Dr. Tran Thi Ngoc Diep
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Language lover - Dedicated teacher - Passionate storyteller
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Dr. Diep Tran
Dr. Diep Tran
Full name: Tran Thi Ngoc Diep
Founder at Sun and Moon Stories, TESOL in FOCUS & Tiếng Việt Ơi!
Email: diepdhhn@gmail.com
Tel: +6581247801
Biography
Biography
Dr. Diep Tran is a language educator, researcher, and passionate storyteller dedicated to making language learning engaging and meaningful. She earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, in 2021. With nearly 20 years of teaching experience in both Vietnam and New Zealand, she brings a rich cross-cultural perspective to language education.
Her research focuses on language testing and assessment, teaching English to young learners, and phonetics. Dr. Diep Tran is also a founding member of TESOL in FOCUS, where she contributes to professional dialogue and development within the TESOL community.
Beyond academia, she is deeply passionate about storytelling as a powerful educational tool. She is the creator of Sun and Moon Stories, an educational storytelling YouTube channel that brings stories to life for young learners and language enthusiasts. Dr. Diep Tran is currently an active member of the Storytelling Association of Singapore and the Federation of Asian Storytellers, where she continues to share and promote the art of storytelling across cultures.
Education
Education
PhD in Applied Linguistics - Victoria University of Wellington (2016 – 2021)
Master’s Degree in TESOL - Victoria University of Wellington (2011 – 2012)
Bachelor’s Degree in English language - Hanoi University, Vietnam (2003 – 2007)
Key teaching areas
Key teaching areas
Academic writing
Presentation skills
Language Testing & Assessment
Pronunciation
Phonetics & Phonology
Storytelling skills for children & adults
Teaching English through storytelling
Teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language
Work experience
Work experience
04/2026 to present: Founder, trainer at TESOL in FOCUS
01/2025 to present: Language advisor, University of Auckland, New Zealand
12/2022 to present: Founder, teacher, storyteller at Sun and Moon Stories
02/2017 to 05/2021: English teacher of the English Language Institute (Victoria University of Wellington - VUW)
09/2007 to 12/2015: Lecturer at Hanoi University, Vietnam
Presentations
Presentations
12/2023: Vocab@VIC 2023:
All vocabulary tests are not created equal or are they?
03/2022 – Regional Language Centre (RELC), Singapore, Online Conference:
Argument-based validation of a high-stakes listening test in Vietnam
12/2021 – International Conference on Tone and Intonation, University of Southern Denmark, Online Conference:
Tonal Awareness in native speakers of Vietnamese
11/2020 – ALTAANZ (Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand), Online Conference:
Argument-based validation of a high-stakes Listening test in Vietnam
10/2020 - ALANZ (Applied Linguistics Association of New Zealand), Otago University, New Zealand:
Rethinking the use of multiple-choice questions in tests of listening comprehension. Does the format compromise
cognitive validity?
10/2019 - Victoria University of Wellington:
What do we talk about when we talk about assessing Listening?
06/2019 - Victoria University of Wellington:
Tonal awareness in Vietnamese University Students.
12/2018 – ALANZ (Applied Linguistics Association of New Zealand), Hamilton, New Zealand:
The assessment of listening comprehension in the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency – Does a localized test meet international standards?
06/2018 - Asia TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), Macau, China:
Validating the Listening component of the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency.
Publications
Publications
Coto-Solano, R., Trần, D. (2021). Priming Effects of Tones in Visual Processing of
Vietnamese. Proc. 1st International Conference on Tone and Intonation (TAI), 81-87, doi: 10.21437/TAI.2021-17
Tran, T. N. D., & Pham, N. T. (2022). Assessing the ability to understand explicit
information and draw inferences in L2 Listening: How useful is the multiple-choice format?. Journal of Foreign Language Studies, 70, 23-40.
My story
My story
Being 30 and not married is undesirable.
Being 30, not married and not even in a relationship is unacceptable.
Being 30, not married, not in a relationship and doing a PhD is ... OFF THE TABLE.
That's exactly where many people thought I was when I started my PhD journey. The beginning was far from smooth-sailing but I came out of the PhD tunnel, gaining much much more than just a degree. A family that I had always dreamed of. A husband who chooses to be with me for who I really am. Lasting friendships that I'll be eternally grateful for. Valuable lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Lunch break with friends at the university, late nights in the office, Wellington on a sunny day, successful oral defense, and graduating with a baby in my belly are among my fondest memories of windy Welly.
My non-academic life
My non-academic life
I'm not cool enough for dancing.
Not sporty enough for running or biking.
Not patient enough for fishing or gardening.
Not attentive enough for knitting or embroidering.
Not creative enough for painting or poetry writing.
BUT
I love my voice and I know what I can do with it.
I sing (Broadway style) ... mostly in the bathroom.
I tell stories to children and adults. Tell not read. I've done it well enough to turn it into a second career.
A skill that I've always wanted to learn but haven't had the chance to yet?
PLAYING PIANO. Will start learning with my daughter. That's the plan!
My channel
My channel
"Sun and Moon Stories" is a present for myself and my kids. It's a little Youtube channel where I share stories, bring them to life , use them to entertain and educate children.
My favourite video: "The velveteen rabbit"
My daughter's favourite video: "The blue coat"
My most watched video: "Mabela the clever" with 38,000 views. (I literally have no idea why I got that many views.)
If you and your kids love stories, check out my Youtube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@Sun_And_Moon_Stories
You might find a story that makes you sleep better or makes your heart beat faster or brings (happy) tears to your eyes or put a smile on your face...
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