Dao Thi Hang (Centre, pink long dress) and her students at a graduation ceremony in HCM City. (Photo: giaoducthoidai.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Dao Thi Hang, knownas the “Queen of Sauce”, is a prominent name on the domestic market with herbrand of the product. But she has also become known for her revolutionaryteaching methods - banning the use of mobile phones and the internet six days aweek while students study her English courses in the isolation of the northernmountains.
This clever woman recently spoke about aconfidential project, a village she has built with her co-workers to teachchildren English and essential life lessons - all conducted in a strictenvironment with an emphasis on meditation.
Once the highest scoring student at HueUniversity of Agriculture and Forestry, Hang rejected overseas scholarships toremain in the country, founding the Leader Talks Education, an Englisheducation centre in Ho Chi Minh City, licensed by the Leader Talks Globeorganisation in Britain and Hang’s Fish Sauce company.
She also runs Hama Village, an English andmeditation centre for children in Dak Nong province. But Hang admits that sheherself learned from an excellent woman teacher, who modestly declined to giveher name.
“Back in 2014, I helped students who hadpronunciation difficulties in international schools in HCM City and Binh Duong.After 10 weeks, most students were confident in speaking, but when they gotback to their studies, they ended up making the same mistakes,” saidHang.
"I was disappointed to think all of ourefforts were wasted. It meant that if children went to the city’s Englishcentres, they probably would not be able to communicate properly until theywere 40.
"Fortunately, when I was thinking of givingup, I remembered a teacher who once showed me how to deal with theproblem. She compared the children who successfully finished the course asseeds that needed to be placed in an incubator and watered regularlyuntil they became small seedlings. When they are strong plants, they are takenand put in the garden.
"But if planted too early, the seedlingswill be affected by the sun, rain, wind, and storms, making it hard for theplants to grow. My students are the same. They are all at the seedling stageand need to be nurtured to ensure the survival rate is 100 percent,” shesaid.
Hang said this was also the way she learned English. Shespent almost one year refining her English and elevated her IELTS skills beforetravelling abroad, like her four brothers and sisters. “After graduatingfrom high schools or universities, all of them spent one to two years studyingand focusing on English before they became English teachers.
The advice she was given by her former teacherenlightened her, providing a brighter path for herself and, eventually, her ownstudents.
After thinking carefully about the new teachingmethod, Hang decided to move to Gia Nghia, the capital of Central Highlands DakNong province. Fifteen students followed her to the village to live and studytogether. She named the village Hama, meaning Healthy and Cheerful in ethniclanguage.
Besides learning English at high intensity,Hang’s students practise eating and drinking in a healthy way, practise naturalagriculture and speak English every day. The phone is only used on Wednesdaysso her students can concentrate on their studies.
Students at Hama study from six months to twoyears. Some practise their IELTS skill before studying abroad, some studyEnglish to become teachers so that they can work abroad or work in foreigncompanies in Vietnam. Most have just graduated from high school or university.
After 20 background courses and eightconcentrated courses in the strict environment, Hang observesthe progress of her students. “Learning to live and work are essentiallessons our ancestors passed down to us. English is a skill that develops wellif these lessons are learned," she said. "Our students learn how tostay focused, stay calm and be aware of what they are doing, while openingtheir hearts to learn new things, and be ready to love and help otherindividuals."
Phones and the internet can help provide information,but at the same time, they cause distraction and waste time and energy.They also cause users to lose their concentration.
“Some of my students were notorious gameplayers, and have successfully gone into rehabilitation and returned totheir high score.
Sam Nuzes, a young American volunteer, who hasspent a month studying and working with Hama students, said Hama was a heavenon earth, “I am really astonished with what Hang and her students are achievinghere,” he said.
Following Hang’s method for one to two years, nofriends, phone or internet, in a strict environment with the support ofmeditation, most of her students have passed and become excellent students.
“No happiness can compare to seeing positivefeedbacks from their parents and watch them grow mentally and physically well,”she said.-VNA
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