A Guide to Integrating Expat and Vietnamese Students

Understanding Key Differences

Teaching Approaches

In Vietnam, teachers command immense respect, establishing strict classroom order. Corporal punishment historically reinforced obedience. Passively receiving instruction is expected. Expat kids may balk at rigid policies. Educators can bridge gaps by allowing appropriate student input while maintaining authority.

Tips for families:

Remind children to comply with rules even if questioning things is encouraged at home.
Volunteer time assisting Vietnamese teachers with cross-cultural training.
Avoid openly criticizing educators in front of children.

Pointers for children:

Follow instructions promptly but ask for clarification politely.
Refrain from disruptive behavior that could seem disrespectful.
Adapt to policies around posture, neatness, order that differ from home.

Academic Intensities

Vietnamese students tackle heavy workloads aimed at gaining entrance to top schools. Cram schools fill extra time. Parental pressure is intense. Expat kids face less overt stress, focusing on exploration. Finding balance is key.

Ideas for families:

Encourage learning without overload. Help kids set reasonable schedules.
Provide emotional support during exams while expecting responsibility.
Ask teachers to moderate densities to allow creative assignments.

Strategies for children:

Pace yourself. Study diligently but take regular breaks.
Set your own goals versus competing with peers.
Politely explain your needs if feeling overwhelmed.

Family Structures

Most expat students live in nuclear families prioritizing autonomy. Vietnamese homes often comprise three generations, with elders shaping values. Respect for aged relatives is paramount.

Tips for families:

Greet grandparents and relatives respectfully when visiting.
Invite children's grandparents to expat family gatherings.
Discuss balancing independence with family duties.

Ways for children:

Greet relatives using proper language and posture. Ask how they wish to be addressed.
Participate in conversations with elders through gestures and simple phrases.
Avoid criticizing older relatives. Offer to assist them graciously.

Communication Approaches

Expat kids voice opinions openly from a young age. In Vietnam, confrontation and disagreement are avoided, prioritizing harmony. Diplomatic wording modulates interactions.

Guidance for families:

Coach children to phrase statements politely to prevent causing offense.
Role play potential exchanges at school using culturally adapted language.
Help interpret indirect cues and meanings.

Hints for children:

Adapt to quieter volume. Avoid interrupting.
Disagree humbly, using statements like “I may be wrong, but...”
Compliment others’ ideas before adding your perspective.
Keep emotions subtle. Maintain composure.

Promoting Integration

Finding Common Ground

All children worldwide share fundamental needs for security, stimulation, self-expression. Mixing through activities and popular culture creates shared experiences. Remembering commonalities helps overcome differences.

Learning Each Other’s Ways

Trading language lessons expands cultural awareness immensely. Sharing unique traditions like food, music and holidays also builds enthusiasm and familiarity. Immersing in each other’s worlds with openness allows mutual understanding to grow.

Setting Expectations

Open discussions help align standards around schooling, discipline and autonomy. Vietnamese families can provide more free time while expats moderate expectations for diligence. Clear guidelines with reasonable flexibility set students up for success.

Encouraging Open-Mindedness

Above all, maintaining patience, empathy and willingness to learn lead to harmonious fusion. Assume positive intent in interactions. Check assumptions through considerate questioning. Judge less, listen more. Lead by modeling tolerance.

Bringing Students Together

Educators play critical roles in facilitating cohesion. Generation Z (Gen Z) refers to those born between 1997-2012. Known for being progressive, entrepreneurial and financially focused, Vietnamese's Gen Z values authenticity, diversity and independence. They aim to rewrite societal rules and norms. While sharing common generational traits, expatriate and Vietnamese Gen Z also exhibit key cultural differences in their worldviews and experiences. Schools can play a pivotal role in bringing these students together.

Form cross-cultural clubs, committees and counsels for students to share experiences. Mix expat and local youth.
Host festivals, fairs and shows that celebrate global youth culture and talents.
Start buddy programs pairing expatriate and Vietnamese Gen Z to guide and support one another.
Provide joint classes on cultural literacy, diversity and communication strategies.
Create communal spaces on campuses specifically for expat and Vietnamese students to casually connect.
Recruit faculty advisors who represent diverse backgrounds and promote inclusion.
Train teachers and staff on facilitating thoughtful immersion and avoiding cultural bias.
Organize collaborative academic projects and extracurricular activities that blend contributions.
Foster open dialogues where students can gain perspective by exchanging stories and ideas.
Incentivize travel, foreign exchange programs and service opportunities abroad.