"If a teacher lacks passion, how can they inspire students?"

Knowing a new language means knowing a new world

Ms. Phan Huyen's connection with the Chinese language began in her childhood through songs and movies. Driven by a desire to watch films without subtitles, she decided to pursue Chinese Language studies at university after high school. Recognizing Chinese as one of the most widely spoken languages globally, and aware that fluency would unlock numerous career opportunities, she was determined to apply and was accepted into the Chinese Language program at Hanoi University.

Over four years of rigorous study, Ms. Huyen explored, innovated, and developed comprehensively in both knowledge and skills. It was during this time that her passion for teaching and empowering others through knowledge truly took root. After graduation, she naturally gravitated towards teaching. The more she engaged with different groups of learners, the more motivated she became to continually learn and pursue further academic study to find the most effective methods to support her students.

Her perseverance led to an outstanding achievement: she was awarded a full Chinese Government Master’s Scholarship in the field of International Chinese Language Education at Beijing Language and Culture University. Alongside her main studies, she actively shared her love for Chinese language and culture through activities connecting students and international organizations. These experiences deepened her understanding of cultural exchange and filled her with pride in the contributions Vietnamese students make to the bridge of friendship between the two nations.

A quote that inspires Ms. Huyen and serves as a driving force in her academic journey is: “Knowing an additional foreign language is knowing an additional world". After completing her Master's program in China, she returned to Vietnam equipped with accumulated knowledge and skills, ready to write a beautiful story of perseverance and love for the Chinese language alongside her students.

Students: The fuel for a growing passion

Ms. Phan Huyen faced her share of challenges during her initial days at Greenfield Ecopark Campus. She revealed: "Teaching a foreign language comes with unique pressures. Teaching methods vary greatly from place to place, and many parents want to see their children excel immediately. As a teacher, I understand and respect the parents, but I also clearly define my goals in alignment with the school’s philosophy and methods".

According to Ms. Huyen, the greatest difficulty in teaching is the impossibility of applying a single method to all students. Some are timid and hesitant to speak; others struggle with tones... A teacher must understand each student's specific weaknesses, adjust the teaching approach accordingly, and find suitable solutions to support them best. When confronting the challenges of the profession, she asks herself: “If I don’t have passion, how can I inspire my students?”

Each time she sees the eager eyes of her students, Ms. Huyen sees a reflection of her past self - the one who was once confused, disheartened, but who persevered and moved forward. It was also her own patient and trusting teachers who guided her throughout her years of study who inspired her to reach for greater heights.

Instead of the traditional 'teacher lectures, student copies' approach, Ms. Huyen often employs a 3:1:1 lesson plan. For each lesson's content, students learn 3 new vocabulary words, 1 grammatical structure, and 1 related text (or reading passage) that utilizes those 3 words and the structure, ensuring a firm grasp of the knowledge. She also incorporates games and encourages student participation to build their confidence. "Such an open and joyful environment will undoubtedly lead to greater effectiveness and support classroom learning for the students," Ms. Huyen shared.

To continuously improve the quality of her teaching, Ms. Phan Huyen and the Chinese teachers in the Global Citizen Bilingual Program constantly update new teaching methodologies, attend experience - sharing workshops, and read new materials. They also regularly update their technological knowledge, notably utilizing the aiChinese platform, to keep pace with the profound changes in education.

For Ms. Phan Huyen, her students are the very reason she remains committed to teaching. "Every time I read a student's shared progress on the learning app - that they have achieved this or that - I feel re-energized. Everyone hopes to see results from their hard work, and I'm no exception. For my students, I can do anything, and I am ready to change myself to provide them with the very best". 

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