Biography
NOTE: NO LESSONS AVAILABLE 20 APRIL TO 6 MAY - SILENT RETREAT IN THAILAND, NO COMMUNICATIONS.
Hi, my name is Simon Bartholomew and I am an Australian citizen. I now live in Hanoi for most of the year.
Most of my career life was spent in Canberra, Australia, as a public servant working for Australian Federal Government agencies. My major role was in people management including policy development, consultation and advice.
I was also employed in a law enforcement agency (as a civilian), responsible for the development of employment frameworks for police deployed overseas. I was fortunate to be deployed myself to work as a human resources advisor to police services in the Pacific as, together, we sought to bridge very different cultural expectations, communication styles and governance.
I have now retired.
As a contrast to my public sector life, I spent my school years on a small dairy farm with my parents in Tasmania.
I see the value for people to have a second language which can help them significantly, both locally but also internationally.
Having worked with other nations I am also interested in the different ways each culture communicates, especially at the workplace.
I live at Smart City, Tay Mo, and have friends in Cau Giay. Its a lot of travel but the buses are great!
I have travelled to Vietnam many times over the past 10 years and now wish to return the respect and friendships I have found here, by volunteering.
My hobbies are travel, music, dance, photography.
Focus of teaching
NOTE: NO LESSONS AVAILABLE 20 APRIL TO 6 MAY - SILENT RETREAT IN THAILAND, NO COMMUNICATIONS.
I am interested in what you want? So please let me know.
It may be grammar and structure of writing?
Or speaking and listening, just getting practice in conversation?
The structure and strategy of what you are saying is very important, particuarly in the workplace, so happy to discuss how you deliver your message.
Maybe discuss your experience in working with English speakers from different national/cultural backgrounds?
I have lived in Tasmania, Canberra, Adelaide and three different towns in regional/country Australia, working in different agencies. So happy to discuss Australian communication - we can be rather informal at times :)
If you are working with colleagues from the Pacific, I can share my experience working in the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Kiribati - and the different cultural 'impact' on how we communicate.
