10 Things You Must Check Before Hiring a Private Vietnamese Teacher

Finding a Private Vietnamese Teacher to teach you the Vietnamese Language is easy anywhere throughout the country and even abroad.

What is a tad more difficult to do is to judge if the Teacher you found is qualified to teach you or not. After all, every Vietnamese speaks Vietnamese and some simply try their luck on unsuspecting foreigners.

Considering, though, that you will spend significant time (and money) on your studies in the Vietnamese Language, your aim will most likely be, to get through with it as quickly, as accurately and as efficiently as possible.

Here are 10 things you must check before hiring a Private Vietnamese Teacher:

1) Meet and interview your Vietnamese teacher before you make any agreement.

You should also insist on this, even if you plan to hire your teacher through a company or an organization (there is the risk that the company has only its immediate profitability in mind and plans to save cost on teachers and material.)

This step demonstrates to the teacher that you take your lessons seriously. Should the teacher (or the organization) not agree to your interview up front, search for other options.

2) Watch for the teacher's attitude and actions during the interview.

Does he/she show up late to the interview? Is he/she appropriately dressed? Does he/she appear well organized? Does he/she take notes during the interview? Is he/she answering your questions straight forward or is he/she trying to talk his/her way out of trouble?

An interested teacher will try to make a great first impression as, naturally, he/she wants to get hired. If the first impression is already questionable, don't expect anything to improve later on.

3) Ask for testimonials or references from previous students.

Always get them from the Vietnamese teacher directly, not from the company/organization. Ask for phone number or email address and do check back with one or two of those students. Should the teacher not be able or willing to provide this, I recommend you move on.

Many people have been blinded by a confident first impression. Eventually, however, only the results count.

4) Is the Vietnamese teacher available at your time?

You have to be clear on which days and at what time your lectures take place before you can commit to it. Does it conflict with your work-time, your holiday plans, your business travels? How much effect will it have on your life in general, time-wise.

You might also want to check how flexible your teacher will be in case you miss a lesson for a good reason (sick or other urgent change of plans). Will he/she be willing and able to make rearrangements? Does he/she have a general policy on this?

5) Which language is taught?

There is the northern dialect and the southern one. Then there are some significant Vietnamese language differences in the center. Decide which one is relevant for you before enrollment. A good teacher should be able to teach you the difference between both.

Ask for a quick demonstration during the interview. Even if you don't understand it, the difference should be apparent.

6) Material

What material is used during the lectures. Ask for a sample and have a local person of your trust take a quick look over it. Naturally, you want to know if it is correct and relevant to what you want to learn. In addition to that you also want to pay attention if the study material is clean, well-designed and optically appealing. It gives you important hints on how organized and professional the Vietnamese teacher generally is.

Further, when you are taught the southern, the northern or both accents, the material should reflect that.

7) English

Then you also want to know if the teacher speaks English well enough to explain you the occasional tricks, exceptions and pitfalls. If he/she fulfills this requirement or not should already be obvious during the interview. There is no need to expect the teacher to speak English fluently. If you, however, need a translator already in the interview, you are probably not on the right track.

8) Trial opportunity

A private Vietnamese teacher should be confident enough to offer you the first lesson on a "like it or don't pay for it"-base. If not, you might want to keep looking for another teacher.

9) Price

Naturally, you are interested in the cost of the course. With private Vietnamese teachers, it usually comes down to an amount per hour. Quite logically, one-on-one lectures with a professional teacher will have the highest hourly rate. This should, however, be accompanied by a much quicker learning progress, which might, eventually, turn out to be the better investment.

10) Refund policy

A private teacher who offered you already a trial lesson might not agree to offer you a refund (unless he/she is suddenly unable to keep the original commitment). A company/ organization, however, should be able to back up their promise with a proper refund policy. If that is not the case, you might rightfully question the organization's confidence in their promise.

Download a complete FREE Report, written by Kim Hong, on how to select the best Language School, Course or Private Vietnamese Teacher, including Checklists, right here:

http://www.learnvietnameseonline.org/fe/27959-thank-you

Kim Hong is Head Teacher at LanguageTrainingVietnam.com in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Since almost 15 years she passionately teaches her language to busy mothers in private homes, employees in NGOs, members of the diplomatic corps as well as business executives working for the most reputable multinational corporations in Saigon, such as DHL Express, IKEA, Puma, KPMG, Indochina Capital, Prudential, Gide Loyrette Nouel, and many more.

In Summer 2012 she is opening the first Vietnamese Intensive Course Online, in which she, personally, takes on a small group of interested learners and takes them to master the Vietnamese Language. Learn more about this opportunity at http://www.learnvietnameseonline.org/

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