The course features a comprehensive and systematic survey of the fundamentals of Vietnamese phonetics, spelling rules, grammar and usage of vocabulary, giving students a basic conversational ability through an interactive and communication-oriented approach. In the second semester, texts on Vietnamese culture, advertisements taken from Vietnamese newspapers and magazines, and other similar materials are used to enhance students' reading skills. Textbook Elementary Vietnamese by Binh Nhu Ngo. Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc., 1999. Handouts Supplementary materials will be distributed to you at various points in the course.
Students can purchase a set of the tapes from the language labs.
Students should listen to the tapes every day, because the Audio-Lingual Course, including a number of homework assignments that are graded, exists only on the tapes. After being introduced to the pronunciation or grammar, students should listen to the tapes again, trying to memorize the new vocabulary for the dialogues and narratives by repeating the new words after the speaker. After each class meeting, students should complete homework assignments every day. Requests and Recommendations Students should be punctual, as entering the classroom after class is in progress is a distraction to both the instructor and the other students. Success in a language course is a cumulative process dependent on the mastering of numerous skills and requiring daily discipline in study.