Best way of learning Vietnamese

I would go with a class since the teacher can correct you. Vietnamese is a tonal language so its all about the correct pronounciation. If you study with CDs and Books nobody will correct your mistakes.

I use a book to study how to write and read though but Im Vietnamese

the book of the university of Social, Science and humanity is very good, u should buy it. if you like to communicate, you can just learn with friends. if you want to be good at writing, go to the school

Great Question Danny, I was wondering the same. Going to try to learn to write/read myself. I have the Rosetta stone for Vietnamese but I don't really like it thus far

@missmae: I think I'm in a situation similar to yours in which I'm decent at speaking but would like to read/write. What is the book that you are using? Would you recommend it?

kntrinh wrote:

Great Question Danny, I was wondering the same. Going to try to learn to write/read myself. I have the Rosetta stone for Vietnamese but I don't really like it thus far

@missmae: I think I'm in a situation similar to yours in which I'm decent at speaking but would like to read/write. What is the book that you are using? Would you recommend it?

Honestly I dont have a clue. I had two books at home for kids when my mom taught me how to read. Since I moved to Saigon Im looking for good books. I asked my uncle to get me books to teach me how to write and read. He didnt buy them yet but I will let you know.We can learn together:)

There are several distinct challenges to language acquisition, you can't throw them all into the same pot. 

1) vocabulary growth.  Some people can learn words by listening.  Many can't.  I can only learn by seeing words in print.  Say it a thousand times and I'll still forget it.  And without a vocabulary, none of the others matter at all.

2) pronunciation.  Tonal languages have specific challenges and it seems Vietnamese tones are much harder than Chinese.  I got Cantonese tones in six weeks, Vietnamese took me a year and I still can't do the southern dấu nặng.  Some people have more trouble with ng- and ngh- than with tones. But other languages have challenges too.  Russian's щ and ы are impossible for some people.

3) listening comprehension.  Every other language I've learned the four basic skills came at the same pace.  In Vietnamese listening is very hard, no two people sound alike and it's so fast.  On the rare occasions I can get people to slow the hell down it turns out it's almost all words I know. "Say again," they get.  "Slower," they ignore.

It takes a multi-pronged attack.  Watch Annie videos, read online newspapers and look up (and write down) new words; talk to people.  Lessons can help, but sometimes they're a waste of time.

The first method is the best one. Contact me if you want to teach in Hanoi.

Having done the 1-2x/week thing I recommend a rigorous daily program between.  One can forget a lot in a week.

Wow this is great good feedback. For now looks like the book is good as it is used by a University here to teach foreigner. Will start with this first and then go to class lesson and using it daily as much as possible.
Anybody interested can get the book and CD (CD got teach pronunciation) from University of social sciences and humanities, Faculty of Vietnamese studies & Humanities, dinh tien hoang d1 HCM city. The book is call VSL1 (complete lessons 1 to 4 or 5) pronunciation & lessons.

ciao'