English at the corner
Most Vietnamese children who arrive here can already read some English. What they cannot do yet is follow a teacher who speaks quickly, in a Singapore accent, about a topic they have never met before. That gap is what makes a bright child look lost in class.
What we work on
- Listening first. We read aloud, ask questions, and let children answer in half Vietnamese and half English until the English half grows.
- Reading with a purpose. Not just decoding words, but working out what a passage is asking of you.
- Writing that a teacher can follow. Sentences in order, one idea per paragraph, and enough punctuation to make it readable.
- Speaking without fear. In a group of nine, everyone speaks. There is nowhere to hide, and after a few weeks children stop wanting to.
How a session runs
A session is about an hour. It starts with something read out loud, moves into work on paper, and ends with each child saying one thing about what they read. Nobody leaves without having spoken.
What we do not do
We do not drill grammar rules for their own sake, and we do not hand out worksheets to fill the time. If a child already understands something, we move on.