Vietnam Breanna Podmore

Background Land & Climate History Located in South East Asia. A little larger than New Mexico. Tropical climate in south and four seasons in north. History Before 1980’s Vietnam was a one-party government Doi moi (renovation) took place in the 80’s which attempted change.

Society Socialist state led by a president. Voting age is 18 Agriculture is their primary source of income. Currency: dong

People Population Language As of 2011 90 million populate Vietnam Grows at about 1% annually Many have fled over the years. * Language Vietnamese Minority.

Religion Constitution states freedom of religion. 55% Buddhism 12% Taoist.* 8% Roman Catholic All respect ancestors.

General Attitudes Children must respect teachers and parents Vietnamese believe in hard work, generosity, and loyalty Punctuality is important to all. They have an intense sense of nationalism. Inequalities still exist especially in rural areas.

Personal Dress Everyday dress is casual. Formal occasions women wear the ao dai Men don’t wear shorts in public.

Greetings Formal greetings shake hands Informal greet verbally and bow head Peers greeted with given name Name structure.*

Gestures Importance in gestures to teachers. Never touch someone's head. Rude to call someone over with index finger. No affection in public between opposite sexes. Crossing index finger and middle finger is impolite

Food Rice served with every meal No food should be left in one’s plate. It is considered lazy to eat from your bowl on the table

Family Youngest son inherits the house. Extended family provide support for each other as needed Men and women share most responsibilities in the home.

Lifesyles Dating & Marriage Recreation Youth begin dating in their late teens They are free to choose their own mates Encouraged to marry after man is at least 25 and woman 23 Recreation Men enjoy soccer, volleyball, tennis and swimming Karaoke is a popular form of entertainment in groups of young people

Holidays 11 major holidays Most important is the Lunar New Year Held in late January or February Everyone is considered one year older. Families visit and feast Debts are settled before this holiday

Education in Vietnam Education begins at age 5 and is free for the first 6 years Some areas are very populated. School week is Monday through Saturday. High school graduates are encouraged. College is free to qualified students. Paying students who do not meet government standards can attend

Education Continued Saturday is review day All students take shifts helping clean the school in groups Students must stand when called on Most schools don’t have playgrounds or extracurricular activities Most days start with a test.

Teacher Reminders Important to remember topics in our history can be sensitive to students in your class due to cultural background Stereotypes need to be avoided and addressed Most Vietnamese stereotypes are general Asian stereotypes.* Examples:

Tips for Teachers Learn a few words of Vietnamese Hi!- chao Goodbye- Tam biet Be aware of offensive gestures Address bullying Have mini lessons on different cultures

Teaching Tool By using mini culture lessons students will feel closer to students of other cultures and diverse students themselves will feel a sense of pride One neat way to do this is by using a book like “Teaching the Short Story: A Guide to Using Stories from Around the World” This book includes short stories about different countries and discusses the moral behind the story.