Thuy and myself talking via Google Chat
Being a social studies teacher and a novas traveler, I’m always fascinated with hearing stories from hail from a different part of the world than I do….and on Tuesday night I got a chance to do just that. My social studies students are currently in the middle of a economy unit of study, and one of our assignments has been to compare the US economy to others based on several factors (industry, unemployment, government, education, etc…)
On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of speaking to a young lady named Thuy. Thuy is a fellow classmate in the educational leadership program at the University of Arkansas. She was kind enough to volunteer her time to talk with me about the economy in her homeland of Korea Vietnam. The purpose of this conversation was to share a story with my students from the perspective of someone that has actually lived in a country that we study….instead of acquiring the knowledge from a text book.
I had originally planned to record our video conversation and embed the video onto my class blog….however, the skill of recording a Skype conversation has yet alluded me once again. I have however included a paraphrased script of our conversation.
Q – What are the major types of industry in Vietnam?
A- Most industry is concentrated in the north, including the state-owned coal, tin, chrome, and textiles. Right now there is a big push to lure big time investors, as there is in many developing countries.
Q – How are the working conditions?
A – Work conditions are not ideal, but they are improving due to the fact that many of the businesses are owned by Vietnamese. Pay is also a area that needs improvement as well, a 40 hour work week in Vietnam will earn your about $100 (US equivalent).
Q – What is the relationship between government and the ownership of these companies?
A – Vietnam is a socialist government, but there has been a movement towards a market economy.
Q – Is there a high value placed on education?
A – Education in Vietnam is highly competitive. Many parents push their children to put in extra work by attending “extra classes”, which are basically like payed tutors that will hopefully provide an advantage to that student. These extra classes take place after normal school hours and can be very exhausting for a student.
I plan to use this information with my students in class on Wednesday as a conversation starter in our economy talks. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to invite any of our international readers to join in the conversation….if you are interested, please simply leave a comment!
Mr. McClung