Real English's contribution to Sealnet - Stanford University Students' Project Vietnam

Photo of the pilot group of students learning to use computers for learning English

The project initiated by the Stanford students was to acquire donations in both hardware and software, and then to bring all the material from the USA to Ho Chi Minh in order to create that city's first ESL/EFL lab.

Our contact, Jiun Haur, of Sealnet, a student at Stanford University in charge of ESL/EFL software for the project, reported: "We worked with the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union to set up the first-ever computer-based English lab in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Youth Union is the local organization in Ho Chi Minh that organizes activities for approximately 2 million youths in the city."

Real English was happy to contribute, along with other software and hardware companies, to the success of this dynamic mission. We look forward to participating in future Sealnet efforts to bring English language instruction to those in need across Vietnam. Congratulations to Jiun and the entire Stanford team!

See the rest of Jiun's Project Vietnam summary below.

"13 computers, which were donated by Boston Consulting Group, and a suite of English language software were installed in the lab. This project was completed with the support of Stanford University, Singapore International Foundation, the South East Asian Leadership Initiative (SALI) and MTV Youth Venture, Boston Consulting Group and of course, various software companies like Real English.

Summary of trip:

Things accomplished in the lab

• Set up the computers and software with internet access
• Conducted training classes for the center’s English teachers
• Together with the teachers, we worked out a general administrative system for the lab and created the first draft of what a lesson plan would look like
• Created a feedback system

Trip was a huge success for all stakeholders involved

• Vietnamese Youth Union were very receptive to the help and software provided (the Secretary of the HCM Youth Union commented that the English software was much better than the one he used at home!).
• There was lots of publicity about the lab, and this would attract more people to take English lessons at the lab.
• Everyone who tried out the computer lab were very enthusiastic and optimistic about the possibilities and opportunities the lab provided.

Overview of the administrative system for the lab

• The lab would be used primarily during English lessons to supplement the current methods of teaching, which include white boards, textbooks, and tape recorders.
• Depending upon the budget allocated for the power expenses etc, the lab may be open to students also during non-lesson times to allow for their free usage of the computers and software for English-learning purposes.
• A central administrator has possession of all the CD software, the login names and passwords for the online resources. A contract has been signed to the effect that no duplication or any sort of copyright violation would be tolerated. The administrator would perform the login for students to prevent leakage of the passwords to the public.
• We also have an agreement that the Youth Union will provide us with feedback on the language lab/software quarterly.

Overview of the lessons system

• An English course runs for 2 forty-five periods a day, 3 days a week, for about 8 weeks, amounting to about 48 periods. The teachers intend to use software in 16 of these 48 periods. Please note that these courses already exist and we are integrating the software into current English lessons
• These courses cost about 10 US dollars each, and there are beginner and intermediate levels
• Lessons will start as soon as possible

General difficulties:

• Lack of familiarity with computers in general
• Some Vietnamese, especially those from the older generation, are not familiar with computers so they take a long time to get used to using and understanding the software
• Internet connection is not that fast, and disconnections occurred during ‘peak hours’ when other computer labs were being used for non-English computer lessons

Future

We have talked to representatives from the Youth Union and they have plans to build a new Youth Union center. A part of this center will focus on English learning with technology. Construction starts end of this year I believe, and building the 22 storey center will cost about US$20 million. I am sure that the Youth Union would be very interested in the English software that your company provides for its new center as well.

The Ho Chi Minh Youth Union Secretary also informed us that demand for English education is huge in Vietnam, with an estimated 2 million in the Ho Chi Minh area alone.

We will always maintain close contact with the lab we set up to track its progress. We will also receive quarterly feedback reports from the teachers and the students.

This feedback is not just for the improvement of the center’s educational progress, but is also for the improvement of Sealnet’s project planning. We are planning many more trips to South-East Asia over the next few years, and this being our pioneer project, we hope to learn from our mistakes and make subsequent trips better. We also hope that your company will stay in partnership with us over the next few years as we explore other needy areas of South East Asia!

Real-English Feedback

The teachers were very pleased with software that taught listening skills, especially in the context that Real-English provides.

They did not feel that the videos would be too difficult for the students, but felt that it would be very good listening practice for their students.

The teachers tend to teach English thematically – they might teach ‘appearances’ in an entire lesson and students would learn the vocabulary and practice grammar using the new vocabulary. The organization of Real-English thematically thus helps them integrate Real-English into the curriculum.

Jiun Haur, from Stanford University, and Mike Marzio of Real English, had a regular dialogue to help ensure Real English ran well in the labs in Vietnam. This is his note upon his return to Stanford from Vietnam: Hello Mike! I'm back from Vietnam! Sorry to be out of contact for such a long time, I was having a crazy time catching up on work when I got back to Stanford. Vietnam was really, really fun, we spent a very packed and hectic two weeks setting up the lab, installing the software and coordinating with the local teachers. A most valuable experience for me personally! I attach a recap on the trip for you, it's meant to be an overview of what we did in Ho Chi Minh, including some details about the lesson and class system that may be of interest to you as an educator. ..there is the all important feedback that we informally received from the users of Real English. We also have set up a regular feedback system with the teachers in the center. Things got pretty interesting there - we were featured on some newspapers and even got on TV! I attach in the next email the publicity stuff that we documented. Real English is mentioned in some of the newspapers as well. The next email also contains a picture of the lab, our team, and the plaque in our lab thanking our sponsers and supporters. I wish you could have been there Mike, to see the enthusiastic and appreciative looks on the faces of the Vietnamese who tried out the software. They really are a driven group who are really interested in learning English to better their lives. I guess the most I can do now is to convey their many thanks for your generosity and for the help you offered to us on this trip. Sealnet is also very grateful to you and your company for supporting us on this trip. This email and the recap is meant as a sort of closure on our partnership thus far, I really hope you and your company will remain partners with Sealnet on our future trips! Thank you so much, Jiun Haur PS: Do let me know if you want any more information on the trip! I have loads to share!"

Readthe entire journal.