Học kỳ mùa đông 2015

Các em thân mến!
Đây là blog của học kỳ mùa đông 2015. Chúng ta sẽ viết bằng Tiếng Việt và có thể đọc blog của nhau.
Chúc các em vui và học nhiều Tiếng Việt với blog
- Elizabeth Hentschel: http://elizabethvietnamese.blogspot.com/
- Lisa Le: http://chaolisa.blogspot.com/
- Christina Le: http://chdleviet2.blogspot.com/
- Phu Ho: http://phuh1.blogspot.com/
- Hy Doan: http://catscatscats6.blogspot.com/
-Julia Duong: http://jttduong.blogspot.com/
- Kenny Pham: http://toithichan.blogspot.com/
- Hana Damore : http://asianlan176.blogspot.com/
- Christine Nguyen: http://cphuongnguyen.blogspot.com/

Final project

Please post in this entry, what have you found learned from doing the final project:
- When you write your final project
- When you read others' final projects (You only know from only two people in your groups)
It has been the great semester this Fall. I hope you have learned as much as you can and see some progress. I look forward for much better time and fun with you in the winter semester.
I hope you enjoy the holiday with your family and friends!
Stay warm, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Hẹn gặp lại năm 2015.

Cách tra từ điển tốt nhất - The best way to look up word

Today we will discuss about the most effective way to find the meaning of words by using dictionary.
I would recommend the use of online dictionary
Vdict : http://vdict.com/
Và Googletranslate: https://translate.google.com/
How do you find these links? Do you have a better way?
However, the first thing is to identify the Vietnamese words, some words (sounds) are together as a compound word so you need to look them up together. For example: căng thẳng is a word but if you look up căng and thẳng seperately, they have different meanings.
Let's share thoughts.

1. Elizabeth HentschelDecember 4, 2014 at 5:47 PM

   Google translate is the most effective way to find the meaning of words for me. The only problem that I've run into with google translate is that it always give you the literal definition of the word, which is not always the definition that I'm looking for. Another effective method that I've used is when I look up words like "run" instead of just searching "run" on google translate, I search "to run". That way it gives me the correct verb that I'm looking for.
2. 
   
   Christina LeDecember 4, 2014 at 7:47 PM

   I like both Vdict and Google translate. I find them both effective, but I prefer Google translate more because it is less complicated to use and it gives translation results faster than Vdict. Furthermore, I find that the format in which the definitions are given for Vdict is less clear and direct than Google translate. I like using Google translate when I forget the tones on specific words. It can be bothersome though when I am looking up a specific word and the definition that it gives me is not what I am looking for. I do not think that the translation tool is effective when one types in a whole phrase. It is better if the user breaks down the sentence themselves first, then use the translation tool to help them figure out what each individual word means.
3. 
   
   Hana DamoreDecember 6, 2014 at 5:32 PM

   I agree with Elizabeth completely. I find google translate the easiest to use, but it's not completely effective. I wish there was a better way, but I think Google translate works well 80% of the time.
4. 
   
   Phu HoDecember 7, 2014 at 12:41 PM

   I use both vdict and google translate together. However, I tend to rely more on vdict mainly because google translate usually spits out one answer. For example, if you type "father" into google translate, you will get one result (cha). On the other hand, typing "father" into vdict will give "cha" and "bố." Also, vdict gives example sentences using the word that is looked up. This helps me understand the word better since it is used in context.
5. 
   
   Hy DoanDecember 7, 2014 at 4:41 PM

   I use google translate. It's very fast and easy to use, but you have to be care what you put in or less you get out words that don't express the meaning you meant to put in.

Học Tiếng Việt giỏi như thế nào - Effective ways to learn Vietnamese well

This time, let's share the effective ways for you to learn Vietnamese.

