Notice: The American Center will be closed from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 for Tet holidays and our operation hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on working days from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8.
All of the below events are open free of charge to the public. We would like you to plan carefully before registering with us so that we have enough seats for participants. If you register for our events but change your plan, kindly notify us by email. If you would like to be an American Center member, please register.
***REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL EVENTS EXCEPT THOSE NOTED OTHERWISE. Register here. You can also check out our Facebook page to see event schedule and click “Join” to register with us.***
All events take place at 1st Floor of the Rose Garden Tower at 170 Ngoc Khanh Street, Hanoi, except those noted otherwise. Remember to bring your ID with you. Members of the media are welcome to attend public events at the American Center. However, if you intend to being in still or video cameras, please contact the Media Team at least 24 hours in advance so we can determine whether the speaker is comfortable and, if so, request security access for your equipment. Please note that not all speakers will want to be filmed and interviewed. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Please Note: In the American Center (AC), we usually record, film and photograph our programs and activities to promote the AC and the work the U.S. Embassy does in Vietnam. We regularly use and post these images on our social media platforms. When participating in American Center programs, you provide your tacit consent for your image to be used in this way. If you prefer that your image not be used for non-commercial publicity reasons, please provide your request in writing to a staff member at the Help Desk. Thank you.
| Time | Program | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| February – April 2017 |
Office English CourseRegister (required) here by 5:00 p.m. February 5, 2017 |
Professors from English Department, Hanoi University |
| Jan. 3, 11:00 – 12:00 | MOOC 24: Introduction to Public Speaking, Facilitated Discussion #4. Register (required) here | Bui Phuong Anh, EducationUSA Advising Center, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 5, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 5, 2:00 – 3:30 | Public Speaking | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 5, 3:30 – 4:30 | Comparative Cultural Discussion Series | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 6, 08:30 – 11:30 and 1:00 – 3:30 | 6th Blood Drive “Donate – Save a Life” | U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 6, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | David McAuley, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 9, 5:00 – 7:00 | Leadership Training Series: Presentation Skills. Register (required) here | Hoang Ngoc Bich, Crestcom |
| Jan. 10, 2:00 – 3:00 | American English Club – New Year Celebration | AC Interns |
| Jan. 10, 3:00 – 4:30 | Investigating Financial Crimes | Nancy Langston, Former Federal Prosecutor, U.S. Department of Justice |
| Jan. 12, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 12, 2:00 – 3:30 | Public Speaking | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 12, 3:30 – 4:30 | Comparative Cultural Discussion Series | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 13, 11:00 – 12:00 | Why Volunteer? – Discover the Joy and Meaning of Contributing to the Needs of the World while Developing your Professional Skills | Kevin Espirito and Beth Kreitl, Golden West, Swim for Life Vietnam |
| Jan. 13, 3:00 – 6:00 | “India’s Daughter” Film Screening and Discussion | Leslee Udwin, Film Director; Bruce Knotts, United Nations Office; Tran Kim Tu, Deputy Director, Department of Teacher and Educational Institution Department, MOET; Shoko Ishikawa, Country Representative of UN Women in Viet Nam; Nguyen Thu Thuy, Vice Director of CSAGA |
| Jan. 17, 11:00 – 12:00 | Research and Rabbit Holes: Writing and Publishing | Constance Kirker |
| Jan. 17, 2:00 – 3:00 | MOOC 24: Introduction to Public Speaking, Facilitated Discussion #5. Register (required) here | Bui Phuong Anh, EducationUSA Advising Center, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 17, 3:00 – 4:00 | Women Leadership | Lisa Sellin, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 18, 3:00 – 4:00 | Fireside Chat on Religious Diversity in the United States | Meghan Kleinsteiber, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Jan. 19, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 19, 2:00 – 3:30 | Public Speaking | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Jan. 19, 3:30 – 4:30 | Comparative Cultural Discussion Series | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
Conversation Hour
Fridays, 10:00 – 11:00 am
David McAuley
Call it a conversation, or any one of this word’s synonyms – chat, colloquy, converse, dialog, discussion, etc. – this is an hour of informal talk and your opportunity to improve your English speaking and listening skills. An American host of the hour will introduce a topic and guide you through discussion around it. Come to chat and learn. Bring your friends and make even more friends!
American English Club
American Center Interns
Come join our American English Club to improve your English speaking skills and enhance your English vocabularies on variety of topics. This club is also a good chance for you to meet new friends and enjoy lot of fun games, discussions and activities.
AC Student News
American Center Interns
Adapted from the CNN Student News, this program encouraged participants to reflect on and discuss international issues, while using opportunity to sharpen English language skills, especially listening and speaking.
Debate Club
American Center Interns
The goal of the American Center’s Debate Club is to create friendly environment where anyone can express and freely debate their ideas on interesting current topics. So if you like to analyze facts, communicates openly, or just interested in debate please make your way to the AC to join our club.
