to Learn Languages

    Mondly | The fun, easy and effective language app.

I think one of the best apps for learning English is Mondly. There are two versions you can use. You have the free version or the premium version. With the premium, you get a 7 day free trial on activation. After that it is ..

 1) One month for 69,000 Vietnamese dong or US $3.00 per month.

2) 12 months for 29,999 Vietnamese dong or US $15.00 per month

There are currently 70 million people learning 41 languages worldwide. You can download the app free from the App store.

Learning with AI is even better,

Look here at “Learn a New Language with AI”

Features; 

1) 50 Topics to learn. These topics cover; Core vocabulary, Family, Countries and Languages, Romance; Seasons and Weather: Preparing a Trip; Travel;  Vacation activities and Public transportation. Helps you  prepare for the most common situations.

2) Forty one real conversations to give you fluency in your chosen language.

3)  Thirty six vocabulary builders to install words fast.

4) Grammar features and Conjugation tables to shortcut your progress.

 5) Quick daily lessons for constant improvement.

Benefits;

1) Being able to learn in any of your comfort zones. Learn in a relaxed environment. i.e. your own kitchen or den  wherever you find yourself.

2) Quick coverage of in depth content. Has the ability to cover a large range of training in a short period of   time.

3) Free new training everyday means new vocabulary and activities everyday. Should never be boring.

4) In depth, timely training gives clarity to content. Comprehension goes hand in hand with new vocabulary.

5) The greatest benefit in my opinion is learning quickly “on the go” where you can practise as you learn.

Additional learning experiences. 

Mondly Kids. Kids have so much fun “playing” Mondly Kids that they forget they’re learning a new language.

Mondly AR. Enjoy the immersive experience of learning a new language in Augmented Reality.

Mondly VR. Your own virtual language learning assistant. Anytime. Anywhere. The most advanced method to learning English.

Conclusion

Using apps like Mondly are a great way of additional training. I think by bringing together two or three styles of learning you will definitely be ahead of the pack.


Mondly was named “Editors’ Choice” in Google Play and “Best New App” by Apple.

 

English Language Apps

One tool a lot of teachers do not use are English Language Apps. They may be seen as a threat by some teachers and are not offered for that reason. The threat being that the student can study and learn alone and has no need of the teacher. Although I have found most students do not have the self motivation to study alone. And they also prefer to study in a group that is at the same level as them.

But learning English in a class environment doesn’t work for everyone. For different reasons some people enjoy learning a language on their own. And one of the best ways of doing it alone are by using an app.

To understand the use of apps we need to understand why some people like to learn by themselves.

1) Time constraints: You might not have enough time to study formally in the classroom 4 – 6 hours per week. Using an app gives you control of when and how long the lesson is.

2) Disabilities: The student may have a disability that precludes him or her from learning in a classroom. Some classrooms are now using assistive technology to help the impaired. It is still difficult to find these classes in ESL ( English as a Second Language) environments.

3) Shyness: Extreme shyness in any social situation limits the effectiveness of group study and learning. For these people using an app to learn a language is a way around that.

 

Best Language Learning Apps

 

Babbel. Babbel looks like a fun app and a very good way to learn from the ground up. It rates highly in teaching English and offers a 7 day free trial. Babbel teaches reading, writing , listening and speaking. It offers courses for fourteen languages including English.

Mondly. Mondly is a very easy app to use and was named app of the year by Facebook and Best new App by Apple. It has over 70 million downloads. Learning is done by a conversation focused curriculum. Its’ focus is on phrases not individual words. Mondly has 41 languages including English. Mondly starts from $4.00 per month.

U Talk. U Talk has 140 plus languages to learn including English. U talk uses a teaching style called dual coding which link both sides of the brain. The left which controls language and the right which handles visual infomation. It does this by linking a word to an image.

Duo Lingo. Duo Ling is an American language learning website and mobile app. It is also a digital language proficiency assessment exam. This is a free app, however they also offer a premium service for a fee. The premium service removes adds and supports free education. The Duolingo English test is reported on a scale of 10 to 160. Overall scores include a general description of what you can do. While the sub-scores measure your proficiency in specific areas. For example Conversation – the ability to listen and speak. Literacy – the ability to read and write. Comprehension –  the ability to read and listen. Production – the ability to write and speak.

