Don't Rush to "Close" When Someone Messages

• Schedule a separate test session (online/offline) like an interview.
• Suggestion: schedule for the next morning, remind students to join the meeting room 5–10 minutes early.

Why? Punctuality shows clearly from the first session. Someone consistently late will affect you and other students.

Check Interaction Ability

1. Assign a short task (e.g., listen – repeat, small exercise).
2. Give instructions in English to see if the student can follow.
3. Assess attitude: willing to ask questions? cooperative?

Students with poor interaction not only struggle to improve but also drag the whole class down. Better to decline early than lose multiple other students.

Selecting Students Also Protects Your Energy

An effective class needs students who are punctual, cooperative, and proactive. The entrance test is when you observe exactly that.

Some Technical Details

• Always test via Zoom/Meet to check equipment and computer usage habits.
• Observe whether students know how to turn on camera/mic, use computer or only phone.
• During the short task, ask directly: "Why did you choose B?" → checks grammar and interaction ability simultaneously.
• Note errors/good words to provide evidence-based feedback.

When a learner joins your program, the most important moment is the first week. This module walks through the exact steps we use to go from a 20-minute intake test to the first meaningful win.

Step 1 — Make the test feel human

• Start with questions about their routines before any grammar.
• Ask for two short voice notes instead of a live interview for busy adults.
• Share how the test score links to the next lesson plan to build trust.

Step 2 — Map the first 14 days

• Day 1: send a personalised scorecard and the goal for lesson one.
• Day 7: deliver a 15-minute check-in call; record the call notes in the CRM.
• Day 14: collect the first writing sample to compare against the intake test.

The reason we win students early is because they already see the story of their progress on paper. That story gives them a reason to stay when life gets messy.

We all know feedback matters, yet most classrooms hand it out like a receipt—quick and forgettable. This guide gives you a repeatable loop that fits into a 60-minute lesson without burning the team out.

Build the loop

1. Collect: capture one audio sample and one written sample per learner each week.
2. Catalogue: tag errors by skill (pronunciation, grammar, discourse) in the tracker.
3. Coach: deliver a single action with an example your learner can practise today.

Make it visible

• Use a three-column board: observation, action, evidence.
• Show learners how this board feeds the next lesson opener.
• Close the week by revisiting the action column so the loop feels closed.

Adult learners need lessons that respect their time and energy. This library offers three repeatable lesson arcs designed for weekday evenings when attention is low.

Arc 1 — Recover & rehearse (30 minutes)

• 8 minute recap conversation using last week’s feedback board.
• 12 minute targeted drill with a single grammar move.
• 10 minute role play that mirrors a real situation they reported in the intake form.

Arc 2 — Learn & launch (45 minutes)

• 10 minute story hook using a short transcript.
• 20 minute guided discovery with coloured prompts (print or Miro board).
• 15 minute launch task: learners produce an audio memo before leaving.

Arc 3 — Sustain & share (60 minutes)

• 15 minute warm-up contest in breakout pairs.
• 30 minute project sprint with progress captured in shared docs.
• 15 minute debrief; assign a micro challenge for the next check-in call.

The Problem

• Creating a new file each session → students can't find materials later.
• Chat logs full of links but everyone loses track.

Solution: A Shared "Whiteboard" for the Whole Course

1. Create one Google Slides/Docs file for the entire course.
2. Add a new page each session with clear date/month labeling.
3. Record: main content, exercises, attending students, supplementary links.
4. Paste images, notes, and student answers directly into the file.

After class, send the same single link—students know exactly where to look. After a few months, you have a complete "course notebook" ready to reuse for future cohorts.

Part 1: Speak First, Grammar Later

Many adults who restart English worry that they’ve “lost the basics,” so they think they must relearn grammar and vocabulary before daring to speak. People around them say, “If you don’t master grammar, your sentences will be wrong; without enough words you can’t express yourself.”

Look closer and that logic breaks. If you truly had to learn every grammar rule and word before speaking, how do toddlers call “mom” or “dad” long before they can read or write? No one teaches a child the present simple first. They listen, mimic, get corrected, and only later learn the rules.

English works the same. You don’t need perfect grammar before opening your mouth. Learn while you’re communicating. Start with simple sentences and real situations. Speak, make mistakes, fix them, and improve.

The more you use English, the more you understand how it behaves. Grammar and vocabulary sink in naturally instead of remaining abstract theory.

Part 2: Duolingo — What It Can and Can’t Do

Mention Duolingo and you’ll hear extremes: some say it’s fun, others say it never helps. What does the app actually deliver—and what can’t it do?

