Topic for 18/05/2012: Aging population vs. Young one

Young people who are often considered more active, dynamic and adaptable than the seniors are believed to play a more crucial role in the modern workplace where high pressure and demanding requirements of work are seen.

It is undeniable that the young have certain strengths over the old like the possession of updated knowledge, activeness and creativity. But these credentials are not enough to help them confidently deal with all work problems and ensure their high productivity. Are they able to see through the nature of an issue without a wealth of experience and knowledge accumulated like the old? Besides, nor are they ready to stay by the company’s side if other greener pastures are awaiting them. It is the senior’s loyalty and vision that provide them insightful understandings to cope with difficulties even when the company is in hard time.

The young are also preferred than the old like PR, marketing and computing where creativity and updated knowledge are key to success. It is then argued that in the modern life, as these areas become prevalent, the young are definitely good choices.
Here are questions to discuss:

1. In your family, do you have a say over important issues?
2. In Vietnam, are the young to be more respected than the old nowadays? If yes, what makes them more powerful? If no, why’s that?
3. Which countries do you see the old outnumber the young? What are positive and negative effects of aging population?
4. Which countries do you see the young outnumber the old? What are positive and negative effects of young population? Which is sort of population having more advantages?
5. Should the old all be retiring before the threshold of 50 years old?

Topic for 04/05/2012: Love and Friendship

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
Why doesn’t friendship develop into love? Ain’t it a great idea?

Yes. Every now and then, this topic is twitted in hundreds of forums, grasping millions of disparate viewpoints. Interestingly, majority of user responses are totally contradictory in which people neither accept nor oppose it while the rest, minority, either has no idea or keep balance between the two arguments.

Regardless of its righteousness, it is quite astounding that a preponderance of love-affairs between university or high school students in Vietnam becomes over after the graduation. As a matter of fact, distance and new environments are often blamed as the root of this phenomenon.

What do you think about this? Let’s come and share your point of view with HDEC

Suggest questions.

1. What are advantages and disadvantages of friendship becoming love?
2. Do you know any stories of friendship turning into love? How does it end?
3. In your opinion, do we support this development of friendship? (Special question for debate)

Topic for 20/04/2012: Business plan

Money never fails to fascinate people. To make money, for sure, you have to work. There are many ways to get rich: finding a job in a company, organization, or freelancing, even making a start-up…

You are young, full of vigor and ideas, but have you ever thought of making your own business? If the answer is yes, let’s make a plan right now, otherwise, it is the time for you to brainstorm. Who knows, you may be a great director of a well-known international company in 5 or 10 years later. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let’s start with your business plan.

Every creation would be highly appreciated.

There are some elements which need considering of a business plan:

• Executive Summary: highlight the main points
• Market Research: analyze the society and how your service or product fit into the market
• Marketing Plan: how to promote your product
• Financial Information: how you manage your finance
• And whatever you think necessary (labor, place…)

Author: Dung Trung Nguyen

Topic for 13/04/2012: Bachelor or the married

Actually, the bachelorhood increasingly becomes a new tendency of society. It is irrefutable that single life brings a full of joys, surprise and gratification for them. They reckon that getting married means a great loss of future, no more time with beautiful catwalk girls or handsome boys, and no beer after work or no shopping with their colleagues, or no spontaneous parties with guys in the same boat.

Furthermore, some wealthy men fear that if divorce happens, a massive amount of their assets will be divided to his wife, which sounds unfair to any billionaire bachelor.
Yet, undoubtedly, married life aids people in being more responsible and mature. Instead of such creational activities as game, sports or computer, they spend more time on taking care of their family, teaching their kids and saving money, which make them become more reliable and mature. Seemingly, the married man visibly looks healthier, tidier and more purpose-oriented. Hence, what is your opinion?

Let’s come to HDEC and share your ideas of being a bachelor or getting married?

Suggested questions:
1. Are you a bachelor? Do you find any joy of this status?
2. When does a person get ready to be not-single-anymore in your view? Why?
3. What would wait for you after a wedding? Is there all bad or good? If you are able to live single all life long, will you be a bachelor forever?
4. Imagine one day, your parents urges you to get married, what will you do to persuade them that you need more time to enjoy your single life? (You can create a play for fun ^_^)
5. (Debate) recently, it has been said that getting married becomes unnecessary in modern life since it triggers constraints in law and responsibility between parties. As a matter fact, people can establish a family and live happily without the officially legal approval as long as there is love existence. To exemplify, it is Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradise who have a happy ending without a marriage.
Are you for or against marriage?