1. Christina LeNovember 20, 2014 at 10:02 AM

   I effectively learn vietnamese vocabulary by making flashcards and by writing down the words multiple times. This allows me to memorize the tones on the vocabulary terms. Furthermore, I skim through old vocabulary terms and notes as well since the language is cumulative and remembering previous rules and vocabulary helps construct sentences. Another way to help me speak Vietnamese is to speak to my parents in the language when I call home.
2. Annelin VerkadeNovember 22, 2014 at 9:56 AM

   I learn Vietnamese by doing the exercises in class, where we apply and learn new things at the same time. The more I use or see for example words, the better I know them. How easy it is to remember things depends on how I can relate to it. For example, the last chapter about hobbies is easier to remember, since I can relate to it better than for example vocabulary about time. So when I study the chapters at home, I try to find things I can relate or associate the new words or grammar with.
3. Elizabeth HentschelNovember 23, 2014 at 9:54 AM

   The more that I practice writing and speaking in Vietnamese, the better I know the material. The most effective way to learn Vietnamese vocabulary for me is by making flash cards and drilling myself on the vocab. Once I know the vocabulary really well, it's easier for me to understand the grammar and put sentences together.
4. Phu HoNovember 23, 2014 at 12:59 PM

   I learn Vietnamese effectively by skimming through the summary of vocabulary and patterns at the end of each chapter. I also write down the words multiple times so that I can get the tones of the words down correctly. Repetition helps me learn Vietnamese better.
5. Hy DoanNovember 23, 2014 at 2:42 PM

   I learn Vietnamese most effectively by writing sentences and trying to read more. The more time I spend on it, the more familiar it is, therefore making communicating in Vietnamese easier and more comfortable.
6. 
   
   HDNovember 23, 2014 at 9:26 PM

   I agree with Annelin. I think the easier the vocabulary is to relate to, the easier it is. I also really like this week's activities, and the explanations of the grammar and then the exercises right after. I thought listing the grammar on the board was really helpful! It made me realize how much we had learned over the week. I also think going over the homework in class reinforces what I'm doing at home. It's great to see how much improvement has happened over the semester.

Học được gì - What have you gained from learning Vietnamese

What have you learnt about Vietnamese that can make you proud of yourself, and of course, learning is to know more and have fun!

1. Annelin Verkade

   I am really glad I chose to study Vietnamese. Even though what we've learned doesn't seem like much, I do feel like I know a lot of the foundation to study the language more in-depth. In high school I learned a lot of languages, and I was afraid it might not come as easy anymore. While that's certainly true, I'm proud of myself for still being able to learn a language. I feel like I can use this in the years to come and hopefully in my future career. I'm proud that I'm not just learning my field of study (anthropology) but am also actively searching for ways to engage with that field in the future.
2. Christina Le

   From learning Vietnamese, I have been able to communicate with my family that lives in Vietnam better. Furthermore, my grandparents from both my mother's side and my father's side speaks predominantly Vietnamese, and from learning Vietnamese I feel more comfortable speaking with them. I do not like it when they try to speak Vietnamese because I feel that I should be the one making more of an effort to speak Vietnamese to them.
3. 
   
   Phu Ho

   Learning how to read and write in Vietnamese makes me feel more accomplished of myself. My Vietnamese reading and writing skills have improved dramatically since the beginning of this course. Now, I have more vocabulary to use when I speak to my extended family back in Vietnam. Although I am not able to go out on a full blown conversation with a random person in Vietnam, I am proud that I know more Vietnamese than I did before. I will never forget my roots.
4. 
   
   Elizabeth Hentschel

   I'm very happy that I took Vietnamese, and although it is much more difficult than I thought it would be, I'm really happy with my progress. I like how I can think of a simple sentence in English and I'm capable of saying it in Vietnamese. I've also begun to gain a good understanding of how to write in Vietnamese. I like that I can now look at a Vietnamese word and instantly know how to pronounce it. My skills are improving everyday and it's fun to see the progress!

Learning Vietnamese - Easy or difficult

In this entry, let's share what you find difficult when you learn Vietnamese. How to make it easy and make peace with what you find challenging when you learn Vietnamese.