Preply. Preply provides online English Tutors and Teachers. The courses cover; English for work, English speaking practice, English for life abroad, English for exams, English for kids, English for business. Preply English is a professional program designed for teams and organizations offering tailor made solutions with on line tutors. They have easy to use video and audio tools and provide English language learning videos via Preply Space.

 

Using apps to learn English gives you another way in which to study. There is no right way or wrong way, there is just the way that is best for you. Whether you use the immersion method, the classroom method or the dual method ( which is a combination of the immersion method and the classroom method.) , experiment until you find the one method that fits your daily life and learning style the best! My preference is Mondly, it is an intuitive app.

 

My Technology tools in the ESL classroom

Technology in the classroom is a very important topic and is something that will make your life easier as well as more exciting for the student.

Much like Orville and Wilbur Wright who could see the changes happening in Aviation, we can see the changes happening in the classroom. It is something that is happening now, not in one or two years time.

I would like to show you the tech. tools that I use in the classroom. And why I think we should all have these tools to help us with our lessons.

One of the biggest problems I have as a teacher is to be heard in the classroom. Especially in the public schools where it is not uncommon to have 40 students in a class. A headset/amplifier is a must if you want to protect your voice. A good output is about 30 watts of power. There is a large selection of headset/amplifiers that you can choose from.

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We also have to think about the listening content for the class. In the past we would have used a C.D. (Compact Disc) and C.D. player. Or a USB. But now, for efficiency, I load my google drive with my lessons. Then I connect it to my mobile phone ( Cell phone) and add a Sony blue tooth speaker ( Like a Sony SRS-XB41) that is also around 30 watts output. 

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 And then when I want to provide any visual material, I use my laptop or a projector. These days my preference is using a projector. The reasons for this are threefold. 

Number one is the ease of operation. setting up your laptop with a school resource always presents problems. What is the wi-fi password? Where did the HDML cable go? Where is the remote control? You can set up your projector before class starts. You can have everything ready to go. The worst thing for students is to sit and wait for the teacher to get ready. One class might only be 45 minutes, so if you are wasting 10 minutes in preparation, dont be surprised if the classroom starts to become noisy. 

Number two is cost. You can provide very good lessons at a price that doesn’t hurt the wallet or purse too much. The cost of a projector is a lot less than the cost of a laptop if a glass of water gets spilled on it. Once again there is a good selection of projectors, with some that can interface with your smartphone. 

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Number three is size. Yes, size does matter. The smaller the better. Try to keep all the stuff you carry from school to school as compact as you can. Your body will thank you at the end of the day for just carrying a projector and not a laptop with all the extra bits and pieces.

“>     At the end of the day you will find the technology that suits you and your style of teaching.

ESL Lesson Plans for Kids

A good teacher should always find new ways to engage the student. Looking for new ideas and new content for the classroom needn’t be difficult or a chore. There is a wealth of ideas and classroom activities that can be gleaned from the internet. Then you have other resources like class books, You Tube sites and Teacher forums. It is not difficult to find new resources for your students. You can use print outs or videos or apps developed for different ages and skill levels.

Your students will love you for the time you have taken to make the lessons more ineresting. It is easy to get into the habit of providinng the same type of lesson over and over again, but it is also just as easy to get into the habit of looking for new material.

First you have to make sure that it is age relevant. Also it is relevant for the skill level of the students. A good lesson plan can incorporate flashcards, worksheets, craft sheets,songs and classroom readers. Some of the sites you can get them from are;

 www.englishwsheets.com; www.eslpartyland.com; www.esl-lab.com; www.lanternfish.com; Britishcouncil.org; Google earth. 

All the above websites are a good first stop for your class resources. They provide everything from wordsearches, craftsheets, flascards, songs and short readers, grammar sheets and video. British council provides apps that help with vocabulary, and stories that help with listening and speaking skills.

ESL Lesson Plans for Teenagers 

When it comes to the field of ESL education, most job prospects fall under teaching business English to adults or teaching children their basics. Teenagers don’t come first on the list because they come with their own set of challenges.