Understand Duolingo’s true purpose

“Don’t ask a fish to climb a tree.”

Duolingo exists to familiarise you with vocabulary, basic patterns, and to keep you touching English daily. Expecting it to make you fluent in speaking will end in disappointment.

Why months of Duolingo still leave you tongue-tied

• No real interaction: you can complete a thousand fill-in-the-blank questions and still freeze when someone asks for directions.
• Translation habit: the app has you translate back and forth, training your brain to convert word by word instead of thinking directly in English.

When Duolingo helps

• Starting from zero.
• Learning vocabulary in a light, gamified way.
• Brushing up on basic structures.
• Maintaining a daily study rhythm.

Part 3: Building Your Practical Learning System

The key is combining tools strategically:

1. Use Duolingo for vocabulary foundations — but don’t rely on it for fluency.
2. Practise speaking from day one — even if you make mistakes.
3. Focus on real situations — learn phrases you will actually say.
4. Find conversation partners — apps can’t replace human interaction.

Remember: every child learns to speak before learning grammar rules. Your brain is wired to acquire language through use, not memorisation.

Part 4: Communicating as a Working Professional

When you already have a demanding job, English must serve today’s meetings—not some hypothetical exam. Build a playbook around the channels you use most:

• Meetings: prepare three bullet points, one data point, and the phrase you’ll use to invite others in (“May I add to that?” or “Could we hear from…”). Part of the work is rehearsing the interruption so you can speak up without freezing.
• Email: keep a library of modular paragraphs—opening, context, action, closing. Fill in the blanks with specifics instead of drafting from scratch. Tools like Grammarly or Wordtune polish tone after you’ve outlined the message.
• Presentations: record yourself summarising your slide deck in two minutes. Review the clip, note where you hesitate, and rewrite those sentences in simpler language. Progress comes from shipping version one and iterating, not waiting for perfect grammar.

Finally, build a vocabulary tracker that mirrors your work. Capture the collocations your industry actually uses (“file a request,” “raise a ticket,” “close the loop”), then review them in context. Speaking becomes easier when your brain retrieves ready-made chunks rather than isolated words.

We often fixate on grammar and vocabulary because of how we were taught in school: to get the exercise right, you had to memorise every rule. That grammar-translation era made sense once; now it doesn’t work as well.

The destination matters more

• You want to go from A → B. First choose where B is, then pick whether you walk, drive, or fly.
• Grammar and vocabulary are just vehicles; the destination is having your listener understand you.

Same story with IELTS

Everyone with high bands says the same thing: natural communication decides your score; grammar and vocab are supporting actors.

Tips for teachers

• Let learners speak or write first, then give delayed feedback.
• Don’t correct everything at once; focus on one or two key issues per lesson.
• When you introduce grammar, always tie it to context and communicative need.

Grammar matters, but only when it makes your learner’s message clearer.

Tea believes a “wow” teacher keeps going after the lesson is over.

Example: Vocabulary With Quizlet

• A student asks, “How should I learn vocab?” → Tea recommends Quizlet.
• Busy professionals lack time → Tea builds the decks so students just open and study.
• The whole team standardises decks for each material → every class has flashcards for before, during, and after sessions.

Impact

• Students save hours of data entry.
• Seeing the teacher’s preparation nudges them to take class seriously.
• Learning stays consistent instead of start-stop.

The “extra mile” isn’t grand. Sometimes it’s planning one step on behalf of students—enough to make them feel cared for and eager to stick with the class.

Micro Teaching Inside Class

• Pair stronger learners with those who need a nudge.
• Explain the benefit: “When you teach, you understand more deeply.”
• Provide clear prompts (e.g. “Explain comparative adjectives to the person next to you”).

After two to three months of this approach, Reading scores jumped around 50%. Students loved the attention to detail and referred more friends to the programme.

First Mistake: Teaching by Improvisation

• Sessions 1–2: games, learning tips → students love it.
• Session 3 onwards: out of ideas, no idea how to structure 90 minutes.
• Tea once hoped students... wouldn't show up to avoid embarrassment.

When Lesson Plans Work Properly

1. Build curriculum framework based on end-of-course goals (exams, communication, specific skills).
2. Divide sessions into "loops": review (10'), input (new language), practice activities (pair/group), assessment – feedback (delayed).
3. Always prepare "boredom resistance": if students do self-study exercises, have them review/form debate groups instead of just sitting passively.
4. Skills interconnected – don't separate listening/reading/speaking/writing; use the same topic to practice multiple skills.

IELTS & Skills Classes: How to Balance?

