An introduction to contemporary spoken and written Vietnamese. This program introduces the tones, essential syntax and the writing system of the Vietnamese language. By working through a series of graded and contextualised dialogues the students will begin to develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The context of language use includes greetings, the individual, the family, time and date. Attention is given to the social and cultural context of language use.

Attendance and class participation (10%), Weekly assignments (totaling 20%), Mid-term exam (30%), Final exam (30%), Minor project (10%). Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but may expect more rigorous assessment and additional assignment work, tailored to the graduate students’ interests.

Permission of coordinator

Prescribed text:
Nguyen, L., Clark, M., and Nguyen Bich Thuan, Spoken Vietnamese for Beginners, Northern Illinois University, 1994


Recommended text:
Ton-That Quynh-Du, Learning Vietnamese for speakers of English Book 3, Dept Asian Languages and Studies, Monash University, 1994
Buu Khai, Learning Vietnamese – a guide to pronunciation, Vietnamese Language and Culture Publications, 1990
Thomson L, Vietnamese grammar, University Hawaii Press, 1988