American in My Tho looking to learn Vietnamese language

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   Get a good dictionary and watch (any) movie with subtitles

   This will enable you to learn accent, context, culture and social
   mores, plus the advantage of replay.   All in your own time.
         ..my students enjoy their homework...

   Practice, Practice, Practice...    ..shopkeepers, restaurants, hotel
   staff, street vendors   (anyone who wants to sell you stuff)

    Go walking.   Most tertiary students are keen to learn English
    (read: desperate) as English is THE economic language, so make       
    it a two-way street which benefits both.   Make it a fun thing.

     Like life, your only responsibility is to enjoy it     
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Any recommendation on a good dictionary?

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  The old story of time & money...

  Up to you, really.   Even a small pocket phrasebook, or the
(many) apps now available via phone

  Your best investment is your self.   Find a friend who will
appreciate your interest.   Or a few..?

The students will have better resources, so drain their brain
       They want to know just as urgently as you do

   Try to make it a two-way street.    You'll be Ok
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scott miller wrote:

Any recommendation on a good dictionary?

In addition to the Google Translate smartphone app being pretty good at single words, if your internet browser search engine is set to 'Google' (as it is in Chrome) you can type in "________ in Vietnamese" and the Translate interface will pop up.

Also available in any browser:

https://translate.google.com

Bookmark that.

I think every nurse in the hospital wanted to practice their English -or- talk to the American who spoke Vietnamese.
The opportunities to learn Vietnamese are endless. You can make it a two-way street and make friends at the same time.
I was stopped on the street and offered coffee in order to speak English with his son. His son had a marvelous command of English, btw. Compared to his American counterpart, he had a leg up on 75% of them. It's so refreshing to see a kid that's worth a s**t these days.