‘What happened to our VTTN trainers this summer? Why did they spend so much time in Hanoi? What were they doing?
Why did they come back home looking tired, but with a smile on their faces?’

The answer can be found in the story of the Hornby Regional School, Vietnam 2003.

From 19-27 August 2003, 40 participants from across Asia came together in Hanoi to take part in a two-week course in teacher training and development.

Here, in words and in pictures, is the story of those two weeks, and a glimpse of how the Hornby Trust regional school will benefit VTTN in the future.

Who were the participants?

24 from Vietnam
3 from Thailand
2 from China
2 from Brunei
3 from Laos
1 from Malaysia
1 from The Philippines
1 from Burma (Myanmar)
1 from Korea,
1 from Indonesia
1 from Japan

What is the Hornby Trust?

The Hornby Educational Trust established in 1968 by Hornby, the writer of the Oxford Advanced English Dictionary, to promote English Studies, in particular
teaching English as a foreign or second language.

The Trust with the British Council, co-funds regional schools around the world for English language teachers.

It also funds scholarships for ELT Professionals on MA courses in the United Kingdom.

In addition, the trust supports the development of the Hornby Alumni Network, contributes to English Language Teaching Contact Scheme (ELTeCS) initiatives and funds participants at Networking Events.

‘From Classroom to Training Room and Back’

Course aim

The aim of the Regional School was to prepare ELT
professionals for current or future roles within teacher
training and development.

Course content

• Adult learning: making learning effective
• Frameworks for training: shaping and structuring a training course
• Knowledge and skills for teacher development
• Strategies to manage change
• Needs analysis
• Training content
• Designing tasks for training
• How to organise a training course: logisical matters
• How to observe teachers in order to support change
• How to handle critical situations in training
• How to monitor teachers
• School-based teacher development
• Action research as a means for teacher development
• Drama activities in the language classroom
• Active listening for teacher development
• Loop-input
• Putting it all together – action planning for teacher development

What the participants thought

Joji Miyauchi, Japan

‘The course was well organized and gave me a solid grounding in both the theory and practice of English language teacher
education by looking at current issues in this area. The school gave me a regional perspective on teacher training and an
awareness of similarities and differences within working
contexts. After the course, I feel confident about my future teacher training and development role and am better prepared to carry it out by the end of the course. This course was one of the best I have ever participated in’.

Tran Lam Son, Vietnam
VTTN Trainer

‘The course was headed by a very knowledgeable, experienced training team. Participants benefited a lot from the combined total of over 700 years of teaching experience and from 179 years of teacher training experience together in the room!
A flexible programme made the workshop effective and
numerous action plans were produced at the end based on what had been captured from the workshop. The participants’ action plans show their commitment and ambition and challenge for change. Thanks to the Hornby Trust, the British Council Vietnam and all those who helped to make the course go so well’.

How to get in touch with…

…the Hornby East Asia Training Group

The participants are still in touch with each other via a very active mailing group. If you are a teacher trainer and you would like to contact the group with a question, a request or a suggestion or if you are looking for a trainer for one of your events, please send an e-mail to the e-group: vnhornbyschool@topica.com

Watch out for…..

... the Hornby Regional School Vietnam August2004

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