Bonnie Yang and Tram Ngo share differences, benefits of American education

Bonnie Yang and Tram Ngo both have had different experiences in America, as do many of the international students at Fresno Christian. Their experiences have shaped their views of the U.S. and the people that live here. Ngo is the only international student from Vietnam while Yang hails from China.

Both Yang and Ngo made the decision to come to the United States to study after hearing about America and the difference in education. Both have noticed the differences between their country’s education and American education.  

“I wanted to expand my knowledge,” Ngo said. “I wanted to come to the U.S. because I heard many people say it is the dream country. When you come here you feel free to do anything you like and the education system is not heavy. There is no pressure about the scores or rankings in class.”

Yang decided to study in America after a friend recommended it to her.

“My friend told me that America is very good for studying,” Yang said. “The school is very different from China, so I wanted to try a different education. The classes are very different and interesting than in China. China’s high school is so hard for us. Here it is easier in high school.”

Brooke Stobbe, the liaison between foreign exchange students, FCS and AmeriStudent, has seen the struggles of international students. Stobbe knows that American culture can be a shock to the international students.

“It’s really overwhelming,” Stobbe said.“These students are coming from China and Vietnam, so they are coming from an eastern culture to a western culture. That is one of the biggest differences, especially Vietnam since they are less developed than we are here.  You’re experiencing not only the obvious changes, like food and language and those sorts of things, but there are these deep thoughts that you have inside of your mind that you don’t realize are actually culturally influenced thoughts, like the way you process information and observe things.”

I wanted to expand my knowledge. I wanted to come to the U.S. because I heard many people say it is the dream country. When you come here you feel free to do anything you like and the education system is not heavy. There is no pressure about the scores or rankings in class. — Tram Ngo

Throughout her time here, Yang has noticed the differences in America and the language barrier. 

“Language is extremely difficult for me to learn,” Yang said. “It’s hard for people to understand me. But the American people are more friendly. The American people are very friendly to international people, they are friendly to people they don’t know.”

Although Ngo struggles with the language, she is working hard to get past that.

“The first time I came here, the language was a problem because this is my second language,” Ngo said. “Sometimes when people talk to me, it is hard to understand everything. And when I talk to another person they don’t understand me because this is a different culture.”

In America, people are given freedoms that some other countries don’t enjoy, which Ngo has noticed.

“In America, people are free to speak anything they want,” Ngo said. “In Vietnam, the students have things they shouldn’t say. If you say something about the president, you can’t do that in Vietnam. In America, you are free to speak but in Vietnam, you aren’t.”

One of the other freedoms that American students have is their education and their class choices.

“The education in Vietnam and America is different,” Ngo said. “In Vietnam, you study a lot, you have five periods repeated every day, but here you have five periods one day, three periods one day and four periods one day. In Vietnam, you cannot choose your subjects, but in America, you can study whatever you want. In Vietnam, you have to study history, literature, math, and geography, and they don’t have a choir or band class.”

Lesley Bannister, the band teacher at FCS, has taught Ngo to play the flute. Bannister sees how Ngo differs from the other international students.

“Tram has never played flute before,” Bannister said. “So she has been working hard to learn all the notes and fingerings. She has made connections in class and she has made friends. She has been working incredibly hard, I haven’t seen a student that is as dedicated as she is in a while. She has been working hard to communicate with others and to learn to play the flute.

Ngo enjoys the band as something she couldn’t experience in Vietnam.

“I like the band class because they have many activities,” Ngo said. “Last week we had the Veterans Parade. That’s really nice. The teachers in band, like Mrs. Bannister, she also helps me to play the instrument because this is the first time that I have played instruments. She helped to give me the passion for music.”

Aside from language, some students struggle with the flavor of the food in America.

“American food is too sweet, I don’t like it,” Yang said. “The only American food I like is pizza, I love pizza. Otherwise, I usually cook my own food at home. I also like the Teahouse and Four Seasons in Fresno.”

Ngo, on the other hand, enjoys the food in the U.S.

“The food is really delicious,” Ngo said. “In America, they have food from around the world. But in Vietnam, they only have: American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, but here you can find food from around the world.”

International students usually meet for ESL class and various other activities. Currently, there are 28 international students at FCS. Twenty-five of them come from AmeriStudent, while three of them come from another program. 

For another international student-related article, check out FC alumni expose campus to AmeriStudent, international students and Zoology and AP biology visit Monterey Bay Aquarium.

This author can be reached via twitter  @vijays3242 and via email: Vijay Stephen