What Will I Do as a Teacher in Vietnam?

You’ll be working in a private school – this means that your students will be motivated and enthusiastic on the most part. Your working environment has been designed and tweaked to allow you to flourish as a teacher, and your students to get the most from their time at school. Working in a private school does however mean that standards are high, and parents expect only the best for your students. That will come in the form of your high value as a native English-speaker and your passion to improve your students abilities whilst making your lessons fun.

You’ll be working an unfamiliar schedule – most of your working hours will be in the evenings on weekdays and during the day on weekends, but you will always get two days off each week. Students come after their day at regular school, whether that be state or private, and seek to get ahead with their English. This schedule does seem very alien but it works for many of our teachers who embrace the time during the day to further their skills such as speaking Vietnamese, vlogging, or cooking.

You’ll have the opportunity for promotions and training – this is one of the most exciting things about working in Vietnam. The schools that we work with are keen on fast-tracking successful teachers into more senior roles with greater responsibilities. Whether you want to teach long term or not, thus us a fantastic opportunity to improve your CV and gain a variety of work experience.

You’ll be teaching small classes – expect around twenty students in each of your classes, as well as your co-teacher who is there to support and guide you if needed. Small class sizes means that communicating with each and every student is very possible, a privilege not all teachers have. Having extra time for your students means you can build strong relationships and help them with specific aspects of their English. Your students will be aged between 3 and 17, with a wide variety of English ability, in classes arranged to reflect that.

You’re unlikely to face classroom management issues – due to the prestigious nature of the schools and small class sizes, students are not in a position to misbehave. Parents do not accept students disrupting the classes learning, so the school makes sure it is not an issue. But you will be advised if anything problematic does arise, children will always be children.

You’ll be part of an awesome team – the Vietnamese teachers at your school will be incredibly passionate and usually very experienced. This is a real blessing and a fantastic opportunity for you to learn. But their support stretches further than simply academic matters, getting you settled and secure in your new home will be their top priority. Take advantage of their local knowledge to find the best spots to eat, dance, and whatever else you might enjoy.

Requirements

Now you know what all the hype is about, let’s see if you fit the requirements set by the Vietnamese government for teachers in their country.

In the past, the bar was lower. A TEFL certificate and a degree would qualify you as the perfect candidate. But unfortunately this has changed, we are working to find ways around this but can only work with the rules dictated to us. We must do so to ensure everything is safe and legal.

Hopefully these requirements apply to you, as we want to help you on your Vietnamese adventure, see below for more details.

Requirements:

• Hold a passport from the UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa
• Have a university degree (any subject is ok – and final year students can apply)
• Hold a clean background check
• One year full time teaching experience OR a CELTA/TESOL with an in class component

You don’t need any knowledge of the Vietnamese language.

If these requirements do not apply to you but you are keen to teach in Asia, please consider our China and Thailand programs.