Can we create a new group for people who only need help practicing English???
I spoke to a friend the other day about couchsurfing and she said 'I used to go onto the couchsurfing community but I don't anyone more because all the posts are from people trying to find foreigners to practice English with'. I thought that was extreme but she has a point. Too many people in HCMC use couchsurfing only to look for people to practice English with and then half the posts are about this at times.
I thought this to be a shame as i'd like to see her (my friend) at events!!!
In other cities around the world there are more interesting events and posts for more things than just opportunities for people to practice a language.
It would be nice if people came to an event because they wanted to 1) be a part of the event 2) get some time to practice English. This is true most of the time.
but don't join an event and write 'great I can practice English!' because then your main reason is to practice English not join the event!
I know it's a cultural thing too. In other languages, you wouldn't say to people 'can we be friends? I want to practice English'! It's ok to say it in Viet 'Can we be friends?' after just meeting someone but in English and many other languages it sounds weird and desperate. Many people who don't learn Viet don't know this and many Viet just translate words not culture. It is not ok to say in many cultures 'Can we be friends?' when you don't know someone or you have just met them...you can say you are looking to meet interesting people...
If someone says to me 'Can we be friends?' after I just met them I am less likely to help. If you want to make friends, then just say that! I did it when I first came to Viet nam. I said I am new and I'd like to meet people to show me around and take me to nice places.
Some of the people I met in my first two weeks I am still friends with today. That was great! I got a lot of replies. So...if you are Viet and want to make friends then say I live here I can teach you about the city and show you some cool personal places, I think more people will reply positively and then make some suggestions. As couchsurfing.org is very international you will definitely have a chance to practice many languages and English.
This is better and a lot more meaningful than 'I am Viet, I want to practice English. Can we be friends?'
If we make a group for people who want to meet people just to practice English and make friends, then we will have more energy, time and space for interesting events and posts like...
- bicycle trip to the countryside/meditation in the park/art show/dance class/party this saturday etc These are more cultural and social.
This is couchsurfing!
1) Meeting and sharing!
...and of course a lot of language practice will come through this at the same time ;)
So, what do you think?
Can we try to clean up the community a bit more by referring newcomers who are only interested in learning a language to a special group?
and then more interesting posts will show with more space available!
I only moan because I care! :) I hope I haven't offended anyone but it would be nice to see only interesting and social posts!
Chuc may mon!
Also if you can't speak
English and you want to get a message across then write viet! please
don't translate as translating viet to english doesnt make sense
It's great to find out some
new passages from u. I think while we do sth together, we begin to be a
partner and friends.^^ I like this!
I disagree.
I joined many different CF
communities and only in this community do I find so many posts about
"help with English!". This is couchsurfing and so many Vietnamese people
are taking advantages and changing the beautiful meaning of its. I feel
pretty annoyed whenever I see such posts about helping with English.
Some may defend "okay, you are good at English so you don't care. We
need to learn. It's none of your business". But yes, I'm sure most
foreigners here who are travelers would feel uncomfortable as well since
I get email notifications all day. There are thousands of websites to
learn English on the Internet and they can always find available
talking/chatting partners and teacher. Why do they have to bombard this
TRAVELING community? I find it a shame being a Vietnamese member here
because I don't find such posts on many other communities I join around
the world.
There are language communities on CF as well, though I find it funny to have such communities on a "lonelyplanet" website like this.
However, I agree with you Tom, it's better people stop saying "hey, let's hang out! I want to practice English" because surely they will get the chance to practice language. Instead, they should have more respect for the community, the travelers as well as themselves not showing themselves a shallow person.
I know my message sounds harsh and Tom's message is very gentle and understanding already.
There are language communities on CF as well, though I find it funny to have such communities on a "lonelyplanet" website like this.
However, I agree with you Tom, it's better people stop saying "hey, let's hang out! I want to practice English" because surely they will get the chance to practice language. Instead, they should have more respect for the community, the travelers as well as themselves not showing themselves a shallow person.
I know my message sounds harsh and Tom's message is very gentle and understanding already.
Life is about serving others.
Trúc, I totally agree with you. Give Couchsurfing the proper function it is here named.
