International teachers build trust with Vietnamese families by sharing concrete, positive observations of each child, coordinating closely with the Vietnamese lead teacher who usually owns family communication, respecting the family’s concerns about care as well as learning, and raising worries carefully and together. Language is only part of the challenge. The larger part is understanding what families expect from a preschool and from a foreign teacher, and how those expectations are expressed.
This article sets out how communication with families usually works in a Vietnamese bilingual preschool, what families tend to ask about, how to share a child’s learning in ways that make sense across languages, and how to approach difficult conversations. It draws on general principles of family partnership in early childhood and on the practical realities of schools in Ho Chi Minh City.
What families expect from a bilingual preschool
Families choose a bilingual preschool for many reasons: they want their child to grow up comfortable in English, they value a more play-based approach, they have friends whose children attend, or the school is simply close to home or work. Whatever the reason, most families hold two sets of expectations at once. They want their child to be safe, well fed, rested and happy, and they want visible progress, especially in English.
The care expectations are often expressed more strongly than international teachers anticipate. Questions about whether a child finished lunch, slept well, drank enough water or was dressed warmly enough for an air-conditioned room are everyday concerns. They reflect a deep and practical form of care that runs through Vietnamese family life, and answering them patiently is part of earning trust.
Expectations of English progress can be ambitious. Some families hope for a child who speaks fluently within a few months. Part of the teacher’s role is to explain, gently and repeatedly, how young children acquire a second language: that understanding comes before speaking, that a quiet period is normal, and that Vietnamese remains important. Concrete evidence of progress helps far more than general reassurance.
Who communicates what
In most Vietnamese bilingual preschools the Vietnamese lead teacher is the main point of contact for families. She handles daily updates, attendance, health matters, messages about events and any concerns raised at drop-off or pick-up. The international teacher contributes to this communication, especially about learning and English, but usually through or alongside the lead teacher rather than separately.
This arrangement protects everyone. Families receive one consistent message, in a language they understand well, and misunderstandings caused by translation are less likely. It also respects the lead teacher’s role and avoids the situation where a family approaches the foreign teacher to bypass a decision they disagree with.
Drop-off and pick-up are the moments families see you most, and they are brief. A good habit is to agree with your co-teacher on one short, positive thing to say about each child at least once a week, so that every family hears from the international teacher regularly rather than only when something has gone wrong. Families who have heard good news several times are far more open when a concern eventually needs raising.
Many schools use a messaging app, most often Zalo, for class groups, alongside a parent app or written reports. Clarify early whether you are expected to post in the class group, whether you should share your personal contact details with families, and what the school’s rules are on messaging outside working hours. Many schools prefer international teachers not to use personal accounts with families at all, and following that policy protects you as well as the family.
Sharing a child’s learning across languages
Describe, do not evaluate. A sentence such as “This week she counted the seeds in our papaya and told her friend there were many, many seeds in English” tells a family far more than “Her English is improving.”
Use photos and short videos with care. An image of a child absorbed in building or planting, shared through the school’s approved channel and with a short caption, crosses language barriers easily. Follow the school’s rules on consent and privacy.
Include both languages. Note what the child does in Vietnamese as well as English. Families value knowing that their child explained an idea well in Vietnamese, and it reminds them that both languages are growing.
Never compare children. Families may ask how their child compares with others. Answer by describing the child’s own progress and next steps, without ranking or naming other children.
Write for translation. If notes will be translated, use short sentences, avoid idioms and check that the Vietnamese version keeps the meaning, especially for anything about a concern.
Grandparents, helpers and the wider family
In many families grandparents or a household helper handle drop-off and pick-up, and sometimes most of the child’s daytime care outside school. They may speak little or no English and may have different expectations from the child’s parents, often focusing even more closely on food, sleep and warmth.
Treat these adults as partners rather than messengers. A greeting in Vietnamese, a smile and a short positive comment conveyed through your co-teacher make a strong impression. Grandparents are often the people a child spends the most time with, and their support for the school’s approach, including its play-based style and its use of two languages, matters a great deal.
Be careful, though, with important messages. A concern about a child’s development or behaviour should normally be shared directly with parents, through the lead teacher, rather than passed along at the gate. Ask your colleague how the school usually handles this, because families differ in who makes decisions.
Preparing for a parent meeting
Formal parent meetings, whether termly reviews or meetings about a specific concern, benefit from preparation with your co-teacher. A simple sequence helps.
- Agree the purpose. Decide together what the meeting is for and what you hope the family will take away.
- Gather observations. Bring two or three specific examples from learning stories, photos or notes, in both languages where possible.
- Plan who says what. Usually the lead teacher opens and closes, and the international teacher shares observations of learning and English.
- Start with strengths. Families listen more openly when they hear first what their child does well.
- Invite the family’s view. Ask what they notice at home, in each language, and what they would like to know.
- Agree next steps. End with one or two practical things the school and the family will each do, and a time to check in again.