1. For me, one of the most challenging parts of learning Vietnamese are all of the tones. So many words that we learn are so similar and their tones are the only thing that sets them apart. One example of this is the word "sau", which could mean six or next depending on the tones, another example is "toi". Another challenging aspect for me is pronouncing the tones, and some words, for example I always have trouble pronouncing words that have the letters "ngh". -Elizabeth Hentschel
2. I agree with Elizabeth. One tone mark can change the whole meaning of the word. For example, there are "tôi = I", "tối = evening", and "tới = this upcoming". I also need more practice with pronunciation. I feel like I am getting slighter better with pronouncing the words, but I still need to get used to this particular dialect. - Phu Ho
   
   
3. I agree with both Elizabeth and Phu. Tones are really important in Vietnamese but it can be difficult to remember them when learning new vocabulary. Pronunciation is also something I struggle with. I feel like I'm getting better at it, but it's definitely a slow progress of improvement. That's ok though. After reviewing for this midterm I think we already learned a lot and are at least able to make some basic conversation. Annelin Verkade

   
   
4. I find tones difficult, but pronunciation and sound recognition more difficult. I find the listening activities really challenging, especially if they say anything beyond the vocabulary in the chapter or speak quickly. However, I think studying for the midterm showed how far we have come over the semester, and I look forward to learning more in the upcoming month before our presentation. - HD
   
   
5. I find that remembering tones on different vocabulary words to be the most difficult. Reading does not come as that much of a challenge in comparison to writing because I am able to decipher what the words mean from my knowledge of the sound of tones and my background knowledge of vietnamese vocabulary. However, when it comes to writing, it is difficult to remember which words get what which tones. Furthermore, it is difficult for me to remember vocabulary that I do not hear on a daily basis in casual conversation. - Christina Le

   
   
6. I see myself as somewhat illiterate in Vietnamese (I can read a little better now). However, when I am reading, I am able to sound the words out, hear them, and recognize the word by the way it sounds because I am more familiar. This makes writing more difficult because I am more comfortable with words audibly, rather than visually. I believe my ability to write in Vietnamese will get better the more I look at words and write them down.- Hy Doan

Xin chào (-:

Lớp Tiếng Việt thân mến!
We will put all out thoughts from discussion on culture here.
Hopefully, this is the great place to share ideas.
The first entry will be about the two articles that we read on terms of person address and names in Vietnamese.
Here is the comments and discussion
- Christina Le: I think it is interesting how in Vietnamese when we say thank you that we must always put who we are addressing into our phrase. There is no such thing as "Thank you" in Vietnamese. Instead, it would be "Thank sir" or "thank miss" for example. Furthermore, I think it is very interesting how there are many different words to describe different people that you have relation to. For instance, how you refer to your father's brother and your mother's father is different.

- Elizabeth Hentschel: What I found most interesting about the article on Vietnamese culture wasn’t the fact that Vietnamese people are rarely emotionally neutral, but their reasoning behind this lack of emotional neutrality. The article states that Vietnamese people prefer to establish an emotional relationship to whoever they’re talking to almost immediately. They don’t want you to be just a random “you”, but rather an aunt, uncle, friend, teacher, etc. Another interesting component that this article stated was the fact that it’s appropriate for wives to call their husbands “anh”, meaning older brother, and husbands in tern call their wives “em”, or younger sister, which is a concept completely foreign to Americans.

- Phu Ho: It is interesting to know that some of the Vietnamese terms for addressing people are derived from French words, such as ba (Vietnamese) from papa (French). After reading this article, I am more aware of the terms of address when I refer to my aunt (dì = mother’s sister), uncles (cậu = mother’s brother), and grandparents (ông nội / bà nội = grandparents on father’s side and ông ngoại / bà ngoại = grandparents of mother’s side).
There are about one hundred Vietnamese family names (last names). Family names have no meaning. Given names have meanings and parents choose them to reflect aspirations for their children. Middle names have a variety of functions: to differentiate a man from a woman, distinguish family between generations, and add more meaning to the given name.
I googled translated my name and I got “Phú = rich.” I really hope google translate isn’t messing with me. 

- Hy Doan: Words can shape the way we think. So if Vietnamese language is eager to establish a relationship between two people communicating, perhaps two Vietnamese people have a stronger bond than two people who speak a language that does not establish a relationship between two people. This can result in a bolstering of a sense of nationality and make people more helpful to each other rather than being anonymous to each other. This past summer, while my family was in Vietnam, there were many times we would be lost and my dad would approach a stranger and greet him with "chao anh". Greeting a total stranger with "hello brother" (establishing a family-like relationship) is certainly an effect way to persuade a stranger to help you. From my experiences, Vietnamese people may have a stronger sense of camaraderie, which may be due to the eagerness of the Vietnamese language to create relationship.