Empowering vulnerable communities in Hanoi through student-led English teaching in Vietnam

With a strong commitment to social purpose, Nord Anglia Education schools are leading the way in Hanoi, creating sustainable social impact initiatives to improve the lives of the country’s most disadvantaged.

The British
Vietnamese International School Hanoi’s (BVIS Hanoi) student-led social impact project
with the local floating village achieved international recognition through the International School Award for Community Service and as the Tes Award Winner for Social Impact.

But it’s not the
awards that make this project a winner – it’s the students, floating village
locals and wider Hanoi community said the school’s Secondary Assistant Head
Piers Roderick, with the project’s success already leading to numerous others
developing across Hanoi.

As part of this
initiative, students at Nord Anglia’s British Vietnamese
International School Hanoi created the floating village’s first community
library, and started teaching
English classes to improve the community’s educational, social and economical
opportunities.

“Our students led
this social impact project
from the very beginning, learning the importance of reducing inequality, how to
bring about transformative change in their local community, leadership skills
and intercultural awareness, and the power of an inclusive society to help
raise people out of poverty,” said Piers.

“Students
should play a key role in their local community. From the age of two, all BVIS
Hanoi students take part becoming active members of their community, to
help those in need, leading to a long-lasting and far-reaching social impact.”

Nord Anglia Education’s
second school in Vietnam’s capital, the British International School Hanoi
(BIS Hanoi) is also central in community initiatives.

Over the past two
years following the pandemic, the school has made focused efforts connecting
and reconnecting with a wide range of NGOs, NPOs, Vietnamese schools and social
enterprises to initiate powerful social impact projects in Hanoi.

In collaboration with Passerelles
Numeriques Vietnam (PNV), BIS
Hanoi International Baccalaureate (IB) students launched English Chit Chat last year, teaching English to PNV
trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The British International School Hanoi’s Community Service
Officer Linh Huynh said the IB students took the lead on virtual sessions,
creating their own lesson plans and tailoring them to each individual trainee’s
learning capability.

“Our students learnt how to be flexible and creative in their delivery,
including interactive quizzes and engaging games to enhance the learning
experience, and showed great enthusiasm, commitment and time management skills
to create the best possible outcome for the trainees and their career prospects,”
Ms Linh said. “It’s been heartwarming to see their improvement and growth.”

BIS Hanoi’s goal for English Chit Chat is to
empower others by teaching
English, creating inspirational learning opportunities for Vietnamese students
and trainees who may be struggling to practice a second language, or afford classes.

“We want to encourage all learners to have the confidence
to speak up, to ask questions, and to learn from their mistakes. And we love to
see our BIS Hanoi students grow and excel in academic performance, while
embracing a kind heart,” said Ms Linh.

A PNV trainee that worked with IB
students from the British International School Hanoi described the experience
as “fun and interactive”: [During the lessons, the BIS Hanoi student]
creates a supportive learning environment where I feel comfortable making
mistakes. Her personalised approach not only caters to my individual learning
needs but also keeps me motivated and engaged throughout each session. Thanks
to her guidance, I’ve made significant strides in improving my English
proficiency, which has also boosted my confidence in speaking English. Since
starting these sessions, I’ve seen a remarkable improvement in my speaking
abilities.”

As Nord
Anglia Education schools, BVIS Hanoi and BIS Hanoi are both
committed to creating and offering social
impact experiences that
transform communities, and inspire their students to grow into thoughtful and
empowered global citizens. To learn more about each school, visit www.nordangliaeducation.com/our-schools/asia/vietnam.

This press release has also been published on VRITIMES