Bringing the world into the classroom at BVIS

At BVIS, we hold an annual International  Week and, throughout the academic year, we strive to meet the aims of our mission statement which states: 

There can be no doubt as to the importance of global citizenship in education today. Citizens of countries right across our planet are becoming more connected than ever before. Therefore, understanding one another’s languages or learning about different cultures is paramount to the success of a young person in the twenty-first century. We want our children at BVIS to develop an awareness of a world where we are all different and special. They must respect and value this diversity as we encourage them to explore, question and understand the world around them. 

For young children, the starting point in their learning to become global citizens is their home here in Ho Chi Minh City. Helping children to develop a deeper understanding of where they live – the language, traditions, problems facing the environment or society, the geography, and more - develops their “Vietnamese Perspective”. Children can then use and apply the understanding they have gained to learn more about the wider world. At BVIS, “Vietnamese Perspective” and “Global citizens” are explicitly linked as our school’s aide-memoire shows.

When planning for International Week, BVIS teachers refer to this cultural iceberg:

The younger children’s learning will focus upon the top of the iceberg whilst older children will learn about some of the more difficult concepts in the bottom part of the iceberg. Some examples of lessons might be: 

• Language: learn key phrases and vocabulary 
• Food: make and/or taste typical food items 
• Arts: learn a song or dance. 
• Traditions: hold a debate about a controversial tradition such as bullfighting in Spain 
• Status: play a trading game which helps children to understand the challenges facing poorer nations 

Our International Week is a journey across the world. Each Primary year group studies countries from a specific continent so that in time, as children get older, their learning journey will have taken them across all continents.

Of course, learning to be a global citizen with a Vietnamese perspective is not limited to International Week. So, some ideas for you to try at home are: 

• Family outings to local places of interest and cultural events in the city to develop your child’s Vietnamese perspective. Have fun exploring together! 

• Read stories set in other cultures. Our school librarian can help you search for books that will reveal other countries and their way of life to your child. 

• Discuss what is happening in the news with your child, perhaps during family meal times. Encourage them to express their opinion and help them to find out more by searching on the internet together.