Author: Hung Tran

Topic for 6/4/2012: Boring schedule

Boring schedule

Imagine that everyday you must follow fixed schedule with your boring hours at school or tired time at your office. What a boring life! You always meet same people, do activities alike without any excitement, and you cannot find the way to escape that hell. Sometimes, you can meet the Satan with your deadline, or feel tired of gossip, especially, when you receive blames from your boss. So stressed with those that you have the burning demand that you can get out of all thing and your wings are able to take off. Which solutions for us?

Suggesting questions:

1.         Do you have a boring schedule? How do you feel about it?

2.         What effects does this issue bring to us?

3.         What do you do in order to escape your stress? Share with us.

4.         Can you give some suggestions for others to get out of this hell?

Author: Ha Pham

Topic for 30/03/2012: Vietnamese Education

Vietnamese Education – Do we have to study too much?

Vietnamese people are said to be intelligent and industrious. In the education field, there is simple proof that usually do a considerable number of Vietnamese students achieve high prizes in International Competitions, as well as be highly respected by classmates when studying abroad thanks to high score.

On the other hand, foreign students are much more active and creative compared to Vietnam’s, they may have inventions or even their own business at their very young age; furthermore, it’s not so impressive that a 22 year-old student himself takes an adventure around the world before looking for a job or going higher education. Conversely, there is hardly ever case in Vietnamese students.

One reason for the discrepancy is that we have merely little spare time to think of innovation. Our life cycle is all about studying at school or university, coming home and doing homework. Could not state it ruins our creativity but it surely consumes countless amount of time for other activities, which has special role in making our body recover its equilibrium. Homework is really a pain in the neck.

As was a pupil, you probably remember how hard you experienced in the school few years ago. How do you feel?

Suggested Questions: Have you ever felt homework is so overwhelming? Are the tons of homework from which Vietnamese students are suffering useful in improvement of knowledge? Do you have any idea of improving the education system? Discussion question: As can be seen from the government, they want to replace the old University entrance exam with GMAT or assessments like this, what is your opinion?

Fact: A recent comparative study of kids in China, Japan and two U.S. cities shows there is no correlation between time spent on studying and academic achievement. The topic is based on “The homework debate” – And the book “The Homework Myth” by Alfie Kohn

Author: Dung Trung Nguyen

Topic for 26/3/2012: Korean Films and Vietnamese youth

Korean Films and Vietnamese youth

Arriving in Vietnam from 2000s, Korean films are now considered as a spirit and indispensable meal for the whole population in this S-shaped country. From the beginning of this invasion in Vietnam, as well as other Asian countries, the main content of those films are almost tragedies. Particularly, the main characters used to be fragile and easily die from some serious disease. It’s likely that any Vietnamese is able to name several Korean dramas of that period such as “winter sonata”, “autumn heart”, “Glass shoes” which all ended with unhappiness. As a result, they created a huge impact on the audiences, of which Vietnamese youth is a part, regarding to not only in appearances but also lifestyle.

However, there has been a massive change in Korean films’ trend. The moody and gloomy type has been increasingly replaced by optimism ones while scenarios become diverse with disparate problems in life. Together with the seventh art, music, fashion, food, lifestyle… or the so-called Hallyu (Korean culture) dominate in other Asian countries. Ironically, the word “Korean-alike” begins to be used when nice thins or good-looking people are mentioned.
Let’s share your opinions about this burdening problem happening in Vietnam!

Suggestion Questions
1. Do you usually watch the “Korean films” on TV or internet? Do you like it? Why?
2. In your opinion, what are the advantages of “Korean films
3. Nowadays, there are some trends to follow the “Korean films” like “cohabitation, imitate the characteristics of main characters in films”, etc. so, what are the reasons for these actions?
4. Even now the Vietnamese film directors are trying to remake “Korean ones” such as “Full house”. What is your opinion about this?
5. Can you give advice to both the youth and Vietnamese film industry?