Worse still, some guy always post for event of meeting locals to practice languages. It's despicable the way Couchsurfing is abused for business like coffeeshop and restaurants, and the couchsurfers in Saigon community are just procurers for Cafés or restaurants. In so doing those people don't serve anybody, they serve themselves, they are profiteers.
Worse still, some guy always post for event of meeting locals to practice languages. It's despicable the way Couchsurfing is abused for business like coffeeshop and restaurants, and the couchsurfers in Saigon community are just procurers for Cafés or restaurants. In so doing those people don't serve anybody, they serve themselves, they are profiteers.
Yes, i also saw many posts
about "let's gather at this and that cafe, restaurant" to practice
English. I find it ironic because for the sake of speaking language, we
don't have to practically gather at such places. Being a local, I know
the prices of drinking that recommended there are not cheap at all. I
know many English clubs at coffee shops which offer a much cheaper price
for students, and they never go to CF to post and call students to come
there but they still have foreign volunteers.
I can only assume that the Viet people who come here and ask help with English are either too lazy or too bad at Google.
I can only assume that the Viet people who come here and ask help with English are either too lazy or too bad at Google.
Don't make fun of the helpless.
Yeah, Some of my new friends from CS asked me if Vietnamese people just looked for foreigners to practice English?
It's kinda shame
It's kinda shame
Count me in!!!
Good ideas Tom, there are group of Saigon language Exchange @ https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=62651
and Language Exchange @ https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=4441
Let join.
and Language Exchange @ https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=4441
Let join.
Totally agree! Dont want to be mean but this site is definetely not an english club :)
totally agree
Your agreement is inconclusive.
You are so great!!! I like your good ideas
Le Oanh is blind.
Cleaning things is like weeding.
I host 4 times
firsr I .aslo practice english.but after they go.I and ny familly miss them likge our family.they make our know more cuture we can not buy by money
firsr I .aslo practice english.but after they go.I and ny familly miss them likge our family.they make our know more cuture we can not buy by money
Tom, great idea. My
fraternity used to 'own a road' with a sorority and each semester we'd
have a 'volunteer' event where we cleaned the road together, afterwards
have a BBQ or something. Both cleaning together and after volunteer
event built new friendships and developed existing ones.
We wore bright orange safety vests and had prongs and gloves to pick up trash. Needles and other dangerous objects were not picked up.
I'm down to co host an event if someone wants to help me. I'm not sure if we need permission from local government to organize an event like this. Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Eric
We wore bright orange safety vests and had prongs and gloves to pick up trash. Needles and other dangerous objects were not picked up.
I'm down to co host an event if someone wants to help me. I'm not sure if we need permission from local government to organize an event like this. Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Eric
We need more English clubs and other clubs.
Thank you so much Tom :)
I did wonder about that . You helped !!
The post kinda long but in
overall I agree with you. Thanks for post it, Tom. You must understand
the culture very well and hope it will help people who want to practice
their language.
In the next month, I will set
up E club in D5 street, Binh Thanh district. If you care, you can
contact me. I want to create a place who want to practise speaking E and
cser can have a chance to meeting up with vietnamese people
Totally agree!
