A further significant other who took an important role in sustaining Manh’s motivation to learn English was his overseas cousin, Duyen. Students’ interactions and relationships with other family members, and the affordances they receive from such a microsystem have been reported as an important motivator for language learning in many EFL contexts (Lamb, 2007; Palfreyman, 2006, 2011; Ushioda, 2014). Duyen’s material support and English tutoring represented his extended family’s attention to his studies as well as the globally dispersed nature of language affordances (see Figure 6.3, column 4).
6.6.1 The cousin’s gift
Duyen, who had lived in a more urban part of the same province before going abroad, was Manh’s only cousin on his mother’s side. She used to study in the UK and then moved to work in Australia. On her home-country visit, which was approximately one month after I started working with Manh, Duyen gave him her used laptop computer and paid for the monthly Internet fee to facilitate his studies. He was excited about having the computer because he did not have to go to an Internet service to look for desired information. Every afternoon, except for the days with extra classes at school, he would spend hours practising English on YouTube or on the English learning websites I recommended to him. He also asked me to send him some listening and reading materials for his own practice. Another benefit of having the computer at home was that Manh had continuous access to online Vietnamese English dictionaries which enabled him to express his ideas better in the essays I assigned him. The various textual, audio and visual resources available online for language learning also inspired him. Manh said:
The laptop computer has been pretty handy for me to learn English. The video clips on the Internet help me to improve my pronunciation and speaking. I also read English news online to increase my vocabulary. Before, every time I came across a new word I had to look it up in the dictionary and it took quite a while. Now, everything is much easier and faster. (CSManh)
Chapter Six: Manh
The convenience of having the laptop computer made it easier for Manh to practise English. However, the most important implication behind giving him the computer was Duyen’s concern about his language studies. She used to learn English when she began her studies overseas; as a result, she had experienced the challenges he was facing and was aware of the usefulness of information technology. Also, Duyen spent a lot of her free time chatting with Manh on Skype to help him to improve his communicative English.
6.6.2 Practising English on Skype with Duyen
Duyen and Manh had Skype conversations on a weekly basis. According to Manh, Duyen had been living overseas for a long time, so her English was very fluent. Through their Skype communication, Manh learned a great deal about both British and Australian culture and lifestyles. Duyen also helped Manh to correct his pronunciation and taught him how to speak English more naturally. He reflected on their online interaction:
I really enjoy learning English with her. We are like biological siblings, so we can chat very freely about any topic. She taught me the commonly used phrases in daily interaction. She said I might not be mature enough to know of the importance of English. She told me how hard she had to struggle with her daily life and study due to her poor English when she first went to the UK. (CSManh)
Having studied and worked in English-speaking countries, Duyen had hands-on experience in learning English and knew what Manh really needed for his studies. Duyen was highly enthusiastic about helping him as he stated: “sometimes, it is very late in Australia but she still chats with me. She really cares about me” (CSManh). The close relationship between them also made it easy for Manh to discuss his language learning difficulties with her. His frequent English practice with Duyen was an indication of his agency in actively grasping the learning opportunities and affordances available to him within the home setting.
Chapter Six: Manh
6.6.3 Duyen’s promise
One afternoon when I arrived at Manh’s place for the one-one-one private tuition, he was chatting with his mother. She invited me to join the conversation and asked me if he could study overseas with his present English competence. I learned from her that Duyen promised to sponsor him to study in Australia after his high school graduation. His mother strongly supported the idea of sending him abroad for the sake of his future. I mentioned the topic at the end of our private session when his mother was away to see Manh’s responses. He showed great excitement about studying abroad, commenting on the educational differences between Vietnam and Western countries:
They have strong economies, so they have better facilities for education. The learning styles are also different. Students are given more freedom in their study. Studying there is more useful because teachers focus more on practical work than theories. (ISManh280513)
Duyen’s accounts of her overseas experience and the information Manh gathered from the mass media enabled him to develop a certain picture of what education in the Western world would be like. He loved the idea of studying in foreign countries including the autonomous learning styles that he was working towards. The well-equipped learning environment was also another advantage.
6.6.4 Manh’s perspectives on Duyen’s offer
The temptation of being able to study abroad did not obviate Manh’s concern for his parents. As an only child, he thought his parents would be very sad when he lived away from home. He was also worried about their well-being, stating that “I am afraid I can’t take care of my parents when they are old. They may get sick and need special attention. Life in Australia is good but I prefer to stay with my parents and look after them” (ISManh280513). In saying so, Manh was appraising the rewards of living overseas against filial responsibilities, with the latter resonating more strongly. This suggested that his ideal self was closely connected with what he could do for his parents. At the same time, he presented
Chapter Six: Manh
himself as a child with a strong sense of filial piety. The emotional attachment to his parents made it hard for him to think about studying overseas. Whatever his future decisions might be, Manh believed that learning English was essential to all of his plans.