Alex, who lives and works in Thanh My Tay Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, joins young people at an English-speaking club. Photo: Phi Hung / Tuoi Tre
Learners seek more opportunities to practice
Despite completing IELTS preparation courses, 27-year-old Phuong Anh of former Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, said she had few opportunities to practice spoken English outside the classroom.
She joined an English-speaking club in Ho Chi Minh City after receiving recommendations from friends.
Anh said the club's supportive environment encouraged participants to speak English more frequently.
She said the sessions had also helped her make new friends with similar language-learning goals.
Twenty-four-year-old photographer Vo Anh Kiet of Binh Thanh Ward said he began looking for English-speaking clubs to improve communication with foreign clients.
Kiet said limited vocabulary and slow conversational responses had affected his interactions with overseas customers.
He recalled struggling to understand a foreign couple during a recent photo shoot because they spoke too quickly.
The experience prompted him to search Facebook for local English-speaking communities before joining a club.
Kiet said participants were encouraged to make mistakes and receive constructive feedback without fear of being judged.
Participants said English courses and learning materials are widely available, but opportunities to use the language in everyday conversations remain limited.
They said many learners have solid grammar and vocabulary but lack confidence when responding spontaneously.
Speaking clubs offer practical learning
Facebook hosts numerous communities that organize regular English-speaking sessions across Ho Chi Minh City.
Most sessions are held at coffee shops or shared community spaces.
Some clubs allow free-form conversations, while others organize discussions around specific topics, small-group activities, and language games.
Native speakers and fluent English speakers often facilitate the sessions by correcting pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions.
Danny, founder of the Voyager English Speaking Club, said each session typically includes one or two native English speakers.
He said the club aims to provide participants with opportunities to use English in natural conversations rather than follow a fixed classroom curriculum.
Danny said speaking practice alone is not enough.
He said learners also need detailed feedback on their pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions after each conversation.
Voyager has about 45 members and meets every Tuesday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
The club charges VND50,000 ($1.9) per session.
Danny said the number of first-time participants has increased steadily in recent weeks.
Thanh Long of Chanh Hung Ward, who has attended several English-speaking clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, said the sessions help participants develop the habit of using English in real-life situations.
He said regular feedback had improved both his confidence and communication skills.
Affordable sessions attract diverse participants
A survey by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper found that English-speaking clubs in Ho Chi Minh City generally charge VND50,000-100,000 (US$1.9-3.8) per session, depending on the format.
The fee typically covers beverages or venue costs.
Many clubs do not charge membership fees and require participants only to pay for their drinks.
Others collect a small fee to prepare learning materials, organize discussion topics and activities, and support conversation facilitators.
Most clubs hold one or several sessions each week, primarily in the evenings or on weekends.
Participants include university students, office workers, and foreign residents living in Ho Chi Minh City.
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