With a lot on their plate, some can often come across as moody. And if you get a big group of them, there’s guaranteed to be a lot of chatter and goofing around. A lot of teachers I know will not teach teenagers and percieve them to be too challenging for the rewards on offer. 

But teaching teenagers can also be rewarding. When teens respond well to an activity or a lesson, it can have a big impact on them. It’s rewarding to watch any English learner succeed—but helping a teenager master a skill that prepares them for college or their dream job, or broadens their understanding of the world, is an amazing feeling.

Plus, teaching teenagers basically forces you to think outside the box! They’re too old for simple vocabulary games and they don’t typically have the internal drive and focus that many adult ESL learners have. Getting creative with your lessons and discovering what motivates your students will make you feel like a super-teacher! You will be forced to think on your feet. And if you can do that, most of the other challenges you face in the classroom will seem a lot less. 

ESL Lesson Plans for Adults

Teaching adults can be a great privilege.

Let them know you care with outstanding, informative lesson plans!

Adult students are eager to learn.They take responsibility for their learning progress.

They often provide a wonderful snapshot of their own culture so both teachers and students can learn in the classroom.

But adults are also more demanding. They want to know how to function in their new language as fast as possible and they prize practicality above all else.

They’ll challenge your knowledge and methodsof instruction pushing you until they get the best information you can give.

When teaching adults the English language, it’s very important to provide practical useful language such as key vocabulary and phrases for survival in English speaking countries—that can help them in their everyday lives and advance them toward their lofty goals of English fluency. Quite often adults require a formal qualification at the end of the course. Studying IELTS would provide this framework..

The International English Language Testing System ( IELTS) is widely recognised as a test of language aility of candidates who needto study or work where English is the language of communication.

English Words Quiz

We all like a good quiz. And in the classroom it can generate a lot of laughs. Remember, laugh and learn.It can also generate discussions about english.

Where did our English words come from and who used them and how were they used. And i am also interested in the future if English. Will we still need language as we know it today. Will we be speaking or communicating like the ancient Egyptians using emojis instead of heiroglyphics. Will we even need the spoken word or will we be fitted with internal computers that  “speak” only in mathematical equations, a binary language as such. Or will some of our other abilities awaken and we find we can communicate telepathically. 

When using quizes and promoting general discussion ( This has its’ own challenges) it can be very rewarding to see your students grappling with ideas and trying to share in a language they are not fully conversant in.

Anyway, lets jump in and I can show you a couple of quizes. Thease can be put into electronic format or a print format. I would recommend starting with a printed version only until you become more conversant in handling Quizes. Remember to break your class groups that challenge one another. A small prize ( A pepsi or crisps for each winning team member) is a good idea. There are a lot of different games or quizes that you can use. One of the easiest is to go around the class using the alphabet to elicit responses for the names of individual animals or food or countries. For example A for apple, B for banana, C for chocolate  etc. a for Australia, B for Beiruit, C for Canada..etc IThis is a good warm up activity for when the students walk into the classroom. 

Teaching Speaking Quiz

1. Which of the following refers to a casual form of conversation that breaks the ice or fills silence between people?

 small talk
 quick chat
 instant message

2. Which step does not belong in the pre-communicative stage of a speaking lesson?

 introduce the function
 provide useful expressions
 play the recorded dialogue

3. “Wait time” refers to the amount of time

 between giving a presentation and getting a mark
 student should wait before asking a 2nd question
 a teacher remains silent after asking a question

4. What type of speaking activity is this? Student A: You are boarding a bus. Ask the driver if it will take you to your hotel. Student B: You stop to pick up a business traveler. Help the traveler find the right route.

 cloze
 jigsaw
 roleplay

5. Which role is the teacher playing here? The teacher listens to the students having a group discussion, and takes notes of sample language to go over later.

 learner
 mentor
 assessor

6. When setting up group discussions in the classroom it is a good idea to

 vary group sizes from time to time
 keep friends together whenever possible
 choose a narrowed down topic for students

7. The degree to which another person can understand someone’s spoken language is referred to as

 accuracy
 appropriacy
 intelligibility

8. Which of the following is an important part of spoken language that should be covered in speaking lessons?

 chants
 gestures
 convergence

9. Choose the word that matches the following definition: a specific language goal or aim presented in a lesson

 skill basis
 pedagogic task
 target structure

10. Maximizing STT is the same as

 micromanaging small groups
 maintaining classroom control
 minimizing teacher talking time

Just because something is old and has been used a lot in the past does not mean it is any less relevant in helping students (and teachers) attain their English goals.

