Phuong Nga
Ngo

Can you tell us about your Masters - how have you developed throughout the course?

“The project is Teaching practice, where I can practice teaching English to real students. Throughout the course, I learnt a lot of theories and different approaches to teach English. It is really helpful to have this project to test all my hypotheses as well as bring theories into practice. From the first teaching practice, I was so nervous and afraid that everything would go wrong in the lesson. However, things turned out to be just fine. All my teachers and friends support me during the journey and I am very grateful for that. At the end, I feel much more confident with my lessons, and I enjoy them more and more.”

What made you choose to study at NTU, and in the UK?

“I chose to study at Nottingham Trent University due to its great reputation in teaching and learning. Also, I have lots of friends who have studied at NTU before and they highly recommended me to learn here. It provides students with first-class learning and teaching facilities to facilitate studying. I got a scholarship from the university so I am very happy with my decision.

I have always been dreaming of studying in the UK since I was just a little girl. So when I got the opportunity to choose a place to pursue my MA, the UK was my first option. Also, as my major is TESOL, I believe that there is nowhere more suitable for me than the UK because I can improve my English as well as study at a prestigious university in the field.”

What do you enjoy most about your course at NTU?

“I really enjoy my course, especially all the modules. I get the chance to learn all the theories about the field, as well as be taught by knowledgeable teachers. I also have peer-teaching and teaching practice sessions where I can practice and apply everything I have learnt in reality.”

What do you think about the course staff – include lecturers, tutors, administrators and technical staff within this. How do they support your learning and University experience?

“I absolutely admire all the course staff, especially my teachers. They are not only very helpful, funny, knowledgeable but also very caring. We only have 15 students in the class so I feel like we are a big family. My course leader Dr. Amy Wang has invited lots of her previous students to come back to share their experiences to deal with stress and difficult assignments. I have to say that it helps a lot, especially when we are all very stressful because of the heavy workload. I feel very thankful to be in such a caring class.”

“I know that all the teachers are very busy, but they always try their best to help us with the learning and even our personal lives. I still remember at the beginning of the semester, I cried because I felt that the assignment was so difficult, and I was so lost. Later that night, I got an email from my course leader saying that she had faith in me and she believed that I could achieve everything as long as I had faith in myself too. I was so happy and touched. I got a distinction for that assignment. Without her, I could not have achieved that.”

What do you think about the facilities available to you?

“All the facilities here are modern and available for students. When I studied in my university in Vietnam, I did not have these facilities, especially the library. I love how diverse the books are. I literally can find every book I need for my studying and it helps a lot!”

As an international student, what do you like about studying and living in Nottingham?

“Choosing to study at NTU in Nottingham has been one of the best decisions I have made so far. Nottingham is a lovely and student-friendly city. It’s not as crowded as other big cities. However, it is in fact an advantage for those who are not comfortable with the very fast-pace of life like me.”

Why would you recommend your course / NTU to someone looking to study in that area?

“I would say that for those who want to become a teacher of English in the future, studying MA TESOL at NTU would be a good choice. This course will offer you with lots of theories and background knowledge needed for your career, and at the same time, it is also very practical as you will be teaching real students in the second semester. This is a great opportunity to practice especially for novice teachers like me.”

How do you think the course, and having a postgraduate qualification, will help you to progress your career?

“I am planning to come back to my country and becoming an English lecturer at a university in Vietnam after I finish the course. One of the requirements for being a lecturer in my country is having a postgraduate qualification. Also, I believe that all the skills and experiences I got during studying here will definitely help me deal with teaching in the future.”