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Vietnam: Student Comments
Four students in Vietnam were featured in EAP's World magazine. Click here to read their comments on the World e-zine site. “Vietnamese are very concerned with respect toward family elders, but less concerned about everyday traffic or waiting in line. If they have an opinion, whether bad or good, they will speak it. At first I had a difficult time adapting to this behavior because it is easy to take it very personally. This is not to say that it is a bad thing, it is merely a cultural difference. In fact, most of the time people are trying to get to know you and are not putting you down. I am here to explore Vietnamese culture and thus it is something I strive to understand. It is actually a very intriguing experience and an eye-opener to the world outside of what I knew.” —EAP Student “Understanding Vietnam is a complex undertaking, but it provides valuable knowledge of the hardship of people in poorer countries. It makes me appreciate things I have and it opens my eyes to the pain and suffering of my people.” —EAP Student “I enjoyed individually exploring Vietnam's issues. I found an amazing internship that opened my eyes to the many issues Vietnam experiences. Being able to experience a nation in transition to a market economy was amazing. Understanding the dynamics of a country my family left 20 years ago was powerful.” —EAP Student “I've gotten more out of my semester in Vietnam than in my first two years of college. I had a better cultural understanding and my language acquisition was much better than expected. In terms of career perspectives, I have a clearer idea about what I want to do. I was fortunate enough to teach English and dance here. Realizing the effect that a teacher has on a student has made me think about coming back to continue teaching. Overall, this experience was phenomenal.” —EAP Student “I did a volunteer/research project on a non-governmental organization regarding children and Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange, a herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. I was very impacted by their lives and daily hardships; it made me very grateful. One of the little girls bought me a wooden keychain with my first initial carved on it. It almost made me cry because it cost about one week of her hard-earned money. I will never forget that moment.” —Tina Pham, UC Irvine “The professors are amazing. They are highly knowledgeable about their material. Along with the routine lecture and discussion method of teaching, courses include field trips around Vietnam. For example, we took a trip to Sapa to stay in a Hmong village for our ethnic minorities class. I've experienced sensory overload. The sights, sounds, and smells of Hanoi are unlike anything I've ever experienced. ” —Hai Truong, UC Berkeley
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