Are you an ESL teacher looking for a second income?

Sometimes as an ESL ( English as a Second Language) Teacher it is nice to add more strings to our bow. Teaching ESL in exotic locations has always appealed to me, but sometimes the lifestyle can take a bump or two. Perhaps the school you were contracted with had its funds re-rallocated by the Government or you just happened to start teaching in the middle of what will turn out to be the worst pandemic in over 50 years. Covid has caught up with a lot of teachers I know, forcing them to rethink their careers. Most of us teachers love our jobs and love helping the students attain their language goals. However when it starts to get tight financially you have to be prepared to do something else. and the majic word in that sentence is “prepared”. Like most things in life you have to prepare for change. Do not expect to walk out of teaching and into another job that pays the same, especially in a foreign (possibly) third world country.

How to get a second income.

There are a number of opportunities around at the moment. we are living in strange times. The U.S.A has a very high unemployment rate currently, yet businesses are complaining that they can not get staff. Restaurants are closing because they can not find waiters and cooks. Small businesses are finding running their business has become impossible because they can not find checkout staff.. However, look on a lot of social media websites and you will always find people advertising for stock brokers and FX traders. Drop shippers and bloggers and crypto currency traders are a dime a dozen. So there are definitely positions out there but you havee to be careful. Blockchain, crypto currency traders scare me, as it looks like gambling to me. Drop shipping seems like more of a safe option. Harder work and not an overnight success story. So that is something I would consider. My only concern is that when someone like Jeff Bozos wants out, it might mean that this form of shopping might be coming to an end. My apologies if you don’t agree, but I just want to keep this in laymans terms. Easy for all of us to understand.

Affiliate marketers build wealth for many reasons – to feel financial secure, to be able to live a meaningful life, Build networks, to help others and to become an expert in what they love to do. The reasons are very individual

Marketing madness, are we all insane.

My favorite form of marketing madness is Affiliate marketing. And especially niche affiliate marketing. Heck, why don’t we make it even harder and develop a super niche and only sell…no..wait..we only offer to sell to those who are interested in our niche. And we are not going to make it more expensive to buy via us. In fact we might put together an incentive package for r patrons to thank them for us making it easier for them to find the product and purchase it. Now, if i could only include some self flaggelation …

SiteContent Editor – Wealthy Affiliate

How to become an affiliate marketer.

Becoming a good and successful affiliate marketer is not done overnight. It takes time like everything else you want to master, but having a commitment, a successful blueprint which the likes of Wealthy Affiliates has laid out, along with training classes that are a priceless help in becoming a good Affiliate marketer.

The most awesome thing with Affiliate marketing is that you can choose any niche you want. You can turn your passion into a business or you can decide to make a business around something you love. There is nothing like the feeling of enjoying your work every day. It is a very smart way of working.

Some people choose to use their time to build wealth and multiple income streams to get the life they feel they deserve.

Jaxxy and productivity.

Teachers use markers and white boards and affiliate marketers use a word or phrase research tool.Thiis tool takes the words and phrases used to find information on the web and uses that to gather in depth research on other websites. This will provide you with a huge quantity of information about other companies. And they can also help uncover low cost domains as well as fast growing businesses in the market place. How much would you pay to find out the next big thing in the financial markets or the next massive thing in the wearable technology market. Would you like to be months, if not years ahead of your competitors.Can your business not afford to have it. Jaxxy is one of these tools. Not the only one, but the only one designed by cutting edge affiliate marketers..While you are deciding on which research tool to use, Jaxxy and its owners, Wealthy Affiliates give you the opportunity to use it up to thirty times on a trial basis. ,

Money and affiliate marketing.

There will be ups and downs in your business, but don’t ever let yourself get beat as a result of lack of effort.That I would say is the #1 contributor to failure that I have seen after working with a lot of people online, many of which have created incredible success. Effort, and sustaining a high level of effort over time will have a profound and very positive impact on your business and success.