• Allocate 30% time for clear "input," 70% for practice + error correction.
• Have students do tests at home; in class focus on analyzing their mistakes, guiding strategies.
• Each session has a clear conclusion: "What can students do after today?"

When lesson plans stick to objectives, you won't worry about running out of ideas; students also see each session leading to clear results.

22 June 24

During a weekly consultation a client asked how long I’ve been teaching English. Doing the math, it’s been more than seven years since those first lessons in Grade 11—mornings spent in university entrance exams, evenings in the classroom, back to the exam hall the next day. “You don’t choose the profession; the profession chooses you” feels accurate. I adore tourism entrepreneurship and project management, but TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is where I’ve landed.

If I could rewind high school, this is the roadmap I’d follow to make the journey shorter and less bumpy.

Grade 10: Pour everything into English fundamentals

Imagine I start Grade 10 obsessed with teaching but with zero English. Step one is obvious: study English.

• Set a goal of IELTS 6.5–7.0 within 6–12 months by choosing the right mentor and investing the hours.
• Grade 10 isn’t overloaded, so I could commit 10–12 hours a week (classes plus self-study).
• Ask the family “scholarship” to fund tuition and the first IELTS attempt, then tutor to save up for the second test, aiming for an 8.0.

That first summer is for volunteering at language centres: supporting learners, watching teachers deliver lessons, helping prep materials. If the centre takes volunteers (Thi IELTS Ltd does!), I’d jump in immediately. When someone needs basic conversation or a 5.5-level IELTS coach, I’d take the job—charge a modest fee because I’m sharing experience, not a full-fledged pro yet. Whatever class I accept, I’d own the outcomes as if they were my own results.

Grade 11: Level up and earn paid experience

Another year of study pushes the IELTS target to 8.0–8.5, enough to help most learners (few people outside teaching ever need more than 7.5).

• Summer is the time to move from volunteer to teaching assistant and add more private students.
• Rates can rise a little, but remember I still lack formal pedagogy training.
• Use the three-month break to stash 40 million VND—we’ll need it right after graduation.

Grade 12: Laser focus on the entrance exam

You only get one senior year. There’s no going back to “fix the grade.” I’d pause tutoring and throw my energy into school.

• Aim for a GPA of at least 8.0 to keep scholarship and top-university doors open.
• Guard that 40-million fund; graduation will demand it.

Graduation checklist

By the time I finish high school I’d have:

1. An IELTS 8.0 certificate.
2. Around six months of volunteering/assistant/tutoring experience.
3. A GPA above 8.0 plus some offers from leading universities (scholarships are another conversation).
4. A 40-million-VND savings pot—hands off!

That’s plenty of capital to launch into TESOL with the wind at my back. In the next piece I’ll map out the four years that follow. See you then!

When are student numbers highest?

• March to October: learners return; summer through late autumn is peak season (especially September).
• New students often say “after Tết” and join around March–April.

November to February: the festive slowdown

• From Viet Teacher Day (20 November) through Lunar New Year, holidays stretch from Christmas and New Year into Tết.
• Many learners pause lessons, and enquiries drop sharply.

Tips for freelance teachers

1. Don’t panic—this cycle repeats every year. Build a financial plan to ride out the three quiet months.
2. Use the low season to refresh lesson plans, update materials, revive marketing, and reconnect with former students.
3. Prep for the next wave—book consultations and open new classes ready for the March comeback.

The TESOL calendar can surprise newcomers, but once you understand the rhythm, you can run your business with far more control.

Recently I heard a foreign colleague hold a full conversation in Vietnamese. I was surprised and delighted—the English-teaching approach I use translates beautifully into teaching Vietnamese.

At first they were terrified, insisting Vietnamese was too hard. I set the tone early: be relaxed learning, relaxed trying, relaxed making mistakes. When they said something wrong, I asked what they meant and guided them through a better phrase. They instinctively said “Sorry,” but I stopped them. In the UK “Sorry” is polite filler, yet in language learning it’s harmful. It makes learners feel that mistakes are shameful.

Learning is like visiting a doctor: to heal, you need to know what’s wrong. If the doctor says “You’re fine” while your leg still hurts, would you trust them? English, Vietnamese, any skill works the same way—you must expose what you don’t know.

In my classes we celebrate mistakes. We’re happy when we spot an error, happier when we fix it. The phrase I gift every learner is “à ô kê”—“ah OK.”

Made a mistake? Ah OK. New word? Ah OK.

Stop forcing your memory. The brain is like a cabinet: pull an item out often and you remember where it lives; leave it untouched and you forget. Keep cycling through wrong-right-wrong-right. Forget, remember, forget, remember. That’s how learning works.

