English Teaching to College Students in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

My advice to future volunteers is simply follow the lead of the teachers who will have a clear idea about what they want you to do. Be humble about your own abilities and the impact you can have, but be thirsty for knowledge and experience YOU can gain from the volunteer work.The local team who run all the volunteer programs in the country are warm and engaging, and very well organized. We get three meals a day provided, although so far I tended to skip breakfast in favour of getting a decent coffee at Highland Coffee and a croissant. Lunch in the staff restaurant was fine: simple rice with vegetables and meat (plus a small bowl of soup) on Monday, and a big bowl of noodle soup on Tuesday, steamed rice, green beans (which I put in my small bowl of vegetable soup to warm through) and a small portion of pork and shrimp another day. You won't go hungry. Meals in the evening are provided at a small family-run restaurant across the road from the college and we have to pre-order the day before. One night I had fried rice with chicken and a pepper sauce. There was a lot of rice and a chicken drumstick, but it was very tasty. I opted for a single room and got a single bunk in a dorm with eight beds. It was fine for a week but if I were to volunteer for longer I would want to pay for a hotel room. I think this should be an option.