'Powder son' becomes a master of language after studying abroad shock

 'Powder son' becomes a master of language after studying abroad shock

During half a year in the US, Kien wanted to return to Vietnam every day because he was lost and did not dare to talk to anyone due to his poor English.

Pham Tran Kien, 28 years old, graduated with a degree in Education, University of Wisconsin-Superior in the US and a master's degree in Language Teaching from the University of Canberra, Australia. Returning home last June, Kien is currently preparing for the IELTS exam, teaching English in Hanoi and helping to orient, prepare thinking and study skills for those who want to study abroad. Before winning a scholarship to specialize in teaching, Kien used to hate English and experienced two shocks while studying abroad.

In the early years of middle school in Vietnam, Kien never got more than six points in English. Because he wanted to watch American movies without subtitles, he started studying foreign languages, got 6.5 IELTS and went to Morrisville-Eaton High School, New York, in 2010.

"I was very confident with English, thinking that when I go to a place, I will immerse myself in it, talk and laugh with native speakers. But reality is completely different. I started my bad days in America." Kien recalls.

Tran Kien currently teaches English in Hanoi after graduating with a master's degree in language teaching in Australia. Photo: Character provided

Tran Kien currently teaches English in Hanoi after graduating with a master's degree in Australia. Photo: Character provided

As soon as he arrived in the US, the first thing Kien did was ask for the host's wifi to talk to relatives and friends in Vietnam. Later, he realized, this led to a big mistake.

According to Robert Kohls, a doctor at New York University, an expert on education and culture, there are four stages of culture shock, in order are "honeymoon", "denial", "change" and "like" suspect". Kien almost missed the "honeymoon", the period when he should have enjoyed the novelties of America, to sit and think about Vietnam every day. At the end of school, he skipped conversations with his American friends and ran back to the computer.

Not long after, Kien realized that his friends and loved ones no longer wanted to talk. He felt lost in a foreign country but did not dare to tell his family because he was afraid that his parents would worry. The biggest difficulty for Kien then was language.

American high schools start at 8am and Kien is picked up by a bus. Every day, he got up at 6am, sat in the car for more than an hour to get to school. Many days, Kien sat in the car, studying while crying.

During the first half of the year, Kien wanted to return to Vietnam every day. Kien admitted that he was a "powder boy" at home, and was pampered, but when he came to America, his life changed completely, causing him to panic.

In the US, families often gather in the kitchen before dinner, both sharing about the day gone by, and helping the main cook in the house feel less lonely when having to cook alone.

But every afternoon, Kien quietly took the basketball to the yard near his house to play alone for two hours. Kien did this not because he loved basketball, but because he wanted to avoid gathering time.

One afternoon, when Kien was preparing to take the ball to hide as usual, Mr. Charles Cronin, later Kien's adoptive father, called back to talk. He asked why he dodged. Mr. Cronin then suggested a few steps to improve confidence, advising Kien to put the ball down, talk to someone else.

"I was a bit disappointed. I thought we wouldn't match, because I'm an active person. Kien also lacks confidence, probably due to low confidence in English," Mr. Cronin recalled his initial impression of the student. emaciated birth.

After talking with his adoptive father, Kien realized that he had missed out on what he always wanted before coming to the US: Improving language ability from learning about culture and customs. The international student began to focus more on his studies, enrolling in Toastmasters New York, a popular English-speaking club in the US.

Kien gradually caught up with the American speaking rhythm and was happy when in a club debate, he defended his point of view in front of an American friend and was applauded by the others.

"I'm fascinated with language, I always have a small notebook in my pocket. When I catch any word I don't know, I record it, then take it out to practice and put it into sentences when I speak," said Kien.

The Hanoi boy gradually forgot the habit of going home to hold his laptop, but went to the kitchen to talk with his American adoptive mother to learn how to use words naturally, spend time repairing cars with his adoptive father to learn advanced vocabulary. Every day, he rides a bicycle with his neighbors to learn more how to talk to young people. Since then, Kien's English has improved faster than expected, by... not afraid to say the wrong thing.

In Vietnam, Kien was not so good at natural subjects, but since coming here, he has always been in the group that excelled in these subjects the best in school. He usually does the lessons in the book first, then when it's time for class, always raises his hand to ask for the first answer.

While Kien is busy doing his math homework at home, his friends, in addition to still doing their homework, are also pursuing passions and other useful activities for society. One is the team leader for the National Speech Competition, the other is writing and composing a play, the other is the captain of the school's basketball team.