– helping young people in Cambodia
Vang Vorng is the School Manager at the Shinta Mani Foundation’s Hospitality Training School in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He comes from a poor village and knows how hard life is for many young people. His goal is to help these young people learn skills and find good jobs in hotels.
Every year, Vorng goes to faraway schools to find students who want to learn but cannot pay for school. He gives them a chance to study at his training school. There, he teaches them English, hotel work, and life skills. Students also work at the Shinta Mani Angkor hotel to learn by doing.
Since 2023, about 30 students finish the school every year. Many find jobs in hotels. Some work at the front desk, and others want to become managers. Vorng helps students feel confident and believe they can help their families.
Vorng cares about his students like a mentor and friend. His work shows how the Shinta Mani Foundation uses money from hotels to help local people. He helps young Cambodians build better lives and hope for the future.
___________________________
Vocabulary:
Hospitality training school: A place where people learn how to work in hotels and restaurants.
Village: A small town in the countryside where people live.
Goal: Something you want to do or achieve.
To learn skills: To get new abilities or know how to do something.
Faraway: A long way from here; very far.
To pay for school: To give money so you can go to school.
Life skills: Important things you need to know to live well, like how to talk to people or manage money.
To learn by doing: To practice something to understand it better.
Front desk: The place in a hotel where guests check in and ask for help.
To feel confident: To feel sure about yourself and your abilities.
To believe: To think something is true or to have trust in something or someone.
To care about a person: To feel love or concern for someone.
A mentor: A person who helps and teaches you, like a guide or teacher.
To build a better life: To make your life good and happy by working hard and learning.
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Multiple choice – one answer correct only:
Multiple choice – one answer only:
1. What is a hospitality training school?
a) A school for car drivers
b) A place to learn hotel and restaurant work
c) A market for food
2. What is a village?
a) A tall building
b) A small town in the countryside
c) A big supermarket
3. What is a goal?
a) Something you want to reach or do
b) A part of a book
c) A kind of shoe
4. What does it mean to learn skills?
a) To get new abilities
b) To forget something
c) To sleep during class
5. What does faraway mean?
a) Easy to carry
b) Very near
c) Very far from here
6. What does it mean to pay for school?
a) To give money for education
b) To eat lunch at school
c) To run to school
7. What are life skills?
a) Playing football
b) Important things for daily life, like speaking and using money
c) Reading fairy tales
8. What does it mean to learn by doing?
a) To read a book only
b) To ask someone else to work
c) To practice something and learn from it
9. What is the front desk?
a) A tree in front of a hotel
b) A place in a hotel where guests get help
c) A kitchen table
10. What does it mean to feel confident?
a) To feel sure about yourself
b) To feel angry
c) To feel hungry
11. What does it mean to believe?
a) To think something is true
b) To jump high
c) To eat quickly
12. What does it mean to care about a person?
a) To feel love or worry for someone
b) To make fun of someone
c) To close the door
13. What is a mentor?
a) A strong animal
b) A toy for children
c) A person who helps and teaches you
14. What does it mean to build a better life?
a) To learn and work hard for a good future
b) To play video games all day
c) To stay in bed
_____________________________
1b, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5c, 6a, 7b, 8c, 9b, 10a, 11a, 12a, 13c, 14a
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Gap-fill exercise – students tell their stories