After the meeting, write a brief shared note so that both teachers remember what was agreed and the family receives consistent follow-up.
Difficult conversations
Sooner or later every teacher needs to raise a concern: a child who bites, a child who seems unusually withdrawn, a possible delay in speech, or an injury at school. In a cross-cultural setting these conversations need extra care, because families may feel that a concern reflects on their parenting or on the child’s future, and because nuance is easily lost in translation.
Raise concerns together with the lead teacher and, where appropriate, the curriculum lead. Start with what you have observed, described specifically and without labels. Make clear that the school is on the child’s side and that the purpose is to help. Avoid diagnostic language; if a professional assessment may be useful, suggest it as a way to understand the child better rather than as a verdict.
Expect that families may not respond immediately. Saving face matters, and a family may need time to discuss a concern privately before engaging. A calm follow-up a week later, with further observations, often achieves more than pushing for an answer in the first meeting.
Gifts, Teachers’ Day and other customs
Families in Vietnam often show appreciation to teachers with flowers, small gifts or cards, particularly on Vietnamese Teachers’ Day on 20 November, on Vietnamese Women’s Day on 20 October, at Lunar New Year and at the end of the school year. For many families this is an expression of gratitude and respect with deep roots, not an attempt to gain favour.
Schools handle this differently. Some welcome small gifts and flowers, some ask families to give only to the class as a whole, and some forbid gifts altogether. Find out your school’s rule before the first of these dates and follow it exactly, including when a family insists. If you must decline something, do it warmly and explain that it is the school’s policy, so the family does not feel personally rejected.
Customs also shape other moments. Families may bring fruit or sweets for the class around Lunar New Year or Mid-Autumn Festival, invite teachers to a child’s birthday celebration, or send a message of thanks after a child has been unwell. Ask your co-teacher how to respond to each, because small gestures handled well strengthen the relationship, and handled carelessly they can cause unintended offence.
Supporting the home language as a teacher
Most children in a Vietnamese bilingual preschool come from Vietnamese-speaking homes, but classes increasingly include children whose families speak Korean, Chinese, Japanese, French or another language at home, or who have one Vietnamese and one foreign parent. For these children the school may be adding a second and third language at once, and families may worry about which language to use with their child.
The research consensus, reflected in the work of researchers such as Jim Cummins and Ellen Bialystok, is that a strong home language supports rather than hinders the learning of additional languages. Teachers can help families feel confident continuing to use the language they know best at home: talking, singing and reading together in it, rather than switching to imperfect English in an attempt to help.
In the classroom, small gestures show that every child’s language is welcome. Learning a greeting in each home language, inviting a parent to read a story in their language, or displaying a few words from each family’s language in a corner of the room tells children that their whole identity belongs at school. These practices also help Vietnamese-speaking children understand that English is one language among many, not the only one that matters beyond Vietnam.
Building partnership over time
Family partnership grows from many small contacts rather than a few big ones. Saying the child’s name correctly, with its tones, sharing a small moment from the day, remembering that a grandmother has been unwell: these build a sense that the international teacher knows and cares about the child.
School events are valuable for the same reason. Festivals, open days and family workshops give families a chance to see the international teacher with the children and to talk informally. Taking part warmly, even when the event is long and the language mostly Vietnamese, signals commitment to the school community.
Finally, remember that families are experts on their own children. Asking what a child loves at home, what words they use for favourite things and how they react to new situations helps you teach better. In the Global Nexus approach, families are treated as partners in observing children’s development, and that stance works in any bilingual preschool.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Should international teachers give their personal phone number to families?
Follow the school’s policy. Many schools prefer families to contact teachers through the school’s official channels or through the Vietnamese lead teacher, to keep communication consistent and protect teachers’ private time. If unsure, ask before sharing any personal contact details.
How do I respond when parents ask why their child is not speaking English yet?
Explain that young children usually understand a second language well before they speak it, and that a quiet period is normal. Share specific examples of what the child understands or responds to in English, and suggest ways the family can support both languages at home.
Why do families ask so much about eating and sleeping?
In Vietnamese family culture, food, rest and warmth are central expressions of care, and many parents worry about whether a young child is eating enough. Answering these questions patiently and specifically builds trust, and it shows that the school shares the family’s concern for the child’s wellbeing.
Can I speak directly to parents about a concern?
Usually it is better to raise concerns together with the Vietnamese lead teacher, who knows the family and can ensure the message is understood correctly. Preparing together and agreeing who says what avoids mixed messages and misunderstandings caused by translation.
How can I communicate with grandparents who speak no English?
Learn a few Vietnamese greetings and positive phrases, smile, and use your co-teacher to share short messages. Grandparents are often closely involved in daily care, and a warm relationship with them strengthens the child’s sense of continuity between home and school.
What if a family wants their child to have English only, without Vietnamese?
Explain why the school values both languages, especially for young children whose home language is Vietnamese: concepts learned in one language transfer to the other, and a strong first language supports the second. Share the school’s language policy and invite the family to observe a class.