English Classes Open Doors to Tourism Careers for Coastal Children

Bringing English closer to disadvantaged children

Every weekend, the community center of Residential Group 1 in Tien Thanh Ward comes alive with music and the sound of children practicing English.

Some are just beginning to learn the alphabet, while others can already use simple conversational phrases. What they share is an interest in learning the language.

Nguyen Ngoc My Hien, who runs the “Green English Station,” said: “Each child has different abilities, so our teaching methods are adjusted flexibly. For younger children, lessons focus on games, pictures, coloring, songs and familiar communication situations. For older students, we expand the content to support what they learn at school. We want children to learn English naturally, without feeling pressured.”

Although the “Green English Station” at Residential Group 1 has only been running for two weeks, nearly 20 preschool and primary school students have already joined.

Most of them come from disadvantaged families, for whom the cost of additional foreign-language classes at private centers can be difficult to manage.

Nguyen Thi Van brought her grandson, Minh Dang, a fourth-grader at Duc Long Primary School, to the class and could hardly hide her happiness.

Dang's mother has passed away, and he and his sibling now rely on their father, who works as a casual laborer at a local market. With the family already struggling to cover their children's daily educational expenses, a free English class right in the neighborhood is a valuable opportunity.

“We are very happy to have a free English class so close to home. Our grandson can study more and also have fun with his friends,” Van said.

Planting seeds for the future

The children's excitement is evident as they arrive at class, eagerly color pictures, take part in games and repeat new English words after their teacher. In the small space of the “Green English Station,” the joy of learning is easy to feel.

For the children, the class is more than an extra lesson at the weekend. It is also a chance to play, explore and gain confidence in using a second language.

Tien Thanh has the advantage of its coastal setting, distinctive community life and location within a developing tourism area. As tourism and service activities expand, the demand for a skilled workforce capable of communicating in foreign languages is also growing.

Huynh Thi Nhu Y, Secretary of the Tien Thanh Ward Youth Union, said: “The ‘Green English Station’ was launched by the ward Youth Union with the aim of bringing foreign-language learning closer to children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We started in Residential Group 1 and will use the experience gained there to improve the content, teaching methods and ways of mobilizing resources before gradually expanding the model to other residential groups in the ward.

“This is also a practical activity to help implement the Tien Thanh Ward People's Committee's plan under the project on making English a second language in schools for the 2025-2035 period, with a vision to 2045.”

A small classroom today can become the starting point for long-term change.

As English becomes more accessible to children in the community, they gain more opportunities to develop communication skills, learn about people from different places and prepare for their future careers.

For a locality developing its tourism sector, workers who can speak foreign languages, understand different cultures and provide quality services to visitors will become increasingly important.

Classes like the “Green English Station” can therefore be seen as an early investment in the local workforce, giving children more career choices as they grow up and helping the locality build a generation of young people ready to work in tourism.