Vietnamby Kathy, Emily L., Shawna,

Daniel, David

Where our students are coming from

Political Background

• Chinese domination (111 BC – 939 AD)

• French colonization (1858 – 1954)

• 1954 – French occupants defeated by communist forces led by Ho Chi Minh

• Divided into a Communist North and anti-Communist South under the Geneva Accords

• The US supplied military and economic aid to the government of South Vietnam to combat the Communist North

• US armed forces withdrawn in 1973

Political Background

• 1975 – The Communist North overruns the South and unites the country under Communist rule

• Proclaimed the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976

• Many people from South Vietnam fled in fear of being persecuted by the government from the North

• The country has since experienced slow economic growth and high rates of poverty

• Some improvement since the 1986 “doi moi” (renovation) policy was enacted

Geographic Information

• Located in Southeast Asia bordering China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west

• 128,000 sq. miles or about the size of New Mexico

• Tropical climate

• Low and flat terrain in the north and south with central highlands

• Mountains in the far north

• Environmental problems with pollution and deforestation

Social Histories of the People

• Culture is strongly influenced by Chinese ideology due to the long history of Chinese rule in the country

• Chinese culture did not replace Vietnamese culture but instead coexisted with it

• French colonization influenced Vietnamese culture in areas such as art, architecture, schooling systems, literature and sexual equality

• The family is very important to Vietnamese people

• Reputation and pride• Filial piety as a value

• Respect is highly valued• For others and self

• A high level of importance is placed on education but the level of education for people in this country can vary greatly

Literacy and Schooling: History

Impact on Education from Vietnam War Era: • Value of Education• High rate of illiteracy• Constitution of 1967

• Gov't launches Education/Literacy campaign• Enrollment in Elementary School

•South Vietnam Educational System• Western influence

• American & French• Secondary/Higher Education

• Reformed in 1964•1975-1985: End of the war/Transitional Time•1990: Early Childhood Education addressed  

Literacy and Schooling: Current

Currently...

• High literacy rate• Mandated education

• 94% completion• Growing Secondary education

• 62.5% voluntary enrollment Current Issues:

• ECE Servicing• Funding, Teacher pay & qualifications, etc.• Vietnamese Universities/Higher Education

• 9.7% enrollment within the country• Science/Technology to compete in global marketplace

Comparing the Languages.....

Alphabet:

• Today’s Vietnamese writing uses a modified version of the Latin alphabet and reads from left to right

• A few additional diacritics literate Vietnamese children should have an easy transition to sounding out the English (Latin) alphabet

Phonology:

• Like other SE Asian languages, Vietnamese has a very complex vowel system• While complex, vowels are also consistent. • English’s lack of consistency in vowel spelling/pronunciation may be perplexing.

a,a, â, ă, b, c, ch, d, đ, e, ê, g, gh, gi, h, I, k, kh, l, m, n, â, ă, b, c, ch, d, đ, e, ê, g, gh, gi, h, I, k, kh, l, m, n, ng, ngh, o, ô, ơ, p, ph, qu, r, s. t, th, tr, u, ư, v, w, yng, ngh, o, ô, ơ, p, ph, qu, r, s. t, th, tr, u, ư, v, w, y

Comparing the Languages.....

Additional ways language differences may affect instruction:• Like English, Vietnamese does not mark

words for case or gender (so no problem here)

• However, unlike English, Vietnamese neither marks the number for nouns (singular or plural) nor the tense of verbs (past, present, future). Instead, it relies solely on word order and sentence structure.

