Vietnamese: Learn to Speak and Understand Vietnamese with Pimsleur Language Programs [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio CD)

by Pimsleur (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Comprehensive Vietnamese I includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus an introduction to reading.

Upon completion of this Level I program, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to:

* initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,

* deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,

* communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,

* avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,

* satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,

* establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,

* begin reading and sounding out items with native-like pronunciation.

About the Author
Dr. Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. After obtaining his Ph.D. in French from Columbia University, he taught French Phonetics and Phonemics, and supervised the language laboratory at UCLA. He went on to become Professor of Romance Languages and Language Education, and Director of The Listening Center at Ohio State University; Professor of Education and Romance Languages at the State University of New York at Albany; and a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. Dr. Pimsleur was a member of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and a founding member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). His many books and articles revolutionized theories of language learning and teaching. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed a new method that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory that he called Graduated Interval Recall. This program incorporates both of these principles to provide you with the most simple and effective learning method possible.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Pimsleur; Abridged edition (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743528999
• ISBN-13: 978-0743528993
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 11.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #541,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pimsleur Is the way to go..., November 20, 2006

By	Phillip Fitzlaff (las vegas usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always had good luck with the programs. I used Pimlseur to brush up on my French. This program, as with just about all Vietnamse language courses, is based on the Northern Vietnamese language. I have several friends from southern Vietnam and said that even with the (slight) differences, people will still understand you. You learn quite a bit about the language, and will end up with enough knowledge to take what you have learned and form your own phrases in conversations.
This program is not by anymeans sexest. What it does is place you in several situations such as: You are a young man greating a young woman, you are an older woman greeting an older man...e.t.c... One reviewer said that "chi" is used to address a younger woman...that is the northern way of addressing a woman. In southern vietnam, "em" is used and "chi" is used for older and "bac" for the grandmother type. These programs are wonderfull and I would highly suggest that if you want to learn a foriegn language, go with this program..you will not be sorry.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful, October 19, 2006

By	shoshana (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vietnamese: Learn to Speak and Understand Vietnamese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Audio Cassette)

I have had good luck with Pimsleur programs in several languages, including Vietnamese. I've found them easy and better for learing basic phrases through repetition than other materials. Further, since the vast majority of the program is auditory, I was able to listen in the car or on a portable device and learn phrases without having to folllow in a book.

My big concern with the series is that they are pitched to male travelers and there is a certain amount of sexism in the dialogues (for example, dialogues where "you are an older American man talking with a younger Vietnamese woman" and the dialogue concerns drinking beer or wine "at my place."

In the case of the Vietnamese CDs, the pronunciation is Northern, which is somewhat different from the Southern.

I'm not sure why another reviewer was told that "chi" was impolite or incorrect for a female; while it literally means "older sister," it is used to a "youngish woman" (Rough Guide Vietnamese Dictionary-Phrasebook). It is how I was addressed by my native Vietnamese language instructor, a woman somewhat younger than myself, and by my Vietnamese-speaking students who are younger than I. Because of my age and status relative to these speakers, I am a woman for whom "ba" is not appropriate. I note that "ba" with an accent (low falling tone) is used for an older woman, where "ba" without an accent (and pronounced with a mid-level tone) means "dad." Perhaps this is the cause of the confusion.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Confusing with the word 'chi', January 16, 2007

By	K. Ong - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Haven't tried this program yet but there seems to be a bit of confusion with the word 'chi'. It literally means older sister. The only time you would use that is if you are addressing an older female (but not someone your mother's age or slightly younger-- there is another word you would use). 'Em' is used for anyone younger than you (male or female) is literally means younger person. I'm am Vietnamese (north) and am looking for a program that has both written and spoken Vietnamese. I have tried other Pimsleur products but think it would if it came with a workbook.