IT English Conversation Club on Bach khoa campus

The IT industry in Vietnam is growing quickly as many foreign companies see cities in Vietnam, like Da Nang, as a favourable destination to establish software development companies. As such, the demand for English speaking software engineers is growing as companies realize this is an important skill for teams to work successfully with global counterparts and clients.  There is a real need to improve the English speaking abilities of the students who will become tomorrow's engineers and leaders.

In partnership with Trường Đại Học Bách Khoa, Code Engine Studio has started an IT English Conversation Club program on Bach Khoa campus where IT Faculty students are able to practice their speaking and listening skills with Canadian and American native English speakers on campus on a weekly basis.

While many Vietnamese students have studied English grammar and vocabulary in a classroom for years, we have found that they have had few opportunities to practice speaking, and even fewer opportunities to practice with native English speakers. This lack of opportunity limits the students ability to use English in real communication. Traditional classroom style English classes are focused on grammar and vocabulary memorization but these classes do not allow for the time necessary for students to learn to use language in a real environment. In order to truly be able to communicate in a second language, it is necessary to spend hours both listening and speaking.

With this in mind, we have created the IT English Conversation Clubs that will allow students to intentionally fill this need for English speaking time.  This time with the native English speakers allows for error correction in both grammar and pronunciation, consistent speaking partners using real practical conversations and variety of new listening opportunities that are needed in order to build real communication. As the students study grammar and vocabulary in their required courses, the English Club will provide the students an opportunity to practice producing real language through speaking and listening.

The IT English Conversation Club is facilitated by a dedicated group of volunteers from America and Canada who are excited to help create opportunities for the students to practice their English.  Each week we have multiple clubs meeting at for 2 hours per week with two volunteers present at every meeting.  The group sizes are limited to a maximum of 15 students to give each student the opportunity to speak.  Each group meets at different times to ensure that we are able to give as many students the opportunity to join and take part according to their schedule.

The clubs always start out with a fun game to help the students relax and use English in a fun, upbeat environment. Following the game the students then have the opportunity to discuss a topic. Each topic aims to be both relevant to the students lives and interesting to discuss. They start by taking a few minutes to watch a video that gives some information on the topic. We have chosen videos that are made by and made for native English speakers, this ensures that they are both ideal for studying real natural English and that they are focused on the discussion topic. After watching the video, the students work on an activity related to the topic. Finally, the students work through a list of discussion questions using that focus on the same real content found in the video and activity. This gives the students the opportunity to interact with the topic alongside native English speakers. We have set up the lessons this way in order to help the students develop their speaking skills and their confidence using their years of English vocabulary and grammar memorization. 

Here are what some of our volunteers and past students have to say about the club:

"I'm Long from DUT. I've come to the English Club on Thursday afternoons today and I felt so good. Thanks to CES. You create such a meaningful and fantastic environment for us to practice English. Our teachers are so fun and dedicated teachers.." - Long, DUT Student

"Participating in The Code Engine English club greatly improves my pronunciation.Also being able to make friends with foreigners who are my age and discussing wonderful topics through interesting games and videos with them is definitely a worthwhile experience for me." - Hau, DUT Student

"The Code Engine English club has been a great experience as a volunteer to connect with Vietnamese students who are my age and looking to practice their English and gain more confidence. Being able to make new friends and discuss interesting topics makes every class a new and invigorating experience." - Canadian Volunteer

"The IT English club is such a wonderful place for me where I can practice English, learn cool things, make new friends and have a lot of fun at the same time. It's like killing many birds with one stone. Can't recommend highly enough!" - Khanh, DUT Student

“I have loved volunteering with Code Engine to do English Clubs at Bach Khoa. It is a great opportunity for students to practice their conversational English and to make new friends. Each week, we discuss interesting topics, play games, and practice English in a low-pressure and fun environment while discussing real-life topics. It’s a great chance to improve your speaking skills while having a great time!” - American Volunteer

Code Engine Studio is very excited to be working with the Bach Khoa students to improve their English skills and give them the necessary skills and tools to succeed in their careers. 

If you are interest joining this group, please email us at info@codenginestudio.com.