When travelling to a country with a very different culture, one concern is that we may accidentally cause offence.
Well, we've got your back. Share this guide with your students before you travel so you can all feel confident in Vietnam.
Clothing
The Vietnamese do tend to dress quite conservatively, and you should generally make sure you chest and legs are covered. So, although you will want to wear things that'll keep you cool, it's best to avoid very short shorts and skirts, and stick to t-shirts rather than vest tops and camisoles.
When entering a temple or any other sacred place, you’ll also need to cover your arms and any tattoos you may be sporting (as these are frowned upon in Vietnamese culture).
Behaviour
Of course, PDAs (public displays of affection) will generally be discouraged on a school trip, but it’s worth letting everyone know that anything more than holding hands in public is very much frowned upon in Vietnam.
When you pay for something or give someone a gift, always offer it with both hands (this shows respect).
Heads are considered sacred in Vietnamese culture, so you should never touch people on their heads or pass anything over anyone’s head.
Avoid pointing the soles of your feet at anyone (this is considered very disrespectful).
Don't point with your finger (instead, gesture with your whole hand). And try not to stand with hands on hips or arms crossed against the chest, as this is pretty rude in Vietnamese culture too.
Hopefully this won’t come up, but try not to lose your temper in public - doing so will cause the person you’re angry at to lose face, which is taken very seriously in East Asian cultures.
Eating out
So, one thing that you will need to prep your students for is the fact that they'll be given chopsticks, rather than a knife and fork. This can be really embarrassing if you don't know how to use them (and could mean you go hungry), so you could do some prep before you go (why not give them some chopstick challenges to make it fun?).
It's quite important to finish everything on your plate (if you can). And when you have finished, rest your chopsticks on top of the rice bowl (and never sticking up in the air).
You'll be pleased to know that you will be given a spoon if you order soup. Just remember to hold it in your left hand.
Photography
You'll all be taking loads of pictures, so make sure everyone knows that you must ask people's permission if you want to take a picture of them (otherwise you could really upset people).
Language
Honestly, wherever you go, if you can say a few words in the local language, it's going to go down really well.
And it could be a fun pre-trip challenge to get your students excited.
Basic phrases include:
• Hello – xin chao
• Goodbye – tam biet
• My name is… - ten toi la…
• How are you – ban co khoe khong?
• Thank you – cam on
• Thank you very much – cam on rat nhieu
• Sorry/excuse me – xin loi
• Can you help me? – Ban co the giup toi duoc khong?
• You’re welcome – khong co gi
• Do you speak English? – Ban co noi duoc tieng Anh khong?
• I don’t understand – Toi khong hieu
Not booked your school trip to Vietnam yet?
Get in touch to find out more. We're always really happy to help, whether you're just thinking about it or you're ready to dive in and start planning straight away.
