All of the below events are open for 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 to irchanoi@gmail.com. If you would like to be an American Center member, please register.
***REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL EVENTS EXCEPT THOSE NOTED OTHERWISE. Register here.***
All events take place at 1st Floor of the Rose Garden Tower at 170 Ngoc Khanh Street, Hanoi, except those noted otherwise. Remember to take your ID with you.
Conversation Hour
Tuesdays, 10:00 – 11:00 am
Nicole Bright-Hardee, Guest Speaker
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!
Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Mike Tran, Guest Speaker
New series for intermediate level English learners! Come to the American Center for interactive sessions with Mike to improve your listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. You will be expected to write essays on various topics and present in front of your peers. And you will comment on and discuss each other’s presentations. Mike will facilitate these sessions and help you bring your English to the next level. You’ll have fun learning and won’t even notice you worked so hard…
July 18, 25; 3:00 – 4:30 pm
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.
Freedom Rider and Civil Rights Movement
July 1, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Michael Powell, Guest Speaker
In 1865, the end of the American Civil War and the passing of the 13th Constitution freed all slaves in the United States. However, for the next 100 years, they were segregated, disenfranchised, and discriminated against. In the 1960s though, groups of young men and women rode down to the heart of the Deep South to challenge this inequality at its core through nonviolent means. These “Freedom Riders” were some of the participants of the Civil Rights Movement that secured equality before the law for all Americans. One of the original Freedom Riders, Michael H. Powell, has come to Hanoi to share his experiences in this history defining movement.
Appreciation of Vietnamese Culture through Traditional Music
July 8, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Vanessa Vân-Ánh Võ, Music Bridge-Under 25
Vanessa Vân-Anh , Vietnamese national champion, Emmy Award winner, Oscar nominee, composer, vocalist, and educator, will use traditional music to showcase Vietnam’s 4000-year-old cultural heritage. The sounds of the traditional instruments and folk songs will offer insights into the different traditions and customs of Vietnam’s three main regions-North, Central, and South. Under her guidance, the audience will join Vanessa Vân-Anh in playing some traditional instruments to create their own music. This hands-on experience will help the audience appreciate and understand more about the Vietnamese cultural history and traditions.
July 9, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
U.S. Embassy Marines
Come to join our new hosts who are young, enthusiastic Marines, for an hour of conversation to practice your English speaking skills. Please tell your friends about this chance and come to have fun together.
Harp Composition and Improvisation Techniques from around the World
July 9, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Diana Rowan, Music Bridge-Under 25
As one of the oldest instruments still existing, harps are represented all over the world in many forms, such as the dan Tranh of Vietnam. Each culture approaches harp composition and improvisation in its own unique way. Celtic harpist Diana Rowan’s is excited to share these concepts during this hands-on presentation to explore the melodic embellishment of Middle Eastern music, the kinesthetic orientation of African kora playing, the upward hand stance of Latin American harp music, and more as time permits. This is a very practical lecture-demonstration-workshop, focusing on how to incorporate these techniques into your own harp arranging and composition. Non-harpists and even non-musicians will also find this workshop interesting from historical and aesthetic viewpoints. Feel free to bring your instrument!
July 10, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Nguyen Phuong Anh, Vietnam’s Google Student Ambassador
Founded in 1998, Google have provided a variety products to serve millions people around the world. In this workshop, Phuong Anh as a Google Student Ambassador in Vietnam, will provide insights into Google Apps for Education to help students benefit more from those innovative products.
Critical Thinking for Academic Success
July 10, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Helen S. Huntley, Vietnam Director, International Extension Programs, California State University, San Bernardino
Critical thinking skills are essential tools for English language learners to compete effectively in professional and academic environments. In this session, participants will learn about the components of critical thinking and practice their own critical thinking skills through a variety of fun and creative activities which will provide many opportunities for speaking practice. Critical thinking skills will also be examined in terms of the international English language tests required for overseas study.
July 24, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Winston Q Le, U.S. Embassy
Baseball is considered America’s favorite sport. Winston Le will talk about the history of the sport, explain the rules, and will give you the opportunity to catch and throw a baseball with a glove.
July 29, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Bill Nguyễn, Guest Speaker
On average a person uses about 16,000 words a day. That number increases even more in an energetic and fast-paced environment, such as a college campus. So how do we know that we are speaking the right way? This discussion will provide, not only insights on how to communicate with others, but also learn how to listen through a series of practical activities.
