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 |
TOEFL Test Preparation Course for current 9th to 11th gradersRegister (required) here by 5:00 p.m. February 26, 2017 |
IIG Vietnam |
| Feb. 9, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 10, 9:00 – 10:00 | American English Club | AC Interns |
| Feb. 10, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | David McAuley, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Feb. 13, 5:00 – 7:00 | Leadership Training Series: Problem Solving & Decision Making Skills | Hoang Ngoc Bich, Crestcom |
| Feb. 14, 2:00 – 3:00 | Values in U.S. Culture and their Application in Everyday Life | Leslie Bohon and Jackie Montero from St. Margaret’s School, Tappahannock, VA |
| Feb. 15, 9:30 – 12:30 | Black History Month Movie Screening and Discussion: Selma (2014) (PG-13) | Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Feb. 16, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 16, 2:00 – 3:30 | MOOC 25 “English for Journalism”, Facilitated Discussion #1. Register (required) here | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 17, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | David McAuley, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Feb. 17, 11:00 – 12:00 | Graduation Day for MOOC 23 and MOOC 24 | American Center |
| Feb. 21, 10:00 – 11:30 | MOOC 26 “English for Career Development”, Facilitated Discussion #1. Register (required) here | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 22, 9:30 – 12:30 | Black History Month Movie Screening and Discussion: Ray (2004) (PG-13) | Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Feb. 22, 3:00 – 4:30 | Debate Club | AC Interns |
| Feb. 23, 10:30 – 12:00 | The United States and China in Southeast Asia | Dr. David Shambaugh |
| Feb. 23, 11:00 – 12:30 | Pronunciation Workshop | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 23, 2:00 – 3:30 | MOOC 25 “English for Journalism”, Facilitated Discussion #2. Register (required) here | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 23, 4:15 – 5:00 | The Life of a Military Spouse | Dr. Patti Brown |
| Feb. 24, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | David McAuley, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
| Feb. 24, 3:30 – 4:30 | Tips to Improve Your Note-taking and Translation Skills | Ha Tuan Hiep, Freelance Interpreter |
| Feb. 27, 5:00 – 7:00 | Leadership Training Series: Teamwork Skills | Hoang Ngoc Bich, Crestcom |
| Feb. 28, 10:00 – 11:30 | MOOC 26 “English for Career Development”, Facilitated Discussion #2. Register (required) here | Amy Baum, ESL Educator |
| Feb. 28, 1:00 – 3:00 | African American History and Culture Open Discussion | Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi |
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.
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.
Values in U.S. Culture and their Application in Everyday Life
February 14, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Leslie Bohon and Jackie Montero from St. Margaret’s School, Tappahannock, VA
How do fundamental values affect people’s everyday lives and decisions? Groups of people and communities often have shared mindsets and values that guide their lives. Becoming familiar with these values are a window into that culture. Based on personal and national cultural research and decades of experience in secondary and university settings, the presenters will conduct an interactive presentation focusing on values in U.S. culture, such as independence, individuality, self-reliance, freedom, and equality. Then we will look at how those values are applied in everyday life for many Americans. Join us for an in-depth look at culture!
Black History Month Movie Screening and Discussion: Selma (2014) (PG-13)
February 15, 9:30 – 12:30 midday
Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Selma is a chronicle of Martin Luther King’s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. The movie was directed by the critically acclaimed Ava Duvernay. The discussion will focus on Dr. King’s struggles to lead a movement, the competing interests of the civil rights movement as well as the beautiful and innovative cinematography of Duvernay.
Black History Month Movie Screening and Discussion: Ray (2004) (PG-13)
February 22, 9:30 – 12:30 midday
Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Ray is the story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s. Directed by Taylor Hackford, Ray was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two – Best Achievement in Sound Mixing as well as Best Performance by Actor in a Leading Role (Jamie Foxx). Our discussion will focus on African Americans and the Oscars, African American contributions to music as well as the general portrayal of African Americans in global media.
The United States and China in Southeast Asia
February 23, 10:00 – 12:00 pm
Dr. David Shambaugh
David Shambaugh is an internationally recognized authority and author on contemporary China and the international relations of Asia. He has visited or lived in China every year since 1979, and has traveled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Shambaugh is currently professor of Political Science & International Affairs and the founding director of the China Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He has served on the Board of Directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Asia-Pacific Council, and other public policy and scholarly organizations. Shambaugh has been selected for numerous awards and grants, and has published more than 30 books, including most recently China’s Future and The China Reader: Rising Power. He has received research grants from numerous foundations, and has been a visiting scholar or professor at universities in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Russia. An active public intellectual and frequent commentator in the international media, Shambaugh serves on numerous editorial boards, and has been a consultant to governments, research institutions, foundations, universities, corporations, banks, and investment funds.
The Life of a Military Spouse
February 23, 4:15 – 5:00 pm
Dr. Patti Brown
Patti Brown, PhD student and a life-long educator and wife of a Four-Star General, will share about her advocacy role for military children, education, military spouses and her life as a military spouse the past 35 years.
African American History and Culture Open Discussion
Feb. 28, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Curtis Johnson, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Please come join us for an open discussion about the contributions of African Americans to United States History. Reading between the lines of media, entertainment and sport to learn more about the every day struggles, joys and achievements of the African American and their families.
