FAQs

  • I charge on a lesson-by-lesson basis, so there is no pressure to commit to x amount of sessions (unless you choose to do lesson pre-payments). We can work around whatever you feel suits your needs and fits your schedule/lifestyle.

    You could even just try one lesson and call it, though I'd hope that wouldn’t be the case and that you do decide to stick around! :)

  • This really depends on you and your learning style (whether you’ll rely more on learning done in lesson or if you’ll also dedicate time outside of lessons), your learning goals, and things like your schedule. Whatever the situation, we can definitely find something that feels good for you.

    A common range is 1-1.5 hour sessions 1-2 times/week if that helps give you an idea!

    Another more specific idea might be one 1 hr. session dedicated to learning new material + x amount of shorter 30 min. calls per week dedicated to speaking practice but no new material.

  • This is totally up to you, though it is highly recommended especially if you want to see faster and more effective progress in your learning. From my own experience, practice is super important, regardless of whether it’s active or passive, so if you can find ways to integrate Vietnamese into your daily lifestyle outside of just taking lessons, then it will make a huge difference!

    Self-studying tools is also something that I can provide as part of my services, so if that’s something you’d like some help on as well, I can share what I’ve learned from my own experience as well as help you find new tools that work for you.

    If you don't think you can find time outside of lessons, then you can consider scheduling shorter lessons (e.g. 30-min. voice calls dedicated to practicing what you learned in your regular lessons)!

  • Yes, I am familiar with both the Northern and Southern accent and am able to teach whichever one you’re focusing on.

  • My current teaching style is to schedule real-time online sessions on Google Meet where we can interact with each other, see and hear each other, and I also share a screen on my iPad to write stuff down as we go.

    I am quite flexible in terms of lesson format though! Some students also do voice calls instead of Google Meets so there is no video/iPad setup.

    I can adjust the pace to your needs, repeat stuff, take questions as we go, and I try my best to get you involved so that you get the actual practice required to improve.

    If you have specific learning needs or any feedback on how I should teach differently to better suit your learning style, I’m totally flexible and open to that. Just let me know!

    Note that I also offer one-on-one or small group sessions, so for one-on-one I can give my full attention to you, while for small groups there is a bit of sharing.

  • Not at the moment. If I see a need for it, then I may consider it on a student-by-student basis.

  • In-person lessons are possible, but are obviously dependent on where you are located in relation to me.

    If you are looking for in-person lessons, please contact me and we can discuss your options!

  • They are not free as teaching and prepping material for each lesson is quite time consuming, especially since I cater to each person.

    I recognize that I am just starting out though, so my rates are quite affordable! For my current rates, please see Services.

    If this is still a turn-off, but you'd like to reach out anyway just to chat about your language goals or ask for a bit of guidance/tips/resources, feel free!

  • For my current rates, please see Services. Also note that I do roughly account for currency as the exchange rates can be quite significant.

    Once again, I recognize that I am just starting out, so my rates are quite affordable!

    Late Payment Fee: For lesson-by-lesson basis payments, if a payment is not received within 12 hours of the lesson start time, a late fee of $10 will apply. If payments can be made right after lessons, that would be super appreciated!

    Lesson No-Show/Cancellation/Reschedule Fee: If you do not provide reasonable notice of absence, cancellation, or rescheduling for a lesson, the full lesson fee will still be charged. Reasonable notice means no later than 24 hours prior to the lesson start time. Note that this applies to both lesson-by-lesson payments and any pre-paid lessons that have already been scheduled.

  • Lesson-by-lesson payments means that you pay per lesson that you take. This is as opposed to lesson pre-payments, where you pay for a certain number of lessons up front, i.e., before you take them.

    For lesson-by-lesson payments, it is up to you whether you want to pay ahead of time (a popular choice for busy people) or after each lesson is completed. Please note that if you choose to pay after a lesson, then it must be within 12 hours of the lesson start time completion to avoid late payment fees.

  • If you decide to pre-pay for at least 4 hours of lessons (charged at the discounted rate specified under Services), this means that you will pay for that number of lessons up front, i.e., before you actually take them.

    From there, we can either pre-schedule these lessons or schedule them as we go, and I will deduct the costs from your pre-paid sum.

    Note that the Lesson No-Show/Cancellation/Reschedule Fee still applies to any pre-paid lessons that have already been scheduled. For more details on this, refer above to "HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?" (another FAQ).

    Also note that pre-payments are non-refundable. This means that if you decide not to finish any amount of lessons that you have paid for, there will be no refund.

  • If you have access to Interac e-transfer (used by Canadian banks), I take payments through e-transfer. For my current rates, please see Services.

    If you don't, I take payments through PayPal using a QR code that you can scan to get to my payment page. Please ensure you have PayPal as this helps reduce transaction fees.

    I will eventually set something up to take US payments through Zelle and Venmo — just not at the moment. Once it is set up, I will notify everyone and we can switch your payment method!

    Late Payment Fee: For lesson-by-lesson basis payments, if a payment is not received within 12 hours of the lesson start time, a late fee of $10 will apply. If payments can be made right after lessons or even prior to each lesson, that would be super appreciated!

  • Your learning goals may differ from mine, but for me to be able to do everything that I wanted to do with the language while sounding as “fluent” as possible, I think it took me around a year. Do note that I started teaching myself during the pandemic, so I did have a lot more free time to dedicate to it.

    Regardless, I am still learning and improving to this day!

  • Yes! I actually have quite some experience teaching kids in general and it’s something I also really enjoy. I can definitely cater towards children if you happen to be a parent wanting your kids to learn a language.

    You may also be interested in small group lessons if you have multiple kids, which has a cheaper rate compared to one-on-one. For my current rates, please see Services.

  • I can teach Korean and Mandarin as well — just not quite to the same level as I can for Vietnamese, but I can definitely get you up to a basic conversational level in any of speaking/listening and reading/writing.

    So, if you or someone you know is a beginner and would also like help learning Korean or Mandarin, don’t hesitate to reach out!

  • The short answer is yes.

    I don’t have formal training to teach English, however I am a native English speaker with lots of experience interacting with English learners from around the world, and I know some of the languages spoken in these countries. This gives me an advantage because I can use my knowledge to see things from their point of view and explain things in a way that may be easier for them to understand.

    That being said, I can teach English, but note that the approach will be similar to how I teach Vietnamese, with the overall goal being to learn what’s useful for communicating on a daily basis (as opposed to studying textbook grammar for an IELTS or TOEFL exam).

Still have questions? Reach me via social media or by filling out this form.

I will also keep this page updated as more repeat questions come in!

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