Effort alone will take you wherever you want to go within the online business world. Now get out there and be productive! Your business and your success deserves it.

Affiliate marketers build wealth for many reasons – to feel financially secure, to be able to live a meaningful life, Build networks, to help others and to become an expert in what they love to do. The reasons are very individual and drive the success of each affiliate marketer.

Wealthy Affiliates is a wonderful way to provide a second income stream.

Planning with a SWOT analysis template by Microsoft Word

We are in the middle of May and the schools are closed and the borders are closed. There are no firm dates ( In Vietnam) as to when everything gets back to normal. Am I going to sit around and moan about life being against me or am I going to take this opportunity to focus on how I can help my students return to the classroom. I want to plan and prepare my classroom lessons and activities for when everything is open again. 

The first thing i want to do is take stock of where I am (professionally and financially), where i want to go and how do i get there as well as how can i help my students achievr their language skill goals. my favorite method is by downloading a swot analysis tool from Microsoft word.   

 

           

I can use this tool on any teachers, students or other external factors that affect my work. This will focus me on moving forward as soon as possible and may even uncover any opportunities that I haven’t thought about.

As an example one of the things I could look at would be…

How to use Technology in the classroom.

  Strengths; Technology in the classroom can be used to focus the student by useing video, powerpoint as well as laptops and i-pads for a more inter active learning experience.

 Weaknesses; By useing tech.in the classroom it might be percieved by others that the teacher is relying on external sources and moving away from the base curriculum that needs to be taught.

Opportunities; Can be used to engage students who otherwise find it difficult to follow the spoken voice. Also for those who have different levels of interest in the subject. 

Threats; Could be seen by other teachers as an attempt to hijack the learning processor as an easy teaching option. Could upset the status quo.

 This is an example only, but at this stage you would decide if it was worthwhile in preparing a lesson plan useing technology.

During this period of relative inactivity you can review the different levels of students you have and the approach you use to teach them.

 

Laugh and Learn.

For the younger learners i am very focused on the laugh and learn approach. Make your lessons exciting with lots of movement ( Especially Kindergarten) as the younger students attention span is not as developed as the older students. Try to change activities every 5 – 10 minutes. Add a lot of visual stimuli ( Pictiures, posters and flashcards) as well as aural input. ( You tube videos and sing alongs). And games. One of the best ways to teach English is by playing games. There are games for every skill . You have.. 

  • Listening Games
  • Speaking Games
  • Reading and Writing Games
  • Vocabulary Games
  • Grammar Games

You can play hangman, Taboo, Pictionary, slap the board, last man standing and board race just to name a few of the hundreds of games out there. My advice is to try out a few games and see which ones work for you and your students. Happy hunting.

Put your time to good use and get your classroom preparation done. Your emplorers and your students will be impressed and you will be held in high esteem and hopefuly rewarded as a result.

Quite often be bemoan the fact that we don’t have enough time to put together the classroom lessons and activities we wish we had. here is your chance. 

And if finances are starting to whittle away, now is also the time to look at adding other income streams to your ESL Teaching career. I will be covering this in my next post. 

Teaching online jobs

During these times when we can’t move around much because borders are closed and schools are closed due to covid-19 it is a good idea to look at Teaching online jobs. You can improve your skills and earn while you learn.

Who are the best companies to teach online with. here we go.

A list of best companies to teach online with would include;

1) VIPKID

2) PALFISH

3) Q KIDS

4) Magic Ears

5) E.F. English First

6) Say ABC

7) DaDa ABC

8) Cambly

All the above companies are great for teaching English online. And there are over a billionpeople currently learning English globally. As a result, online teaching oppurtunities are happening all around the world to keep up with demand.

The top five countries that need online teachers now are;

1) China. China has over 300 million peoplecurrently learning English. Some Chinese English teaching companies are, VIP KID, Q KIDS, itutor group, Hello Kid, GoGo kid, We talk English and DaDa.

2) South Korea. They come next on the list as most companies in Korea require applicants to have a TOEIC ( Test of English for International Communication) qualification to apply. Along with adults there are a lot of peoplewho want their children to learn Engliush at a young age. Some online South Korean companies are English Hunt, Fine Teacher, Bok tutors, Engliphone and Carrot English.

