Why Vietnamese?

Honestly, Vietnamese was sort of a ‘substitute’ module I took because I couldn’t take Korean Language which was what I actually wanted. I had zero knowledge about Vietnamese language, Vietnamese culture or simply anything about Vietnam at all. However, I chose it because it was not a very popular language and hence more special. (:

Going through Vietnamese 1, I had learnt a lot about Vietnamese language and culture through the activities we had in class. I enjoyed the module thoroughly; yet I still held on to some hope that I might be able to take Korean the following semester. To my disappointment (now joy), in the following semester, I failed the second time, so I ended up taking Vietnamese 2. However, the more I learnt about the culture, the more I love the language and the whole country itself. The things we learnt in class were practical and really useful especially for my trip to Vietnam. The sense of achievement I felt when being able to communicate with the locals is hard to describe. :D

Now I’m thankful for my failed attempts at taking Korean. If not for that, I would not have been able to discover so much more about Vietnam, not just the language but also the food, music, films and people. :D Learning Vietnamese have been really fun and enjoyable with our passionate teachers. Now I no longer have to hesitate before taking the next level, because Vietnamese lessons are like Pringles, “Once you pop, the fun doesn’t stop!”

Tan Kai Ling, Khuê

Vietnamese  3 student - Semester 1 AY 2010/2011

Vietnamese language is the most enjoyable module that I had ever taken in NUS. The module workload is manageable compared to other language modules in NUS. The teachers are also fun-loving and patient. It is definitely a module where you will enjoy and look forward to every lesson. It is also a door to the Vietnamese World where I get to learn about many interesting aspects of Vietnam. This includes Vietnamese Cuisine, Vietnamese culture and habits etc. The role-plays and skits are also interactive and easy for me to learn.The most appealing portion of the course is that it is only 5 hours of learning in class per week, as compared to other languages which requires at least 6 hours of learning per week. On top of that, there is no exam!

I benefited greatly from the Vietnamese Language module and I hereby recommend it to all my juniors to join the Vietnamese Family in NUS! =D

Ch'ng Xian Yi, Thắng

Vietnamese 3 student - Semester 1 AY 2010/2011