 

Author: Lan Nguyen

Topic for 16/3/2012: Bullying

BULLYING IS A BIG PROBLEM.

Every day thousands of teens wake up afraid to go to school. Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students, and it has everyone worried, not just the kids on its receiving end. Yet because parents, teachers, and other adults hardly see it, they may not understand how extreme bullying can get. In evident, bullying adversely affects not only physically but also mentally. It is undeniable that bullying put victims in a state of constant fear. Because of which, many students fearfully go to school cafeteria for lunchtime as well as impossibly concentrate in class. As a result, their health and study result increasingly deteriorate. Additionally, Studies show that school-girls and school-boys that are abused by their peers are at risk for mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, stress, depression, or anxiety. They may also think about suicide more.

Unfortunately, bullying in Viet Nam becomes more severe. In recent years, in parallel with the technological development, that more and more violent clips of students are found in the internet actually enrages communities. Significantly, victimization accelerates in term of hazardous level when commencing arise fatal incidents in school.

Let’s share your opinions about this problem and suggest some solutions to restrict it.

Suggest questions

1. Have you ever been abused by your peers or bully the others? What is your feeling? Would you like to share some true stories about bullying?
2. What are negative impacts on the victims of bullying?
3. What are causes of bullying?  Why does this problem in Viet Nam increasingly become more serious?
4. How to resolve these troubles?

 

Topic for 9/3/2012: International Women Day

Opportunities for Women!

Thanks to enhancement in economy, at present, females have more chances than in the past. Some people think the strengths of this situation has justified more considerable than its weaknesses. In my point of view, I strongly believe that the advantages of the contemporary bringing to women have witnessed the significant increase since they have more chances to follow education and achieve high positions in their job.

As indicated, the number of women pursuing studying now augments and becomes more equal to the quantity of men. In the past hundred years ago, women had a minor or no opportunity to go to school because the society did not accept women studying. In addition, women are likely to be forced to do the housework; hence, it is quite challenging for them to keep studying. Notwithstanding, at the present time, the opportunities for women pursuing training is as identical as these for men. In evidence, the statistic of women who graduated university has increased dramatically in the early of this century. Briefly, the present society generates a drastic chance for women to raise their knowledge.

In comparison with the past when the jobs for women are rare and unsatisfactory as well as their promotion is poor, females now are easily employed with advantagous conditions. Surprisingly, some of them are even much honoured in special positions in society such as presidents or top managers who play the key role in an organization or a country. To illustrate, Angela Merkel, a woman, is the president of Germany which is the fourth development economy in global. In short, women now plausibly do a paramount works which they are not likely to do in the past.

Overall, in contemporary, the drawbacks for women are overwhelmed by the counterparts due to a vast number of opportunities in studying and working. With the hope for creating more benefit for women, society should take care more about women in both physical and mental.

Suggest question:
1. Do you know who the first female president in the world is? Which country and when?
Which countries have female president at the moment?
2. What do you think about the contrasts between women in the past and these days?
3. If you are a woman, what do you wish on this day? And what do you hope the men will do for you?
4. Are you possible to imagine how women will become in next 50 years? And how?

Author: Trung Nguyễn

Topic for March, 02 2012: Going to Pagodas

A traditional habit of Vietnamese people:

Going to pagodas at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. As usual, on the first days of the Lunar New Year, Vietnamese have a traditional activity called  “going to pagodas”. Not only can we visit pagodas or temples with the purpose praying for making fortunes but we can enjoy the beautiful sights in those places. This habit can be seen as one of favorable manners but the disguisement of this action, as illustrated, divination or drawing lots are gradually put this habitude in deflective acknowledgement. In addition, such a dense crowd in temples or pagodas in those days is a splendid chance to picking-pocket crime, along with plenty of polluting actions like burning joss papers, smoke from incense. It is time for us to enhance our cognition to create better traditional value.

*manners: phong tục, tập quán
*divination: bói toán
*drawing lots: rút quẻ
*joss paper: vàng mã

Suggested questions:
1. Do you usually go to pagoda in Tet holiday? What did you do there?
2. Although the disadvantages, why do we continuously perform this habit?
3. What solutions do you think can solve our problem in the article above?
4. What do you think about our trip visiting some pagodas in Bac Ninh?

Author: Ha Pham