Placement Address

Thu Dau Mot University
6 Tran Van On St., Phu Hoa Ward,
Thu Dau Mot Town,
Binh Duong Province, Vietnam

Dai hoc Thu Dau Mot
6 Tran Van On, Phuong Phu Hoa,
TP. Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong

Tel:  +84 (0)650 3822 518  
Fax:  +84 (0)650 3837 150
www.tdmu.edu.vn

Placement dates

•  Late August to 15^th January
•  Late January to 15^th June

Please note that we work with hosts to establish start and finish dates for placements in each programme. However, exact end dates may vary somewhat from placement to placement and year to year.  On arrival at your placement, you should receive guidance and training on your role and responsibilities, and you should take this opportunity to establish when your host expects you to finish.  This date should be respected, and you should only leave your placement earlier than this date with the express agreement of your placement and Programme Manager.

Placement contacts

Placement Head: Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep, Rector
Tel: +84 (0)650 3822 518
Fax: +84 (0)650 3837 150
Mobile: +84 (0)913 860 175
Email: Hieutruong.C44@moet.edu.vn

Volunteer mentors:
Dr. Ly Quyet Tien, Dean of Department of Foreign Languages
Mobile: +84 (0)907 218 945
Email: tientdm@gmail.com

Mr. Bui Duc Anh, Vice Dean of International Relation Dep.
Mobile: +84 (0)919 401 395
Email: phongqhqt@tdmu.edu.vn

Background on host institution

The aim of the University, established from Binh Duong College for Teachers in 2009, is to become the leading centre for training – research and development of Science Technology, and the top centre of Culture and Education of the province. There are 4,000 full time students.  400 teachers with 30 English teachers.  It badly needs contact with natural English speakers.
Since 2008 there have been 8 volunteers here.

Volunteers duties

Duties are to assist future Vietnamese teachers of English and other subjects in pronunciation  and aural comprehension, to give conversation classes, to work to improve the standard of spoken English of the students and of the teachers themselves.
You will be giving some lessons in a local school which is connected with the university.
You should also be open to house calls at your room from students who just want to talk to you. Take advantage of this – they are truly lovely people and are very helpful.
You will have opportunities to teach extra evening classes, for which you will be paid extra.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation is on the campus – shared.  There is a telephone and PC in room; make sure to pay for internet and phone calls.

Cash in lieu of  food 2,500,000 VND, but vols can cook for themselves.  There is a cook, the lovely Ms Loan, who is paid to cook for the volunteers.  She cooks what you ask her to and she does it very well (but she does only speak Vietnamese).

Financial allowance

There is an additional allowance of 1,500,000 VND per month for incidental expenses.

Suitable clothing

Vietnam is a reasonably conservative country and both male and female Lattitude volunteers should dress appropriately at their placements.  As teaching assistants, Volunteers need to dress in professional attire and not as backpackers.  Blouses, tops (no strappy singlets), knee-length skirt and trousers are good choices for females and collared tops and neat trousers are required for males.

Other information

• There is a nearby bus-station with frequent buses running to a major bus-station in outer HCMC
   (Mien Dong Bus Station).  Buses and taxis are available from here to the city centre (District 1, Ben
   Thanh Station).  The first bus costs c.7,000 VND and the second one c.3,000 VND
• Bus links with HCMC. From college to local theme park and thence to HCMC.
• A college car is available once a month.
• Shops, cafés etc are available nearby.
• Thu Dau Mot is a small town, so this placement, while definitely not rural, is quiet.  This means that
   you can ride your bike around without fear of being run over, but, if you are active enough, you
   surely won’t get bored.
• Suoi Tien theme park/water park is nearby, also the Dai Nam Theme Park
• The university will be happy to take volunteers to the Cu Chi Tunnels which are about an hour away.
• In college and Internet cafés.  In school library free internet.
• The internet café directly across the road from the back gate is very cheap and the computers are
   quite fast.  Best to go at around 6 pm when there are minimal gaming enthusiasts to fight with over
   the computers.
• There is a 10 p.m. curfew with a guard at the gate.  If volunteers know they are going to be returning
    later they need to notify the link teacher and  guards, if possible.
• There has been a school Viet Anh on the same campus at which vols have been teaching and have
   been paid extra.  The school is about to move to a new site, but would like the association to
   continue.

Recent volunteers

Lisa Sturgess: lisasturgess42@gmail.com
Amy Fairall: monkeypossum@hotmail.com

Photo gallery

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The classroom building of Thu Dau Mot University