Bản đồ phương ngữ Việt Nam [map of dialectal regions in Vietnam]

1. Vietnamese alphabet and sounds:

• Practice with the "Let's speak Vietnamese" textbook (pp.2-3)
• Read about Vietnamese alphabet and pronunciation and carry out the exercises in "Let's Speak Vietnamese" (pp. 289-303)
• You can practice sounding out Vietnamese words with these slides (Note: This is a very large file (~35MB), and the Powerpoint file needs to be downloaded and run off-line.)
• Online Vietnamese Pronunciation and Spelling Practice
  • Further reading: Omniglot page on Vietnamese language

2. Differences between tiếng Bắc (giọng Bắc) and tiếng Nam (giọng Nam):

• Here is an overview of consonant, tone, and vowel differences
• Further reading: More details at this Vietnamese wikipedia page
• Youtube videos by "Learn Vietnamese with SVFF" to demonstrate pronunciation differences between Northern and Southern dialects: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• A Vietnamese American's explanation about dialectal variations in Vietnam: Vietglish Fun by Kayla

3. Vietnamese folk singing samples by region:

• Hát chèo (northern)
• Ca Huế (central)
• Cải lương (southern)

Have you heard these folk singing styles before?

What are your impressions of each region's folk singing?

What differences do you hear among them?

4. How to type Vietnamese on your computer or in Google Docs:

• Windows and Linux: About Unikey, Unikey download page
• Mac: How to turn on Vietnamese keyboard
• Unikey on iPhone & iPad
• Online Vietnamese keyboard
• Common Vietnamese input methods

Practice task: Create a Google Doc and type the words from this Typing Vietnamese Practice Exercise. Share your Google Doc with your teacher for feedback and evaluation.

5. How to record a conversation and submit the sound file to the teacher:

Record yourself introducing your name and your goals in this course (in English is OK). Practice the Technical Aspects and Submitting steps in the recording tips and instructions. You will pay attention to the first part (interview) later in this course.

Next, go to the Explore page to learn about Vietnamese people's attitudes about tiếng Bắc and tiếng Nam.