3 Benefits of Mentorship in English Classes Beyond Language - Mykeila Duong

As with learning any new language, learning English greatly enhances a student’s thought patterns and mental acuity. The benefits of mentorship in English classes, however, extend beyond language. Unfortunately, these benefits are often overlooked, since language learners prioritize the language itself first. The advantages of non-language skill sets are their longevity and flexibility. These skills are transferable and won’t deteriorate (as long as they are periodically updated).

At Better Life Vietnam, we offer English learning programs to underprivileged children in rural areas of Vietnam. Due to COVID-19, the programs have moved online, but the quality of the classes remain the same.

So what exactly are some of the benefits of mentorship? Here are three: 

1.     Through mentorship, students develop new perspectives.

Underprivileged children in rural areas live in their villages for most, if not all, of their lives. Their comfort zone is often limited to the area where they live. As a result, when they come to BLV to learn English from native or fluent English speakers, the children have the opportunity to meet and interact with foreigners, who all have different cultural backgrounds. These interactions will take them on an eye-opening journey in which they will learn about new cultures and will also absorb new ways of thinking.

2.     Development of communication skills

BLV’s English classes provide a great opportunity for underprivileged children to develop communication skills. How do they go about it? Interacting with foreign teachers is a great start. Students need to figure out how to communicate with their teacher in a new language, and that is no easy feat. Students also need to learn to convey their own thoughts, ideas, and perspectives to the teacher. Furthermore, they need to hone their listening skills.  Only when they actively listen in a conversation with the teacher can they then analyze the received information and understand the ideas that their  teacher communicates.

3.     Networking skills

One advantage of  communication skills is that they are transferable. Students can apply these skills to everyday life situations and use them to improve their networking abilities. Today, networking is an essential aspect of any job search. Whether students are in the beginning phase or in a more advanced stage of their job search, they should develop relationships and connections to find a job. Students can then harness these skills further to broaden their network.

How is Better Life Vietnam helping underprivileged children develop and improve these skill sets?

Better Life Vietnam offers an English learning program for underprivileged children with the aim of increasing their level of English proficiency. Volunteers from all over the world can sign up to join the program as English teachers. As a result of COVID, all classes are now conducted online.

Once the situation has stabilized, volunteers can travel to Vietnam and conduct in-person classes. With access to a diverse team of volunteer English teachers, students in rural areas have the chance to meet non-Vietnamese teachers to not only learn English but to exchange ideas as well. Students have expressed their enthusiasm and hope that these classes will continue in the future.

Interested in supporting our efforts? Please contact us at betterlifevietnam@gmail.com