Putting aside his technology dream after injury, Hue male student turns to teaching with a master's degree in the UK

From an IT engineer who had to stop his career due to a wrist injury, Nguyen Tuong Quynh – a 24-year-old male student from Hue – has found a new path with the job of teaching English. The journey of Master's degree in TESOL in collaboration between VNUK and Nottingham Trent University with a tuition fee of less than 10,000 pounds not only helped Quynh turn her passion into a sustainable career, but also brought her an inspiring experience in an international learning environment, where each lecture is a time of growth.

Quynh checked in at Nottingham Trent University, where her international study journey began.

When one door closes, a passion for teaching opens

Before becoming an English teacher specializing in IELTS preparation, Quynh studied Information and Communication Technology. A wrist injury forced him to temporarily stop working in the IT industry, causing his life to seem to fall into a deadlock.

“After having to quit my job in the IT industry due to a wrist injury, I was very depressed. Teaching English helped me find joy and passion again. After more than 3 years of teaching, I want to pursue teaching seriously, professionally and sustainably” – Quynh shared.

Three years of dedicated teaching has inspired Quynh to take a big step forward: studying for a master's degree to become a lecturer, continuing her PhD studies and developing her own foreign language center in a sustainable and effective way.

Study in the UK with tuition fees "within reach"

Quynh shared that one of his right decisions was to study the MA TESOL program in collaboration between VNUK and NTU. The program has a fairly reasonable cost with a total tuition fee of 9,000 GBP, divided into two installments. In the first installment, students pay 2,500 GBP to VNUK when studying for 3 months in Da Nang ; the remaining 6,500 GBP is paid when going to NTU - Nottingham Trent University.

“What I find convenient is that the tuition fee is divided into installments, so it is easy to manage finances and there is no pressure to pay all at once. Studying the first 3 months in Vietnam also helps save a lot of money on accommodation and travel expenses before going to the UK. Compared to the general level in the UK, I consider this tuition fee quite reasonable,” Mr. Quynh shared.

Experience a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment in the land of fog

In particular, the program is designed with a reasonable roadmap (3 months of study in Vietnam, 6 months in the UK and the last 3 months are flexibly chosen to do the thesis in 1 of the 2 countries) to help students have time to adapt to the new teaching method before entering the main stage abroad.

Super economical cost of living in Nottingham

In addition to tuition fees, Quynh also shared details of other costs when studying abroad in the UK. Accordingly, visa and health insurance fees range around 31 million VND, health check-up costs 2.6 million VND, and airfare from Vietnam to the UK costs around 12 to 17 million VND/way.

“I registered for Lotus Student of Vietnam Airlines , got an extra 23kg bag and 10% discount on the ticket price. A small tip is to buy the ticket as soon as you have a visa to get a good price. For me, the total cost for the round trip was only about 25 million.” He shared the secret to getting a good price on air tickets.

The cost of living in Nottingham is also quite reasonable, with single room rent being around 400 pounds/month, food costs are mainly prepared by students themselves and range from 100-150 pounds/month.

Studying abroad is an opportunity to learn and explore the UK in your own way.

“My house is near the school so I mostly walk. If I buy a monthly bus ticket, it costs about 55 GBP, and a yearly student ticket is 289 GBP. Also, when I go to other cities, I use the Coachcard because it is cheaper than the Railcard.”

Notably, student amenities such as train tickets and SIM cards are all reasonably priced; in particular, the school also supports preparing phone SIM cards right from Vietnam, making connecting when coming to the UK more convenient than ever.

Half the journey in England, but a full grown-up experience

Although she only studied for 6 months in the UK, for Quynh, every day of living and studying in Nottingham was a valuable experience – from interesting study hours with international teachers, to weekend trips to visit different cities.

“From Nottingham to Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds… are all convenient, only takes 1 day. Each trip costs about 60 GBP (including train/bus tickets, food, etc.). I often choose places with free entrance such as parks and museums to save more money.” - Quynh confided

Memorable days in England – Quynh's youthful baggage

Quynh considers the joint training MA TESOL program between VNUK and NTU to be a strategic move for those who love teaching but still need to consider the cost. In particular, Nottingham is a very livable and worthwhile place to experience. “On average, I spend about 500-600 GBP per month, which is much more reasonable than other big cities. For me, Nottingham is a good choice for those who want to study MA TESOL with both quality and financial balance.”

Upon completion of the MA TESOL programme at NTU, students will receive a prestigious master’s degree from Nottingham Trent University, one of the UK’s leading universities. This qualification is not only internationally recognised but also opens up many career opportunities in the education sector. Many graduates of the programme are now teaching English at schools and educational institutions both domestically and internationally.

- Learn more about the Master of TESOL program at: https://thacsitesol.com/

- Learn about the Vietnam - UK Research and Training Institute (VNUK) at: https://vnuk.udn.vn/

Source: https://tienphong.vn/gac-lai-giac-mo-cong-nghe-sau-chan-thuong-nam-sinh-hue-re-huong-giang-day-voi-bang-mac-si-tai-anh-quoc-post1766535.tpo