Go to a cafe and learn a foreign language for free.

Each student was given a text in English with questions. They took turns reading aloud the sentences in the text. If they misread a sentence, Hữu immediately corrected them and asked them to read it again. If there were any difficult words or grammatical errors, the volunteer teacher would stop and explain them in detail.

After completing the reading and translation of the text, the class split into two groups to discuss and answer the accompanying questions with the support of volunteers. Because they were just starting out, some students expressed themselves using simple English sentences, while others could only stammer. Whenever they got stuck, Thien Huu helped and encouraged them to complete their sentences.

Despite living in Hoc Mon district, which is relatively far, Le Minh Thu (23 years old) has been regularly attending for almost three months now. Minh Thu smiled: "Everyone here is very relaxed with newcomers, so I made friends very quickly. Each lesson has a clear topic. Everyone has the opportunity to practice speaking and receives support from the instructors to clearly express what they want to say."

Thai Minh (24 years old, Binh Tan District) said after a month of attending the club that he was quite impressed because, although it's completely free, the club operates throughout the week, except for Mondays. "Each lesson covers a new topic, helping us expand our knowledge, improve our vocabulary, and gradually speak English more fluently," Thai Minh happily shared.

Caring and sharing

Although there are no rules, each student in the class here thoughtfully supports the shop by buying a drink. Hong Lein (a German woman of Vietnamese descent) founded The-Link community with the idea of ​​creating a place for young people to connect, care for, and share with each other.

Hong recounted that upon her first return to Vietnam, she realized that many young people she met lacked the confidence to express themselves as they did in Germany. This motivated her to do something to support them, at least to help them believe in their abilities and boldly develop what they had.

So, in 2012, the free English and German language club began operating. The first classes were small, lacking both staff and requiring rented classrooms. It wasn't until The-Link was established seven years ago that this place became a popular spot not only for young Vietnamese people but also for many foreign students and residents in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thien Huu used to study at the English club here and has been a volunteer mentor for beginners for almost a year. "I've always loved learning languages ​​and gained a lot of value from this, so I want to pass that on to others. It's a joy for me to be able to help people improve their English speaking skills," Huu said.