Hello everyone!
This is my first blog entry and so I would like to introduce myself to you, my reader-friend, and everyone in Hanoi who would like to know about me. My name is Peter and I am 32 years old. I come from England, UK, and I am an English language teacher here in Hanoi. I have been living here since March '07. I can only speak a little Vietnamese, xin loi, but I am trying to learn. I live with a friend, a Vietnamese guy called Trac, and we are trying to teach each other Vietnamese/English. Unfortunately, we are both busy most of the time so we have not made much progress.... But I promise to continue learning!
Let me tell you some more details about me. I have been living in Asia since September 2002. I first lived in Tokyo, Japan and that's where I began my career as an English language teacher. I soon discovered that I had a passion teaching English and my first concern was for pronunciation. Japanese learners have many problems with English, some similar to Vietnamese learners, some different. I stayed in Japan for two years and was very lucky to work for a British company called 'Shane' (silly name but good company) who took care to teach me the basic skills for the classroom.
I have many nice memories of Tokyo and I still have a few good friends living there. I can speak a little Japanese. After living in Japan for two years I thought it was time to leave. Asia is a big place and I had only seen one country. So, I took a plane to Seoul, Korea. I had been in contact with an old friend who had been working in the south of Korea, in a town called Pusan. His name is Kaz and he told me that I should come to the south because it would be a change form the big city. I had been living in London for 8 years and Tokyo for 2 years, so I thought that a move a smaller town would be a good idea.
Korea is a very interesting place to visit but I was not happy living there. After four months I decided that I wanted to live in a tropical climate, near the sea if possible. I decided to go in search of work in Thailand. However, instead of finding a job in Thailand I found work in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A very good school called ACE (Australian Center of Excellence) provided a professional environment for teachers and students. I was lucky that I did not have to work very much. I had saved money in Japan and I could spend much time relaxing and learning about the complex histories of Cambodia and Vietnam. I can speak a little Cambodian; enough to have a small conversation, get directions, go shopping and get a bargain. I lived in Cambodia for over 1 year and, like Japan, I will always remember this place and have a piece of this beautiful land in my heart. I am slowly beginning to feel the same way about Vietnam as I make more friends here. After Cambodia I stayed for a short time in Ho Chi Minh City and in Laos PDR. In March 2007 I took the bus form Vientiane, the capital of Laos PDR, to Hanoi. The journey too over 26 hours but it was one of the happiest journeys I have ever had. I don't know why I was so happy on this journey, perhaps I was just happy to get back to good Vietnamese food!
Many of you who read this blog will know me through my English classes, either from my private classes or from Apollo School, and you will know that I am very concerned with the ability of my students to pronounce English. Since I began teaching in Asia it has been clear to me that 99% of students need to be given a fundamental course in pronunciation. My philosophy is simple: If you cannot be understood there is no enjoyment in learning. I want people to be understood the first time they have something to say, not the second or the third. It is no fun when you need to repeat yourself many times. My teaching style has always developed with the idea that pronunciation comes first. When you can make the right sounds and you can understand a little about the rhythm of English, it is time to start thinking about all the things you want to talk about; music, art, fashion, football, tennis, society, food, relationships, love, films, business, money, investments - so many things....
In this blog I want to provide a space for discussing all these things listed above and more. I especially want to provide everyone with advice and ideas to help you improve your pronunciation ability. It does not matter if you are a student of mine or if you are just an interested reader, I am interested in anything you have to say, any ideas or opinions.
Living in Hanoi has been a fascinating experience. I have learned a lot about Vietnam and quite a lot about myself, too. In my free time I try too keep fit by swimming and playing ping-pong (table-tennis). I don't go out drinking much but I like to dance and meet people. Most English people like dancing. Today I am listening to streaming radio from BBC Radio 1. This is good dance music - you will need to download Real Player www.real.com to listen:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/eddiehalliwell/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/essentialmix/
Well, that's all for now. Take care and drive safely!