• Teachers may need to devote particular attention to verb tense and numbering of nouns

Interview with Carrie Vo

• Carrie was born in America, but her parents and many of her family members were born in Vietnam.• Parents came to America because they think living is easier, they have freedom, and they wanted a better job and education.• Speaks Vietnamese at home, can read a little but cannot write because she has had no formal training in her native language• Taught herself English by watching TV and playing with friends in neighborhood before entered American school system in Kindergarten. That is where she started to formally learn English

Family Vietnam Education Experiences:• Respect a teacher like a parent by greeting them and bowing down• More strict education: corporal punishment• Almost all students in school are motivated to do well because they have the decision to be there • School all day, 2-3 times with breaks for naps and meals• More organized classrooms: Learn at a faster pace

Family American Experiences: • Peers are not as respectful: Culture shock• American school system is less organized and not as strict• More of a relaxed environment, which they found to be more enjoyable• In her cousin’s experience, it is easier to do well in the American school system because it is less strict and more enjoyable. The elimination of corporal punishment helps her be more relaxed in the classroom, and the social norm of respecting teachers helps her relationships

Cultural Norms that Affect Behavior

Respect: • Vietnamese students may smile when being scolded to show respect, however this may be misinterpreted in America as sarcasm• Do Not look in Eyes: May be misinterpreted as disrespect, but it is usually out of fear• Thank You: Vietnamese do not say “Thank You” as often because they believe it is insincere, but when they say it they truly mean it. This may become an issue in the American classroom because we over use it as a sign of respect.• Self Respect: This is very important in Vietnamese culture, and so public criticism and humiliation is considered very rude. Classroom criticism might be perceived as rude to a Vietnamese student.

Punctuality: • Avoid physical contact with opposite sex• They might get uncomfortable if they see students eating in class or lounging in their chairs.

Names: • Last Name, Middle Name, First Name: Reversed in America• In a formal situation: Title then first name, ex. Mr. Xiong• Married women keep their last name but children are given fathers last name

In Class: • Keep quiet until called upon: Misunderstood as non-cooperative • Copy everything from the board word for word: taking notes on a free lecture would be hard • “Vietnamese students are often shocked by some American teacher’s behavior.”• Some students may view a teacher as being inefficient if they are seated or not teaching directly from the textbook. • Vietnamese students like organized lessons and rules taught by an active teacher.

Inclusiveness and Accessibility:

• "Juicy Sentences"- relies heavily on instructional conversations and student interaction, 3-4 days of different activities to dig into the article: word play, juicy day, accountable talk.  

• "Facilitate meaningful connections"- activate and draw upon students’ background knowledge in relation to the story- (Saunders, 1998; Schifini, 1994; Ulanoff& Pucci, 1999).  

• Provide varied and frequent opportunities for practice: Word play, sorts, discussions/conferences.

• Balance explicit instruction with implicit: Model academic language in conversation, as well as less formal language, plus explicit instruction.

    More on Inclusiveness........

• Visual accommodations: Word walls, book wall, content wall, concept boards, etc.

• Classroom artifacts: "Word Detective Bookmark, ”My Content Dictionary," 

• Auditory supplements: Guest speakers, movies, books on tape, etc. 

• Pronunciation teaching: Should be systematic, gradual, consistent, interesting, practical, and integrated. 

Cultural and Educational Resources

– http://www.everythingesl.net/-an ESL teacher from New Jersey, USA, with more than 30 years of teaching experience with lesson plans, teaching tips and resource picks.

– Effective Practices for English Language Learners, Harvard University

– East Carolina University ESL/ELL Teaching Materials: websites-----http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/ci/eslsites.cf

True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with

responsibility. If you love something, you want to look after it.

~Philip Pullman, author

Referenceshttp://www.public.asu.edu/~ickpl/http://prezi.com/index/http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4358http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4336 http://www.nationmaster.com/country/vm-vietnam/edu-educationhttp://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1675/Vietnam-PREPRIMARY-PRIMARY-EDUCATION.htmlhttp://countrystudies.us/vietnam/43.htmhttp://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/01866/vietnam/education_system.htmlhttp://leafturned.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/juicy-language/http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/curricu/rrr/36Vocab%20ELL%2090%20min%20HO.pdf http://www.scribd.com/doc/18409785/Factoids-for-ESL-Teachers http://usefulwiki.com/displays/2009-05-08/classroom-displays-more-word-walls/ http://dept.seattlecolleges.edu/FD/documents/PDF/Vietnam%20Cultural%20Background.pdfhttp://www.taoism.net/articles/xiao.htmhttp://www.ailf.org/awards/benefit2005/vietnamese_essay.shtmlhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html