PS: did u mean "good luck" in the last line? If it is, it's better be "chuc may man" rather than "chuc may mon". If it isnt, i'm sorry for misunderstanding :)
PS: did u mean "good luck" in the last line? If it is, it's better be "chuc may man" rather than "chuc may mon". If it isnt, i'm sorry for misunderstanding :)
Hey,
I'm still hoping somebody steps up and acts on Tom's point of community service while practicing English. I'm willing to help, but would like a local or someone fluent in Vietnamese to help coordinate with local authorities about the possibility of a road clean up. Please send me a private message or reply to this post. If you just want to practice English, but not volunteer, there are many existing clubs:
Sozo Coffee Shop
176 Bui Vien, D.1
Notes
• Tues & Fri 6.00 - 9.00 pm (TIme / date may have changed) https://www.facebook.com/Sozovn
Drink and Talk Coffee
B1-B2, D2 Street, Binh Thanh District
(08) 6275-1004
Notes
• Check out their website & become a member: http://drinkandtalk.net/cafe/
Master’s Cup Coffee Shop
B-08 Nam Do, Phu My Hung, D.7
(08) 54170978 http://www.masterscupsaigon.com/
Hoa Huong Duong (Sunflower)
59 Nguyen Khac Nhu (near the corner of NKN and Co Bac)
01264685686 / 0918711402 (not sure if still open, please call to find out)
MM Café
130 Ba Thang Hai St. District 10
(08) 3868-1809 (call if still open)
Youth Cultural House (near Diamond Plaza)
4 Pham Ngoc Thach, D.1
Notes
• Sunday 1.00 - 6.00 pm
Completely free! http://tuoitrenews.vn/english-study/3576/english-speaking-club-review-2 (I wrote this review ;)
I'm still hoping somebody steps up and acts on Tom's point of community service while practicing English. I'm willing to help, but would like a local or someone fluent in Vietnamese to help coordinate with local authorities about the possibility of a road clean up. Please send me a private message or reply to this post. If you just want to practice English, but not volunteer, there are many existing clubs:
Sozo Coffee Shop
176 Bui Vien, D.1
Notes
• Tues & Fri 6.00 - 9.00 pm (TIme / date may have changed) https://www.facebook.com/Sozovn
Drink and Talk Coffee
B1-B2, D2 Street, Binh Thanh District
(08) 6275-1004
Notes
• Check out their website & become a member: http://drinkandtalk.net/cafe/
Master’s Cup Coffee Shop
B-08 Nam Do, Phu My Hung, D.7
(08) 54170978 http://www.masterscupsaigon.com/
Hoa Huong Duong (Sunflower)
59 Nguyen Khac Nhu (near the corner of NKN and Co Bac)
01264685686 / 0918711402 (not sure if still open, please call to find out)
MM Café
130 Ba Thang Hai St. District 10
(08) 3868-1809 (call if still open)
Youth Cultural House (near Diamond Plaza)
4 Pham Ngoc Thach, D.1
Notes
• Sunday 1.00 - 6.00 pm
Completely free! http://tuoitrenews.vn/english-study/3576/english-speaking-club-review-2 (I wrote this review ;)
thanks for all the comments
everyone! Eric, what do you mean by road clean up? What do we do? We
should definitely do this! I am up for this!
@ Tom, your post is great & meaningful...
I am living in Vung Tau, if someone really want to "practice English" I would like to join the group & share "learning E experience" between member & member...
P/S: I have some very good & useful soft-wares for whom wants to study E "by her/himself"...
Warmest welcome to Vung Tau City..., friends....
Have a nice weekend ahead!
I am living in Vung Tau, if someone really want to "practice English" I would like to join the group & share "learning E experience" between member & member...
P/S: I have some very good & useful soft-wares for whom wants to study E "by her/himself"...
Warmest welcome to Vung Tau City..., friends....
Have a nice weekend ahead!
Couch Surfing will always be abused because humans abuse everything because all humans are abusers. It is common sense.
Agree!! I never hard learn enough for practice English...so be great have group improve it together!
Road cleanup is basically
walking along a street and picking up litter. For safety, we wore bright
colored 'construction vests' and had latex gloves and prongs. We worked
with the local city government to 'Adopt a road' and picked up litter
twice a year... in saigon, i dont think twice a year is enough ;-)
another opportunity tom suggested: we do gardening work, plant flowers, trees, plants, pull weeds, etc. If you are fluent in vietnamese and can help contact a local organization to volunteer our services, please send us a private messgae so we can start coordinating :-)
cheers,
eric
another opportunity tom suggested: we do gardening work, plant flowers, trees, plants, pull weeds, etc. If you are fluent in vietnamese and can help contact a local organization to volunteer our services, please send us a private messgae so we can start coordinating :-)
cheers,
eric
Does that penetrate the root issues?
Our future event will be open
to all who want to partixipate. One of the first steps is raising
awareness. It starts with one. But if you are a negative nancy
personality, nobody is forcing you to do anything. (Im refering to the
K.M. poster)
smile :-)
smile :-)
Who is being negative?
Yeah..I'm in
Appreciate Tom's ideas. We
disagree with language learning topics but nobody has ever had a
practical action to help us improve this. Cheers!
Which else?
