Teaching English to Underprivileged Children in Vietnam

Mission and objectives

Founded in 2010, Better Life Vietnam (BLV) is a non-profit organization that works to improve education conditions for underprivileged children and youth in Vietnam. In 2016, Better Life Vietnam was registered as a Social Enterprise, under the name, Cuong Thinh BLV Social Co., LTD. With the vision to help reduce the burden for the poor families of Vietnam, Better Life Vietnam has dedicated its efforts to encourage knowledge and support children in getting the education they deserve. The organization’s three main projects include Books Library, Scholarship, and English Class.

Context

English education in Vietnam remains a challenge, particularly for students from low-income families and rural areas who have limited access to quality English learning and opportunities to practice with native speakers. The program has been introduced to local schools where interested children can register to join with the help of their teachers or parents. We will group them based on their ages and performance. While English is increasingly important and becoming one of the most spoken second languages in Vietnam, teaching in public schools often relies heavily on grammar and does not sufficiently focus on communication and speaking skills, with many teachers also lacking strong casual conversational proficiency. To help address this gap, Better Life Vietnam launched the Online English Class Program to provide underprivileged children and youth with opportunities to practice English with expert volunteers from English-speaking countries, supporting improved access to quality education and contributing to SDG 4 on Quality Education in Vietnam. In the first three-year pilot phase of our program has attracted volunteers from English speaking countries, and with their help, our students have become more confident in speaking English. As a result, they can express their thoughts in English comfortably and are excited about further improving their English-speaking skills.

Task Description

To help address this education gap, Better Life Vietnam launched the Online English Class Program to support underprivileged children and youth in improving their English communication skills. Online Volunteers will support beginner-level children aged 6–14 through small-group online English classes. Each volunteer will typically teach 1–3 groups per week for 1 hour (ICT evenings), with 1–5 children per group, using provided lesson materials and structured guidance. Specifically, online volunteers will: - Follow structured lesson plans and provided learning materials to lead conversational English practice sessions for 1 hour, up to 3 times a week. - Support children in improving pronunciation and spoken communication, as well as encouragement and confidence building in spoken English. - Help identify and correct spelling, grammar, and word usage errors - Support grammar and vocabulary development. - Create additional lesson materials or interactive activities where relevant and appropriate - Review lesson materials in advance to prepare for each class - Participate in orientation, observation, and trial teaching sessions before independently facilitating classes - After the end of the course, volunteer teachers will support by filling in evaluation sheets for students. Please note that while lesson materials are provided, online volunteers are also welcome to create their lesson materials if they have experience in doing so and with prior approval. Volunteers will have a chance to observe how a session is conducted and will be provided with the opportunity to teach trial sessions for practice.

Competencies and values

Living conditions and remarks