Many times when I ask young people here in Vietnam if they would like to travel, they say “No.” I don’t believe them and I ask, “Why?” They always answer, “I don’t have any money.” Then I say, “I didn’t ask you if you have any money. I asked you if you would like to travel.” They look at me for a moment, then smile and say, “Of course.”
Traveling in the modern world is not just something we would like to do. More and more it is something that we have to do. Many young Vietnamese now travel abroad because they want to go to school or because of their job. So if you have to or want to travel abroad, what do you need to do?
First, of course, you need to get a passport. A passport is a document from your country that identifies your citizenshiip and place of residence. Then before you can begin your trip, you have to have a visa. A visa is a document given by the country that you wish to travel to allowing you to enter that country. There are many types of visas. There is one that allows you visit the country for a defiinite period of time as a tourist or to do business. Another allows you to enter the country to go to school. Another allows you to enter as an immigrant. All of these visas have conditions and rules, each according to the country issuing the visa.
Let’s say that you want to travel as a tourist. If you have never taveled abroad before and are going to a country that you know little about, it is wise to go with a tourist group. The tourist agency assigns a tour guide who will accompany you on the whole trip. The price might seem high, but if you go alone and don’t know how to do things or how to go from one place to another, it might cost you a lot more than the tour would. You can choose a tour that will take you to places that you want to visit. When you go there, you won’t have to pay extra and you won’t have to wait in line to get in. It will take you to good places to eat and to shop. There will also be free time to do things that you would like to do on your own, but you can always get necessary information from the tour guide to help you.
Of course, if you want to go abroad to study, one of the most important things is knowing the language of the country. You are here in this English Speaking Club, so we can presume that you would want to go to a country like Australia, the United States or Canada or maybe England or Singapore. To enter a university in these countries you will have to take a test that shows if your level of English is high enough to be able to take courses in English. Courses like TOEFL or IELTS are not easy and they take a lot work and often they are expensive.
But whether you have enough money to travel abroad now or not, it is important to have a dream that says you want to travel. Without the dream you will never try hard enough to go anywhere. The dream might not come true the way you would like it, but the dream can open up new ideas of things to try for, to dream about. In the end something good will happen to make you happy.
1. Have you ever traveled abroad? Where did you go?
2. Do you have a passport?
3. Why would you want to travel abroad?
4. Would you like to go abroad to study? Where would you like to study?
5. If you would like to travel as a tourist, what countries would you like to visit?
6. What do you think about foreigners who come to Vietnam?
7. Do you have relatives or friends who live in another country?
8. How good is your English? Do you have time to study more?