3) Japan. Like south korea, employerswant their applicants to have the TOEIC qualification. Some Japanese online teaching companies are Best Teacher, Hello English, Cena Academy, English Hunt and English everywhere.

4) Vietnam. speaking English will help boost their career and the government has said they want Vietnam to be a dual language society in the near future. There is a big roll out within the government school system and there are never enough good Native English Speakers ( N.E.S.) to go around. And this also holds true for the online industry. There is a bigger focus on communicatiuon skills rather than a specific type of English.

Two Vietnamese online teaching companies are Antoree and Kidtopi.   

5) Taiwan. A lot of parents want their children to study from a young age as they believe it will help them to study or work abroad in the future, especially the United States. Taiwanese online teaching companies are Hi Tutor, Oi Kid, DMA 1on 1, and tutor ABC. 

So you know there is a high demand for teachers and where the demand is . But does it pay well?

School Teacher Salary

Your hourly rates for teaching online depend on a few factors. These being where you teach (What country) and which company you teach with?. Also what qualifications do you have? Most companies want someone with a degree. Not necessarily in the education field ( Although that would be perfect) but at least something. However you can also totor with some companies without a degree but don’t expect to be paid top dollar. non-degree hourly rates can start from around $12.00 US per hour. 

Teaching online can be a flexible and fun career, but if you don’t like children it might not be for you. Generally I have found most teachers to be good communicators and outgoing. If this is not you and you feel challenged in social situations this might not be for you.

On the upside the set up costs are minimal. A good internet connection, Skype or Zoom and an English teaching “licence” along with a computer and you can make $25.00 US per hour and more in some places.Another benefit are the hours are flexible and unlike classroom based learning, you are not tied to a curriculum. You can decide the hours you wish to invest.

also during these times of lockdown and border and school closuresyou can learn your craft while earning money.

Master Teaching online.

Before and during your recruitment process you will probably want to increase and hone your skills.

First off you will have to obtain n English teaching licence  ( Tesol, Celta or TEFL being some of them) that allows you to teach English as a second language.There are a plethora of Schools, Universities and Companies that provide these qualifications.Some better than others. My preference when looking for a new teacher is to make sure they have done some classroom teaching and not purely online teaching. Different people will recommend different courseswether Tesol, Celta or something else. It also comes down to your style of teaching and also the style of teaching and qualification your country or company prefer. For example if you prefer to teach in the T.P.R. style ( Total Physical response you may wish to go with a TESOL. However if you wish to teach in Japan a CELTA would be more appropriate. Once you have your teaching licence I would recommend specific learning for online teaching. You will find a lot of good information on both the online English teaching companies websites as well as Youtube and other sites you can google up.

Conclusion.

As I mentioned, during these days of covid and school and border closures, teaching online makes a lot of sense. you can get all your qualificationsprior to teaching and this will give you a great entry into the world of the ESL teacher. Even if you prefer teaching face to face (in the classroom) like myself, this will give you income while you are learning your teaching skills. There are obviously differences betweenteaching online and classroom teaching, but there are also similarities. You will discover regional weaknesses in pronunciationof English and how to overcome these. you will also learn how to motivate your students to learn. What works and what doesn’t.

so what are you waiting for, jump in and become the English teacher the world needs. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or feedback.and while it may take me a couple of days for me to reply, I will return your enquiry.    

Covid in Vietnam – School closures – Border closures – teachers needed

It is important to know what is happening in Vietnam in regards to school and border closures. Would it be better to stay home and teach in on line schools and colleges or is there some way to get ahead during this crisis?. 

An overview of the corona virus in Vietnam.

The first case of COVID-19 in Viet Nam was detected on 24 January 2020. There have been 3489 confirmed cases with 35 deaths.

The fourth wave of corona virus infections broke out in Vietnam on April 27th after about a month of no transmissions. The Deputy Health minister Do Xuan Tuan has said that the covid 19 pandemic is under control. ( As reported by Tuoitrenews)

As of may12th there were 82 new cases in the last 24 hours. If you have had any contact with others carrying COVID you can be expected to be tested and placed in quarantine for 21 days.

Ho Chi Minh City has barred gatherings of over 30 people and have shut down gyms, buffet restaurants, karaoke bars and massage parlours.It is also mandatory to wear masks in public and at any other social events participants must keep a distance of 1 meter apart. Fines are being handed out to those not complying. 

