We’d love to get to know you! Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to teach abroad?

My name is Eva, I’m from Dublin and I’m 24 years old. I studied food science in college and worked in the food industry after I graduated. As much as I enjoyed working in the food industry, teaching was something I had always wanted to try from a young age. I have always loved to travel and had heard wonderful things about Vietnam. I decided to tick two things off my bucket list by travelling to Vietnam and becoming a teacher! Teaching abroad seemed like the perfect way to explore the world while also gaining professional experience.

What led you to teaching abroad? Did you always imagine yourself working in Vietnam, or did life take you in an unexpected direction?

Life definitely had taken me in an unexpected direction around the time I applied for the internship in Vietnam- but I am so glad it did! I had reached a bit of a crossroads in my life both in a personal and professional sense when I made my decision to take the job. I was extremely torn between pursuing my career in the food industry at home in Ireland and doing something more adventurous like the internship! In the end, I took the chance and I am extremely happy to say it has worked out and I am so glad I made that decision. While I had considered teaching abroad before, I had not necessarily considered working in Vietnam. I had initially thought about working in Spain but I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone by travelling to not only a new country but a new continent!

Looking back at your TEFL course, what were the highlights for you? Do you feel it equipped you well for teaching inVietnam?

The TEFL course was a great foundation for my teaching journey and was very informative. As comprehensive as the course was, teaching is very much a skill that you have to learn through on-the-job practice. I did feel that the course equipped me well on the basics of teaching and gave me tools which helped me adapt to teaching in Vietnam’s unique learning environment. I found it very interesting learning about the ways in which different people learn a language (e.g. visual/auditory/kinaesthetic learners). We also got loads of insights into how to plan lessons and various fun games that can be used in the classroom. 

Walk us through a typical day in your life. What does your daily teaching routine look like?

A typical day for me starts early, at around 6am. I am brought to school by a driver each morning and the commute is around 30 minutes. The students I teach are between Grade 1-Grade 5 (6-10 year olds) and I teach in two different schools each day. I teach 4 lessons in the morning between 8-11am. Then there is a 3 hour break in the afternoon between 11am-2pm. During this time I usually come home and have lunch with friends, plan my afternoon lessons or have a nap depending on how my energy levels are! I then go to a different school in the afternoon and teach 3 lessons between 2-4pm. I then have my evenings free to explore all the wonderful things Hanoi has to offer!

What do you love most about living in Vietnam, and how does it compare to home?

It’s hard to pick just one thing I love the most about living in Vietnam! One of my favourite things is definitely the food. The food in Vietnam is so fresh and flavoursome. Some of my favourite foods here are phở, bún chả and bánh mì. Also the coffee is incredible- they have so many varieties of Vietnamese coffee to choose from such as egg coffee, coconut coffee and salt coffee. The food is very different to the food at home but it’s great to have so many new options to try. It also took me a while to get used to using chopsticks for every meal but I’ve gotten the hang of it now! The main perk of the food here is the affordability. I rarely pay more than €2 for dinner in a local restaurant and street food is even cheaper than that.

What’s one thing about teaching abroad that took you by surprise? We’d love to hear an unexpected challenge or experience you faced.

I think something which caught me off guard was the number of students in each class. Some of my classes have around 50 students which is a lot bigger than the class sizes in Ireland. I teach 30 different classes per week which means I have over 1,000 students per week. The larger class sizes means it can sometimes be a challenge to control the class. The students are very high-energy but once you keep them engaged they are generally very well behaved. Also, with the high volume of students I teach each week, it takes a longer time to get to know the students.

What has been your most fulfilling moment as a teacher abroad so far?

The most fulfilling thing about working as a teacher abroad is being greeted with huge smiles, high fives and excitement by the students as I walk into the classroom. Their genuine joy to see me is something that always makes my day. While teaching young children has its challenges, the enthusiasm the students have makes the job so rewarding. It is nice to know that aside from helping the children to learn English, I am making a positive impact on their lives. I also find it very fulfilling when I manage to encourage some of the shy students to participate in class activities and I can watch their confidence and language skills grow.

If someone is unsure about teaching abroad, what advice would you give them?

My advice would be not to overthink it- just dive in and embrace the experience! I spent so much time weighing up whether or not I should do it and looking back, I had nothing to be afraid of. It is definitely a big decision to make but if you are someone who likes to travel and enjoys working with kids, then I couldn’t recommend the experience enough. Yes, there will be challenges, but the growth you’ll experience, both personally and professionally, is unparalleled. Teaching is such a rewarding job and I have gotten so much job satisfaction from it. It’s an incredible opportunity to try a new career path and to challenge yourself, while also immersing yourself in such a rich culture.

How has teaching abroad influenced your personal and professional growth?

In a personal way, moving to Vietnam has broadened my worldview. It has taught me to embrace uncertainty and appreciate the beauty in different cultures. It’s also enhanced my ability to connect with people from all over the world, making me more open-minded. My biggest source of personal growth has definitely come from the connections and bonds I have made with my students. The impact you have on student’s lives is something incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. I have also noticed a huge growth in my confidence, both in a personal and professional sense. Public speaking has never been my strong point. But now suddenly I am able to teach in front of 1,000 students per week without any nerves! The job has also made me more adaptable and able to think on my feet as teaching is a very unpredictable job.

If you loved reading this story and thought that sounds like something you would love to do, then why not check out our Vietnam internship today? See if you’re eligible and get ready to swap rainy days for street food and stunning landscapes.