Native Vietnamese Tutor in Sydney |  UNSW Master's Student - I was born and raised in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Find out more about Vianney

• Did you grow up speaking this language? Or were you inspired by a trip abroad, an individual or a certain aspect of the culture?

  I was born in Vietnam – Saigon City, and grew up there. When I was a little girl, my favorite subject was literature, as we learned so much about Vietnamese culture through poems, stories, and history.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I can't think of anyone else but Nguyễn Du. He represents Vietnamese language and culture because The Tale of Kiều reflects the emotional depth, resilience, and moral values of Vietnamese society and has strongly influenced Vietnamese poetry, language, and everyday expressions for generations.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or expression in the language that you particularly like?

  Vietnam has heaps of Vietnamese folk songs and proverbs, “ca dao tục ngữ.” They represent traditional Vietnamese wisdom passed down through generations.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  It opens new doors, brings people together, and helps us connect with our heritage and cultural values passed down through generations.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  Each language has its own rules and way of presenting ideas, which can be very challenging to learn. What helps the learning process is regular practice, patience, listening to native speakers, and learning through real-life conversations, which makes the language feel more natural and easier to us.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  When I first started learning the language at school, I was afraid of making mistakes and speaking in class. One day, I finally tried to answer a question, and even though it wasn’t perfect, my teacher encouraged me instead of correcting every error. That moment gave me confidence and taught me that making mistakes is an important part of learning a language.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Traveling to different countries helped me gain experience using the language in real life, rather than just in textbooks. It helped me improve my speaking and listening skills and also gave me a deeper understanding of the culture and daily life.