Vietnamese

This course builds on the skills developed in intermediate Vietnamese. Students progress from reading selections from passages to a more sustained and systematic encounter with the nature of language used in novels, newspapers, the Internet, and other forms of popular publications, official public discourse, academic writings, and business Vietnamese. Students learn to comprehend texts from background and subject matter knowledge and from increasing control of language. They also learn to handle conversations involving complication, in the form of connected discourse, and to make choices of diction, as well as manipulate grammatical features reflecting formal and informal registers.

This course develops language proficiency in an integrated approach. Students acquire language skills through participation in various communicative tasks. Through the exposure to the language, students develop a general understanding of the cultures, the sociolinguistic and pragmatic aspects of the language. By the end of the module, students acquire basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to maintain communication on common topics.

This course builds on the skills developed in Vietnamese 3. Students read, analyze, and discuss texts from literature, non-fiction, and academic sources covering a wide range of subjects related to the culture and society of Vietnam. Selection includes text and passage from short stories, journals, magazines, and newspapers, as well as audio-visual materials such as TV programs and feature films. The range of readings is intended, firstly, to broaden vocabulary and teach terms relating to many fields. Secondly, the objective is to introduce various aspects of the society and culture as expressed by Vietnamese writers.