American and Vietnamese Students Learn About Each Other’s Cultures First-Hand via DVC

American and Vietnamese students talk with each other outside the PAS videoconferencing room

HCMC IRC staff and American NGO Global Nomads Group (including founder Mark von Sponeck)linked Vietnamese and American teenagers in discussions over lifestyles and culture.

On April 10 and 11, 2007, twenty-five "Semester at Sea" students and teachers docked in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and seventeen Vietnamese students from five HCMC high schools talked with American students from Missouri, Virginia, New Jersey, and Kansas via digital video conference (DVC). Discussion topics included cultural stereotypes, personal heroes, and school life, as well as historical issues like the U.S.-Vietnam war.

The Vietnamese students commented that the discussions were not only a great way to practice their English but it also taught them more about U.S. culture, and about the real life of U.S. students, at home and in their schools. After their discussions, Vietnamese students said they realized that the life of American students is not stereotypical, like what most of the world sees on television and in movies. They found it interesting that the American students were concerned about Vietnamese opinion on the past war and whether or not Vietnamese people would be hospitable and welcome them to their country. The frank and friendly exchange between all the students showed that any distance between them was simply geographical. The stories from participants of the "Semester at Sea" ship also aroused an interest in learning abroad for some Vietnamese students. The event opened a new global way of thinking for participating Vietnamese students.

Vietnamese and U.S. students not only learned about each other’s cultures but they also gained a global awareness and the importance of their contributions to the world. Students and teachers regretted having to say goodbye so early, and they exchanged email addresses in order to keep in touch in the future.