Alumni Stories
From Hanoi to Canberra, and then the world: Phuong on her journey to teach in the US
When Phuong Nguyen first started studying, it was a Bachelor of Business Administration, but it wasn’t until her final year that she realised there might be something else out there for her.
“For my internship, I was teaching Vietnamese at a local Bilingual School in Hanoi, Vietnam. I loved the environment there and realised that I wanted to be a teacher,” Phuong says.
While looking into her options, she found a variety of programs abroad at internationally renowned institutions. But while she wanted a program from an internationally respected institution that would provide a well-rounded masters curriculum, as well as opportunities for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and practical experience, she also wanted the flexibility to stay at home in Hanoi.
She had initially been accepted to study abroad at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. Everything was prepared, she had received a scholarship and organised her travels, but then she realised she was still needed at home.
“My mum was very depressed. I realised, I can do my master anytime, I only have one mother,” Phuong says.
It wasn’t until six months later, while chatting to a friend over coffee, that the idea of going back to study occurred and the University of Canberra first came to her attention.
She discovered the Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Foreign Language Teaching (FLT), a University of Canberra degree delivered locally at Hanoi University through a joint program.
“I did some research, the University of Canberra was highly rated, the tuition fees were significantly less than in the UK — I knew this was an opportunity I needed to take. It turned out to be the best decision I have made,” Phuong says.
Hanoi University (HANU) is one of the oldest universities in Vietnam’s capital and is well known for its specialist foreign language training and research. It is located 30 minutes from Hanoi's Old Quarter and offers bachelor’s degrees in up to 10 different languages.
Phuong studied for her entire degree in Hanoi, with the curriculum set by the academics at the University of Canberra in collaboration with Hanoi University. Adapt the curriculum to set the local collaboration with HANU.
“I was taught by incredibly knowledgeable and supportive professors. They challenged me and encouraged me to study as hard as I could,” Phuong says.
“I accessed the most advanced teaching methods from Australia and practised with the students at Hanoi University. practicum was built into the assessment, we would learn the theory, then have a demo teaching session, teaching directly to first year students in HANU.”
Phuong had access to the most up-to date research and practice in teaching methods, with a broad depth of expertise available from both Vietnam and Australia.
This time was not without its challenges. Having come from a different area of study, Phuong initially wasn’t familiar with the education concepts covered in the coursework, unlike her peers that had come from a teaching background or like area of study.
“I didn’t know how to create a lesson plan. I didn’t know how to do the assessments, but I did know that if I wanted to go further in this career, I have to push myself, so that I know the pedagogy and can be the best for my students,” Phuong says.
“There were many deadlines and days and nights without sleep, though I think that’s something that most university students will experience – not just me!”
Despite the challenges, she immediately knew that she had come to the right place, and that her career was on the right path.
“In that very first practicum, I felt the positive emotions of teaching come rushing back,” Phuong says.
“My heart was pounding in the first class. I was standing there in front of 40 students, with Dr Hong Giang Nguyen observing and doing the correction for me.
“It took me so long to clean the board because I was so scared, I didn’t want to turn around and face my students!
“Afterwards, Dr Nguyen and I discussed what I did well and what I could work on, and then I would complete the reflection assignment. This method taught me not only the theory, how to manage the classroom, how to set up the tables, but also builds confidence.”
Phuong now works full-time at the United Nations School of Language in Hanoi, and teaches Vietnamese to immigrants from countries all over the world who have moved for work or study in her free time.
While she had begun her studies with the intention of teaching English, the flexibility and relevance of the masters’ program, meant she learned concepts that can be applied to teaching any language – in her current role, she applies the theories covered in class on a daily basis. She’s also found an unexpected joy in teaching her mother language.
“What makes me feel really happy at the end of the day is that I get to share my culture, and I have some connections with the culture and language I’m teaching,” Phuong says.
“When students come from overseas, there are two things they know about Vietnam – they know about the Vietnam War, and they know about pho!”
“I get the chance to share with them, that we are so much more than that. It’s not just teaching language, it’s sharing knowledge on the land, the country, the culture and the people.”
This year – over two years since she first embarked on her Masters degree – Phuong finally visited Canberra in person, for graduation. It’s a day Phuong will never forget.
“During the ceremony, as I waited for my name to be called, I received an email from the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States, saying that I had been successful in getting a job,” Phuong says.
“In July, I will be moving to the US, to work as a primary school Vietnamese teacher at the University of Dallas, Texas, on a Fulbright teaching scholarship.”
When she started her undergraduate business degree, no amount of future planning or career projections could have predicted where she now finds herself.
Phuong took the road least taken in so many ways — a major change of career paths to follow her dreams, a local study option that would one day take her across the world. She couldn’t be more pleased with how it’s all worked out.
“Every morning I wake up and I’m excited, because I get to go to the school and share my knowledge with the students,” Phuong says.
“I am so grateful for the program, it’s what made my CV stand out to the embassy. The Master of TESOL and FLT has opened so many doors for me.”
Words by Kelly White, photo supplied.