21 June 24

A friend of mine works at a mini supermarket in Toronto. She usually says “Thank you, Sir/Madam” depending on what she reads as the customer’s gender.

One day a customer walked in to buy a few things. At first glance she noticed long hair and feminine clothing, so she rehearsed “Thank you, Madam” in her head. She’d only been in Canada for a short time and still liked to prepare her line before speaking.

When the customer came to the till, she heard a low voice, got a bit confused, and decided to switch to “Thank you, Sir!” The customer, who had been smiling, suddenly looked unhappy. They took their items and receipt and left.

She later asked me whether she had said something wrong, or whether “Sir” made them feel old. I found the story interesting, so here we are.

My guess is the customer may have been trans. Roughly 0.5% of the population is transgender — about one person in every 200 encounters. Maybe they were still transitioning, so their voice hadn’t changed the way they wanted yet. Misunderstandings happen.

Western societies place a high value on diversity of identity, gender, and orientation, especially in cities like Toronto, London, and New York. These places host people from many backgrounds, so knowledge, acceptance, and respect tend to be higher than in mono-ethnic towns.

To make communities more livable for everyone, people are shifting toward gender-neutral language and avoiding gender assumptions based on appearance. Instead of “Thank you, Sir/Madam!” you’ll hear “Thank you, have a lovely day!” In English, leaving out a subject isn’t rude the way it can feel in Vietnamese; in some languages it’s the most natural thing. It might feel awkward at first, but once you get used to it, it’s actually faster — no need to scan someone head-to-toe before opening your mouth.

Photo note: Teacher during the week, racer on the weekend brumbrum.

CELTA in a Few Lines

• What is CELTA? Cambridge certificate for teaching English to speakers of other languages. The program focuses on methodology: lesson design, classroom management, guiding learners to study actively, and teaching with detailed feedback.
• Why is it rare in Vietnam? Only about 240 people graduate annually (Apollo Hanoi & HCMC). Tuition is 40-50 million VND, duration is 4 weeks full-time or 12 weeks part-time. Many centers still prioritize native speakers, so fewer people pursue it.
• Is CELTA the only path? No. But it's the "clearest" path if you want to teach systematically or advance in international/academic management environments.

Real Value

1. Practice-first: CELTA trainees must teach real classes and receive feedback after each session.
2. Self-reflection: detailed feedback helps teachers know their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Common standard: opens doors for teaching opportunities in many countries.

The decision to study CELTA depends on your financial situation, time, and whether you have an environment to apply it after the course.

Natural Language Learning Journey

When designing lessons, CELTA always reminds: look back at how we learned Vietnamese.

1. Listening (0-5 years old): absorbing sounds around us.
2. Speaking: imitating even before fully understanding.
3. Reading & writing: only starts after listening-speaking proficiency (primary school).
4. Refinement: using what we read/hear to communicate, write essays, present ideas.

Adults learn foreign languages faster with technology support—but still need the full cycle: listening → speaking → reading → writing. Skip any step, results will be lopsided.

Integrating 4 Skills in One Lesson

A 90-minute lesson plan can be divided like this:

1. Lead-in & gist (15'): light listening/reading to create context, activate vocabulary.
2. Highlight language (20'): extract vocabulary/structures from the main reading/listening.
3. Controlled practice (15'): short exercises for learners to control the form.
4. Freer practice (25'): discussions, role-play, quick writing... to "use" new language.
5. Feedback & homework (15'): comment on key points, assign next tasks.

Lesson Planning Checklist

• Listen/read first before analyzing grammar.
• Use the same topic for all listening-reading-speaking-writing.
• Plan delayed feedback (don't correct immediately when learners are speaking/writing).
• Prepare clear materials (shared slides, flashcards, handouts) for learners to review before/after class.

Train Learners to "Teach Each Other"

• Encourage micro teaching: stronger learners guide weaker ones → deeper understanding.
• Explain the benefits (not "free tutoring" but the most effective learning method).

Integrate Technology

• Prepare Quizlet sets for each unit → learners save time on data entry.
• Use one shared Google Slides/Docs file for the whole class → easy tracking, less link spam.

Summary

• If you can pursue teaching long-term, CELTA is worth the investment.
• After the course, immediately apply the principles of listening → speaking → reading → writing and integrated lesson plans.
• Go the "extra mile": prepare clear materials and processes so learners see your professionalism.

Once you combine certification with real experience, your classroom will be much more sustainable—and you'll be more confident teaching anywhere.