The language I am to teach is Vietnamese.

To the best of my knowledge, a successful teaching

methodology is to engage students with a flipped, communicative and project-based learning.
Before the lessons, course materials, with a view to introducing language and culture, varied
from traditional folk lores, folk tales to modern movies and comics, are delivered. By doing so,
the class time is mainly spent on interactive activities including information gaps, interviews,
role-plays and problem solving, in order to practice and acquire language learning strategies.
Some of them are to listen intensively to acquire sounds of the target language, learn vocabulary
with spaced repetition system, make learning fun with games and flashcards, try to make
mistakes, and celebrate little wins. Most importantly, students are encouraged to raise cultural
awareness and explore culture through themes from tangible elements such as language, food,
costumes, music, holidays to the intangible such as courtesy manners, religion, and history.
Every week or two, an informal club meeting is held, either online or offline, possibly with the
presence of Vietnamese or international guests, to compare or explain an aspect of their
respective cultures. Occasionally, we can use Vietnamese documentaries with English subtitles
for discussion and reflection on shared values among cultures. One example is “Nguoi tu te”,
directed by Tran Van Thuy in 1985, translated as “Living as one should”. Regarding
project-based learning, students will choose to create or re-create a product related to Vietnamese
culture such as a traditional game, song, or a short clip to display at the end of the course.
Finally, another effective approach is for learners to study a course in the target language. For
beginners, I would help students learn a week-long course in meditating, cooking or traditional
calligraphy. There is also a journal element where students write questions, notes, or reviews
about different cultural perspectives. The main objectives are students can achieve their own
goals for a certain level of fluency in Vietnamese after the course, being able to think critically
on cultural diversity and prepared for their future intercultural encounters.

Resources:

Ferriss, T. How to Learn Any Language in Record Time and Never Forget It. Retrieved from
https://tim.blog/2014/07/16/how
A culture ambassador, first, needs to be self-aware of both national and cultural identities. I am
Vietnamese, but Vietnamese is not purely one single culture. It is a melting pot of 55 ethnic
minorities such as Viet-Kinh, Viet-Cham, Viet-Muong, from the delta to the mountainous areas,
such as Northern Viet, Central Viet, Southern Viet, and more. Thanks to such variety, we have a
wide range of traditional music, dance, cuisine, costumes and customs. Moreover, culture is
dynamic, especially in global digital age. Young people, including myself, have accepted foreign
styles as well, specifically in the dress codes. Therefore, it would be unsatisfactory to find a
thousand-year existing characteristic of Vietnamese, as an ambassador, instead, I would
emphasize our cultural diversity which is our unity.

Secondly, a culture ambassador is not only a representative for one’s own nation but also a
culture bridge. We tend to divide our world based on religion, territory, stereotypes resulted from
a general trait or different values, but after all, who does not want to live and work together
peacefully and successfully. To do that, we need patience, flexibility, and critical thinking from
multiple perspectives to understand, and overcome the cultural gap. Those qualities make a
cultural ambassador competently adapt to the host culture, reducing discrimination and
promoting peace.

I understand being an FLTA candidate assumes a great responsibility to share my culture and
encourage intercultural collaboration. In such case, I want to volunteer at a local youth center.
Our culture is closely intertwined with history, so I would be a historical and cultural storyteller
as objectively as possible. My main message is Vietnam is an abundant culture heritage of the
tangible and intangible which could satiate international friends of interest. On a regular basis, I
would share and interact with young people in a range of formats varying from informal
discussions, talk shows with Vietnamese guests, to practical learning zone​ where we could
experience as real as possible the cultural diversity in Vietnam, for example, our regional
cuisine, watch movies, read folktales or listen to traditional music from different parts of
Vietnam. We can organize a culture fair where people play our traditional games, music, and
participate in rituals passed down over many generations with some speciality souvenirs.

Fashion shows, making plays of real conflicts