Confidently communicate with foreigners
One weekend in mid-June, we had the opportunity to visit Dam Market - one of the province's major shopping centers, attracting many foreign tourists to visit and shop. Dam Market still retains its traditional characteristics with stalls full of products from the sea to the forest... but unlike the past, the vendors have become more open in communicating with foreign tourists. The words "Hello, What do you want to buy?" echoing in the market are no longer strange but seem to be becoming an indispensable part of daily life here.
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| Since joining the Dam Market English Club, the traders are more confident when communicating with foreigners. |
At booth number 43, Ms. Le Thi Xuan (65 years old) was lining up to sell when two foreigners stopped by to look at the goods. Without any hesitation, Ms. Xuan walked over and said with a smile: “Hello. Is this what you want?” When the foreign customer smiled and nodded, Ms. Xuan quickly replied: “It's 400,000 VND”… After a while of exchanging back and forth, the foreign customer agreed to buy the product. Before the customer left, Ms. Xuan did not forget to say: “Thank you! Come back again! Have a nice day!” Ms. Xuan shared: “I never thought I would learn English because I was old. However, the leaders of the Market Management Board came down to the stall to persuade me, and some young people encouraged me to learn English to talk and sell to foreign customers. It sounded reasonable, so I registered to join the Dam Market English Club under the Khanh Hoa People Speaking English Program. I was one of the first traders to register to join the Club. Since I learned to speak English, I have become more confident and no longer feel shy when foreign customers come to buy goods.”
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| A theory lesson of Dam Market English Club members. |
Similarly, Phan Le Anh Ngan - a member of the Dam Market English Club (the daughter of a leader of the Dam Market One Member Co., Ltd.) shared: “My mother introduced me to the Club. When I first joined, I was very shy and did not dare to stand up and speak because I was afraid of making mistakes and being laughed at. But after more than 2 years of joining the Club, I can now stand up and present and participate in competitions of the project organized by the Khanh Hoa People Speaking English Program. Most recently, I participated in the "Master English - Master your life" competition. I feel more and more confident and not as shy as before when meeting foreigners. In particular, I really enjoy the practical sales classes for foreigners at the market. I am grateful to the program and the Club's Board of Directors for creating a space for us to freely practice speaking English.”
The confidences of Ms. Xuan and Ms. Ngan are also the common confidences of the members of the Dam Market English Club.
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| An extracurricular activity of the club. |
Increasingly attracting members to participate
The Dam Market English Club under the Khanh Hoa People Speaking English Program was established in March 2023 to create opportunities for traders, staff and children at the market to access and use English in their daily work. At first, the club encountered many difficulties in mobilizing traders to participate. Due to the characteristics of the market, most of the traders are older women who are used to traditional lifestyles, so the mentality of "reluctance to learn", "fear of difficulties", "unnecessary" is very common.
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| Members of the Dam Market English Club confidently communicate with foreign tourists. |
From that reality, the Project Management Board of the Khanh Hoa People Speaking English Program together with the leaders of Dam Market One Member Co., Ltd. directly went to each stall, approached each trader, persistently persuaded, and explained every little benefit that English could bring. At first, the traders refused outright, some just smiled and waved their hands, saying, "I'm old, how can I learn!". But with sincerity, patience and the belief that "learning is never too late", the project implementation team gradually changed perceptions from everyday stories such as: "Just knowing a few simple sentences, Western customers understand, they are happy, they buy more"; or "no need to speak well, just dare to speak...".
After many months of persistent campaigning, the first class was established with only a few members. As time passed, seeing the effectiveness of those who went before, they confidently communicated with foreigners in basic terms. From then on, the class became more and more crowded, the atmosphere became more cheerful and open. In addition to traders, the club also attracted children of officials and employees of Dam Market One Member Co., Ltd., and children of traders, creating a multi-generational community to study, practice and progress together.
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| Members of the Dam Market English Club participate in competitions. |
Currently, each month, Club members study 2-3 theory sessions at the Market Management Office. The content focuses on common communication sentences in buying and selling, product vocabulary, prices, and greetings. At the same time, members will practice 1-2 sessions directly at the market, communicating with foreign tourists who come to the market to shop. In addition, the Club Management Board also organizes extracurricular activities at tourist destinations to change the atmosphere, increase interaction, and stimulate members' interest in learning English.
Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Thuy - Head of Dam Market English Club said: “After more than 2 years of operation, the Club is not only a place to learn English, but also a place to connect, support, and inspire the spirit of progress and modern thinking in the small business community. The Club has become a typical example in the program “Khanh Hoa people speak English”, contributing to building the image of a civilized and friendly tourist city - where people of any age or profession can participate in the integration journey”.
CAM VAN
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202506/cau-lac-bo-tieng-anh-cho-dam-cau-noi-giup-tieu-thuong-hoi-nhap-42b517a/
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