Drawing-voice as a methodological tool for understanding teachers' concerns in a pilot Hmong–Vietnamese bilingual education programme in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper illustrates how a methodological tool called ‘drawing-voice’ can be used to demonstrate qualitatively what statistical and policy data are not able to reveal regarding the educational realities of Hmong minority communities in northern Vietnam, particularly with regard to the role of local language and culture in school. This paper describes the approach of using drawing to stimulate authentic discussion, which is then analysed in light of the current conditions of educational services for Hmong speakers. This visual methodology was seen by the participants themselves as culturally appropriate. The drawing-voice activities conducted with teachers from Hmong community schools in northern Vietnam have demonstrated that teachers' identities and practices are influenced by certain linguistic, cultural, and environmental issues. According to the drawing-voice participants, the reasons for educational inequity include the use of Vietnamese as the language of instruction, a lack of cultural sensitivity in the curriculum and by some teachers, a lack of school materials, and difficult physical conditions such as geographic isolation, poor road conditions, and deterioration of schools. This combination of conditions explains why so few ethnic minority learners survive the school system long enough to become professionals and how the lack of Hmong teachers contributes to this vicious cycle.