Temporary closure of tourism sites

Within the country, Vietnamese health officials have temporarily isolated several locations that are deemed high-risk, or those that have been recently visited by travellers with confirmed cases of the virus. Tourism sites across the country are also setting aside closure days to disinfect their premises. From April 23, tourism attractions in the country are allowed to reopen but must ensure safety measures are in place for all visitors. 

School closures

Universities and schools were shut down on May 4th due to the COVID 19 outbreaks and while some schools had intended to re-open on May10th, they have extended the closures and are doing on-line learning. So there are still no schools open and no date quoted as to when classes will start up again. The schools are also going into test season, so I feel there is no urgency to get the students back into the classroom. 

Border closures

If you can get into Vietnam the lockdown or quarantine period has gone from 14 days to 21 days.

Only Vietnamese nationals, foreigners on diplomatic or official business, and highly skilled workers are allowed to enter the country at this time. From Feb. 1, 2021 until further notice, anyone entering Vietnam must undergo medical checks and 21-day quarantine upon arrival.

Vietnam closed its borders and cancelled all commercial flights from March 22nd last year.and has since only allowed Vietnamese repatriates and foreign experts and highly skilled workers ( along with their families) to enter Vietnam.

All foreigners who entered Vietnam after March 1 on visa exemptions, e-visas or tourism visas will be given automatic stay extensions at no charge until April 30, 2021. Travellers still in the country must declare their temporary residence to local police, through their landlords or hotels, and must complete Vietnam’s online health declaration.

Visitors who entered the country before March 1 may be considered for the extension, provided they can show an official letter from their embassy or consulate stating they were unable to leave the country due to objective reasons (letter must also be translated to Vietnamese). Foreigners who have undergone quarantine or treatment for COVID-19 in Vietnam are also eligible for the extension and should bring their certification documents to immigrations when leaving Vietnam. 

Tourism experts are proposing to welcome vaccinated foreign passport holders starting from July. This is only in discussion at this stage and no legislation or plan has been put in place. There has been a 79% decline in tourists over the last year and in conjunction with that it has become increasingly difficult to find good nativ eEnglish speaking teachers. 

ESL teachers needed.

So at this stage, borders are still closed, schools are closed and there are no definite dates for the reopening of either

.So what can you do….a lot. This gives you an excellent chance to get ahead of the pack for when everything is reopened. The first thing you can do is get your TEFL or TESOL or whatever your preferred qualification is. ( Look at my suggestions on this site) Secondly, you can start to join the ESL teacher groups of which there are many. You have groups for each city, groups for market segments. For example there are business English groups, groups for the public schools and groups for private schools and kindergartens. Start applying for positions now and when the floodgates open you will be the first to land that dream teaching position. here are some of the groups available,

Real English Teaching jobs.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/real.english.teaching.in.vietnam/

ESL Teaching jobs (China and Vietnam) https://www.facebook.com/groups/eslassoc/

Tutoring Jobs in Vietnam. https://www.facebook.com/groups/649368095857843/

Vietnam English Teaching jobs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/englishteachingjob/

English Teaching jobs with free accommodation. https://www.facebook.com/groups/531609093889853/

Jobs for foreigners in Vietnam. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2764514153653961/

Business English Teachers in H.C.M.C. https://www.facebook.com/groups/125766108132977/

English Teachers in Vietnam. https://www.facebook.com/groups/723545587776475/

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) ESL Teaching jobs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1521862661370506/

FETV ( Foreign English teachers in Vietnam) https://www.facebook.com/groups/272425830058329/

As my site is specifically for Ho Chi Minh City most of these groups deal in this area however you will often find they are looking for teachers in differents cities or provinces.

Conclusion

As I said the borders are closed and school is out ( Thankyou Mr Alice Cooper). But for you , this is your break to get ahead of the rest before everything starts to shift back to being normal. so get your qualifications and start applying for those jobs. There are a lot of schools now preparing for new teachers to fill the ranks. If you need any help finding training, positions, accommodation or airport pickups give me a pre emptive call and we can make life easier for when arrivals start happening again. 

Halong bay