ASIANLAN 175-176 is the introductory course sequence in reading, listening, speaking, and writing the only language of more than 74 million speakers, from the South to the utmost northern part of Vietnam. This country now adopts the free market economy and needs foreign capital and know-how. With the normalization of U.S.-Vietnamese relations, a knowledge of the Vietnamese language and culture will be a crucial asset in enabling one to participate in many opportunities.

Course Requirements:

Students will be graded on classroom performance, class attendance, homework assignments, and a final examination.

Intended Audience:

This first half of the two-term sequence course is designed to accommodate students with no knowledge of the Vietnamese language, as well those with some knowledge who want to develop the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and to improve their knowledge in Vietnamese history and culture.

Class Format:

The format will be as follows: four class hours a week will be focused on the aural-oral approach in reading, dialoguing, translating, and responding to the content of the texts using a question-and-answer format. One class hour a week will be devoted to quizzes and tests. In addition, there will be written assignments and works in the language lab.

Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to communicate in Vietnamese, and classes will be largely conducted in Vietnamese to develop the students' ability to acquire sufficient automaticity and fluency in spoken Vietnamese.