Comparative Cultural Discussion Series
Thursdays, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Amy Baum, ESL Educator
If you’re interested in learning more about American culture, as well as how it differs from and relates to Vietnamese culture, come join this informal discussion series at the American Center. Each week, a different feature of American culture will be explored, such as family dynamics, marriage, gender, and politics. Discussion will be centered around how this cultural aspect relates to relevant parts of Vietnamese culture, with all participants actively encouraged to participate.
Pronunciation Workshop
Thursdays, 11:00 – 12:30 midday
Amy Baum, ESL Educator
This 7-week pronunciation course focuses on the pronunciation features of American English and will help students improve their awareness and production of various aspects of pronunciation. Topics include consonant and vowel sounds, stress, intonation, rhythm, and problem areas for Vietnamese speakers of English.
Public Speaking
Thursdays, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Amy Baum, ESL Educator
Do you want to learn some key strategies for preparing and delivery a successful speech or presentation to large audiences? This short workshop will teach you the critical points to keep in mind for successful public speaking and give you the chance to practice your skills. This event will be repeated on 12 and 19 January, 2017.
Investigating Financial Crimes
January 10, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Nancy Langston, Former Federal Prosecutor, U.S. Department of Justice
Nancy Langston, a former federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal Division, is a specialist in anti-money laundering and asset forfeiture and management. She will talk about international best practices on investigating financial crimes, money laundering and prosecuting the corrupted perpetrators.
Why Volunteer? – Discover the Joy and Meaning of Contributing to the Needs of the World While Developing Your Professional Skills
January 13, 11:00 – 12:00 midday
Kevin Espirito, Microsoft’s Global Giving and Volunteer Programs; Beth Kreitl, Executive Director of Career Services at Seattle University
Join a discussion with two Americans who left their vibrant careers in the U.S. to volunteer in Central Vietnam. In this session you will hear about their career story and learn about their program, Swim for Life Vietnam. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to consider the ways in which volunteering allows you to make a meaningful contribution in solving important problems in the world, while also developing marketable skills within your own career path. Kevin Espirito led Microsoft’s Global Giving and Volunteer Programs; Beth Kreitl was the Executive Director of Career Services at Seattle University, and is also a yoga teacher. We look forward to sharing a lively, engaging conversation as we explore these topics together.
Research and Rabbit Holes: Writing and Publishing
January 17, 11:00 – 12:00 midday
Constance Kirker
In English, the expression, “going down a rabbit hole” can be used to describe the experience of searching something on the internet only to find unending twists, turns, and even more interesting new subjects. Author of Edible Flowers: A Global History, Constance Kirker, will share her enjoyable and often unexpected experiences researching and writing the book, including the fun of several exciting weeks of “primary research” traveling and eating flowers in Vietnam.
Short Biography: Constance Kirker – Connie is a retired professor of Art History at Pennsylvania State University in the USA, an instructor at Culinary Institute of America in Singapore, a food studies lecturer at international conferences, master gardener, and award-winning flower arranger. Presently living in Philadelphia, she regularly lectures on cruise ships and recently published Edible Flowers: A Global History with her co-author and sister Mary Newman. Their next writing project is a history of The Cherry Tree.
Women Leadership
January 17, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Lisa Sellin, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Women have a unique role to contribute in leadership positions in all types of organizations. Find out about your strengths and potential for leadership roles.
Fireside Chat on Religious Diversity in the United States
January 18, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Meghan Kleinsteiber, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Did you know that the first Muslim was elected to Congress in 2006? That Vice President Joe Biden is the first Catholic to hold this post? Join us for a discussion on the importance of religious diversity in the United States. Since the founding of the United States, we have built a system that protects the rights of religious believers and non-believers alike to worship, practice, share, change, and express their beliefs freely.
Office English Course
February – April 2017
Professors from English Department, Hanoi University
The American Center, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Hanoi is offering an Office English course for university graduates and mid-level officers who are living in Hanoi, this course is not opened for undergraduate students. To be eligible for this program, you must have a minimum English proficiency of intermediate level and you will need to pass an entrance examination.
If accepted into the program, you will be committing 4 to 6 hours a week of study at the American Center from 5:00 – 7:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, starting on February 22nd. This course will be conducted by Amory Ewerdt, Hoàng Thu Hằng, Nguyễn Hoàng An, professors at the English Department, Hanoi University.
This 25-session course has the aim to enable the learners to communicate naturally, independently and with increased confidence in real life office contexts in English through a genuine outcome-based syllabus. In a 50 hours course, the learners will have opportunity to Practice Oral and Written Office/Business Communication Skills; Enhance Language Knowledge: Accuracy of Vocabulary, Grammar, and Pronunciation through communicative outcome-based tasks; Study of interesting and relevant Office/business texts from genuine business sources; Practice English for International Business Skills: delivering presentation, taking part in and managing meetings, negotiating, telephoning and socializing within various office/business environments.
Please register for this course by filling the form by 5:00 p.m. February 5, 2017 (Hanoi time). Only selected students will be notified by February 12, 2017.