1. Vannak studies at a __________ to get a job in a hotel.
a) hospital
b) hospitality training school
c) football club
2. Sokha lives in a small __________ far from the city.
a) bus stop
b) shop
c) village
3. Her __________ is to find a good job and help her family.
a) goal
b) bike
c) sandwich
4. At school, we __________ like using a computer and speaking English.
a) buy drinks
b) learn skills
c) read comics
5. The school is very __________ from our home.
a) noisy
b) faraway
c) short
6. My parents work hard to __________ my school.
a) pay for
b) drive to
c) clean
7. At the training center, we learn many __________ like talking to guests and working in teams.
a) life skills
b) games
c) jokes
8. We don’t just read books — we __________ by working in real hotels.
a) learn by doing
b) sleep late
c) run fast
9. I ask for help at the __________ when I arrive at the hotel.
a) bathroom
b) front desk
c) parking lot
10. After my training, I __________ speaking English with hotel guests.
a) feel confident
b) feel cold
c) feel sleepy
11. I __________ I can get a good job soon.
a) believe
b) jump
c) smile
12. My teacher really __________ us and wants us to do well.
a) laughs at
b) cares about
c) hides from
13. Mr. Vannak is my __________. He teaches and helps me every day.
a) car
b) mentor
c) animal
14. I want to study hard and __________.
a) build a better life
b) forget school
c) play more games
_____________________
1b, 2c, 3a, 4b, 5b, 6a, 7a, 8a, 9b, 10a, 11a, 12b, 13b, 14a
#####################
Match the words with their definitions
Words:
- Hospitality training school
- Village
- Goal
- Learn skills
- Faraway
- Pay for school
- Life skills
- Learn by doing
- Front desk
- Feel confident
- Believe
- Care about
- Mentor
- Build a better life
Definitions:
a. To think something is true
b. A place where people learn how to work in hotels and restaurants
c. A small town in the countryside
d. Important abilities for daily life, like speaking and managing money
e. To give money to go to school
f. A place in a hotel where guests get help
g. To feel sure about yourself
h. To want to do or achieve something
i. To practice something and learn from it
j. To feel love or worry for someone
k. To get new abilities
l. A person who teaches and helps you
m. To work and learn to improve your life
n. Very far from here
______________________
1b, 2c, 3h, 4k, 5n, 6e, 7d, 8i, 9f, 10g, 11a, 12j, 13l, 14m
#########################
Match the word with its definition
Words:
- hospitality training school
- village
- goal
- learn skills
- faraway
- pay for school
- life skills
- learn by doing
- front desk
- feel confident
- believe
- care about
- mentor
- build a better life
Definitions:
A. To have trust or faith in something
B. A small community or group of houses in the countryside
C. To give money to attend classes or school
D. To understand or practice new abilities
E. A place where students train to work in hotels and restaurants
F. To be sure about yourself and your abilities
G. Important abilities to live and work well in the world
H. To learn by practicing and working, not only by reading
I. The person who helps and advises you in your learning or work
J. To want to reach or achieve something
K. To work to make life better
L. The first place guests go to in a hotel to get help
M. To feel love or concern for someone
N. A place far away, not near
________________________
1E, 2B, 3J, 4D, 5N, 6C, 7G, 8H, 9L, 10F, 11A, 12M, 13I, 14K
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Interview with Vang Vorng -complete (not easy, try hard)
1. Where do you work and what is your role there?
I work at the Shinta Mani Foundation’s __________ training school in Siem Reap. I am the school manager, and I help run the program for young __________.
2. What is your main goal for the students at the school?
My goal is to give students the chance to build a better __________ through education and __________ in the hospitality industry.
3. How do you find students who want to join the school?
I travel to villages __________from the city, visiting high schools to find students who want to learn but may not have the chance to __________for school.
4. What kind of skills do students learn at the school?
Students learn both hospitality skills, like __________ in hotels, and important life skills that __________ them in their daily lives.
5. How do students learn these skills?
They __________. We teach in the classroom, but they also work in hotels for hands-on experience.
6. What kind of jobs do students get after they finish training?
Many students __________ at the front desk in hotels or become assistants. Some even move into supervisor roles.
7. Why is it important for students to feel confident?
Feeling confident helps __________ do their jobs well and believe that they can succeed in life.
8. How do you support and guide the students during their training?
I care about each student and act as a __________, helping them with advice and support.
9. What do you believe about the power of education?
I believe education is a bridge from poverty to a better life. It can change a person’s __________.
10. How does the hospitality training school help the wider community?
The school helps young people get good __________, which supports their families and inspires others in their villages to work hard and dream big.
___________________
1. Where do you work and what is your role there?
I work at the Shinta Mani Foundation’s hospitality training school in Siem Reap. I am the school manager, and I help run the program for young people.
2. What is your main goal for the students at the school?
My goal is to give students the chance to build a better life through education and work in the hospitality industry.
3. How do you find students who want to join the school?
I travel to villages faraway from the city, visiting high schools to find students who want to learn but may not have the chance to pay for school.
4. What kind of skills do students learn at the school?
Students learn both hospitality skills, like working in hotels, and important life skills that help them in their daily lives.
5. How do students learn these skills?
They learn by doing. We teach in the classroom, but they also work in hotels for hands-on experience.
6. What kind of jobs do students get after they finish training?
Many students work at the front desk in hotels or become assistants. Some even move into supervisor roles.
7. Why is it important for students to feel confident?
Feeling confident helps students do their jobs well and believe that they can succeed in life.
8. How do you support and guide the students during their training?
I care about each student and act as a mentor, helping them with advice and support.
9. What do you believe about the power of education?
I believe education is a bridge from poverty to a better life. It can change a person’s future.
10. How does the hospitality training school help the wider community?
The school helps young people get good jobs, which supports their families and inspires others in their villages to work hard and dream big.
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Rewrite the following text in 3rd person singular and make all changes necessary:
I work as the school manager at a hospitality training school in Siem Reap. My job is to find young students from villages far away. I help them learn skills to work in hotels. They study English, hospitality, and life skills. I also teach them how to learn by doing, with practice in hotels. I guide and support the students like a mentor. I want them to feel confident and believe in themselves. My goal is to help them build a better life and find good jobs in the hotel industry. This work helps many young people and their families.
________________
YOU WRITE:
Vang Vorng works as the school manager…………………….
……………………..manager at a hospitality training school in Siem Reap.
His job is to find young students from villages far away.
He helps them learn skills to work in hotels.
They study English, hospitality, and life skills.
He also teaches them how to learn by doing, with practice in hotels.
He guides and supports the students like a mentor.
He wants them to feel confident and believe in themselves.
His goal is to help them build a better life and find good jobs in the hotel industry.
This work helps many young people and their families.