Interview with Eva Alpizar, Vietnam Q & A

Eva Alpizar, 23, American.

I have my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

I have travelled a little bit, but it was mostly confined to Europe and I had never been anywhere as far or as different as Asia.

I really wanted an opportunity to live in a foreign environment and experience a new culture.  I liked the idea of being able to share my own culture and language while learning about someone else’s.

I really wanted to achieve a measure of independence as well as be able to see more of the world. As far as independence goes, I feel as if I’ve mostly achieved that. However, I have yet to see as much of this country, or even the rest of Asia for that matter, as I would like to.  

I applied all on my own. Part of what had me looking forward to taking part in the program and going abroad was the opportunity to meet entirely new people and learn about their lives.

No, I did not know anybody.

I had a variety of concerns. Some of them were health related and some of them were financial. I was a little worried about not being able to drink the tap water and about getting sick from the food or mosquitoes. While it’s true that you definitely should not drink water from the tap, I have personally not gotten ill from anything. I was also worried about making enough money to save and cover my living expenses. I have enough for rent and food but it might take me more time to accumulate enough pay for savings, if truth be told.

I decided to do a TEFL course because I figured it would help me to land a higher-paying job as well as equip me with the skills to be a good teacher. Without my TEFL certificate, I know that I wouldn’t have been able to handle being thrown into the world of ESL teaching without any prior experience or preparation. And when it came to my decision to go with TEFL Heaven, I chose it because the fact that it was on-site and in-person really appealed to me. Having an entire month to adjust to a new country and make friends from the course was a really great thing.

It seemed a lot more personal to me and like the individual attention I received would be better. Having an instructor teach you in person doesn’t compare to anything online because the responsiveness and communication is totally different. I also liked the idea of being able to meet other people in the course who would be learning the same things as me. In hindsight, I really value the bond I achieved with both my instructor and fellow TEFL students.

I did the program in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in March, 2017.

As I mentioned before,  I really enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world. I also appreciated hearing about my instructor’s experiences with teaching English. The memories I made and the overall experience are incomparable to anything else.  

I felt prepared when it came to the most essential things. The course gave me some ideas of basic activities to do and it also helped me overcome any initial shyness towards being in front of a class that I might have had otherwise. However, learning is a constant process so I continued to learn things about teaching after I completed the course, and even now, a few months in, I’m still learning every day.

I’ve been teaching in Vietnam for close to five months now. I plan on staying at least until my contract ends in mid-October. After that, I’d like to travel around for a little while.

The school actually assisted me really well in finding it. They forged the connection and managed to set me up with an interview at the school I currently work for.

First off, weekends are hectic and jam-packed with teaching hours.  On Saturday and Sunday I’ll have to be up around 6 a.m. on both days and then not get back home until 8 p.m. or later. There’s not much room for fun on the weekends, but they’re only two days. The rest of the week is a lot more laid back. Monday through Friday I’ll have to work in the evenings but then I’m free to do whatever I want with my time before that. I’ll explore the cafés around my neighborhood, read a book, or meet up with friends. Lately I’ve been trying to invest my time in learning yoga.

Since I began work in April, I’ve taught anywhere from 3 to 15 years old.

There are a number of things that I enjoy about it. One such thing is the bond that you’re able to forge with your students. There was one time where I wore a pair of black pants to class and it was my first time wearing these pants. My students all commented and noted that I looked “like a boss.” So at the end of class that day I jokingly told them that their homework was to come to school tomorrow wearing black pants like me. Lo and behold, I stroll into the classroom the following day and every student greeted me wearing black pants. The moment had me very touched and surprised, and it made me realize that I had much more to offer than just English.

Most major companies like mine will assist you in getting one.

A friend knew a real-estate agent who found the place I’m currently in. Connections are a very valuable resource when it comes to finding a place to live. My apartment is fairly spacious and it’s in a really nice neighborhood that’s full of interesting stores and eateries. Every day I can stroll around and find something new to try out. It’s around 15 minutes from the main center of the city where all the tourist bustle is.

I’ve also made some unexpected friends living where I currently do. My doorman is a 70-year-old war veteran and sometimes he’ll invite me to sit and have a drink with him. He’ll tell me all sorts of interesting things about his life as well as teach me a bit of Vietnamese!

​Transportation here is the most exhilarating but also life-threatening aspect of my daily existence. I finally got a motorbike not too long ago and it’s made my daily commute quite the adventure. There are no rules to the traffic here and it’s every man for himself. There will be buses and huge trucks that won’t stop if you’re five feet in front of them. Navigating a left turn can be a perilous experience since there definitely aren’t any lights or established procedures to ensure a smooth transition. As bad as it all sounds though, it’s actually quite fun. I find that it’s like playing a video game only in real-time.

Rent: $350.00

Food: $200.00

Other bills: (Electricity) $50.00

Social life: $150.00

Transportation: $50.00

Phone: $10.00

Overall, yes.

I would advise somebody to be as open as possible to new experiences and meeting new people. As tempting as it is to stay in your comfort zone, try to do something that you wouldn’t normally do. Also, I would want to remind anyone teaching abroad to remember that they are still there to teach, meaning that you still have responsibilities that you are there to do a job. And then, my last bit of advice is pretty practical- try to save up a lot of money before you come over. Even though the cost of living here is cheap, things do add up and you’ll be at least one whole month during the course where you’re without any income but spending every day and wanting to enjoy yourself. You also might want to travel before starting work which you’ll need money to do.