{"id":82960,"date":"2020-09-30T07:39:31","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T07:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.expatinfodesk.com\/?page_id=82960"},"modified":"2023-08-03T10:59:31","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T10:59:31","slug":"language","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.expatinfodesk.com\/destinations\/hanoi\/language\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanoi Language Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”container” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” el_class=”three-top-tips” css=”.vc_custom_1599875304748{margin-left: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-right-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]English is the lingua franca of Hanoi and Vietnam, and one can navigate expat restaurants, shops and services without any knowledge of the local language. However, there is often little or no English ability in local markets and restaurants. One can certainly survive in Hanoi<\/a> without learning Vietnamese, but may feel somewhat cut off from the life of the local people. Even a few simple phrases, such as \u201cThank you,\u201d \u201cHow much?\u201d and \u201cExcuse me\u201d make life in Hanoi much more comfortable. In addition, Vietnamese are extremely grateful when a Westerner makes even a minimal effort to communicate in their language.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese can be a dauntingly difficult language. There is effectively no grammar, and verbs are not conjugated, but the tonal structure and variety of vowel sounds make it hard for Westerners to grasp. In a tonal language such as Vietnamese or Chinese, a single syllable has multiple meanings depending on the intonation with which it is pronounced. While in English a rising tone may indicate a question, in Vietnamese a rising tone would be a completely different word from the same syllable with a falling tone. Vietnamese has six tones, and telling them apart is one of the hardest aspects of the language.<\/p>\n

Learning Vietnamese is a process of training one\u2019s ear as well as remembering words and phrases. This process of \u201cear-training\u201d makes it frustrating for many expats, but with a good teacher or class one can learn everyday phrases within a couple of weeks, and hold simple conversations within 3-4 months. In addition to the schools listed below, many private teachers are available for $5-10\/hour, and some will teach in your own home. These teachers post notices on bulletin boards at grocery stores and cafes.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese Teaching Group<\/strong>
\n164 Le Thanh Nghi
\nTel: 0436282295
\nEmail: \u2028info@vietnameseteaching.com<\/a>
\nAn organization offering Vietnamese lessons and events that help foreigners get a feel for the Vietnamese experience.<\/p>\n

Vietnam National University – Faculty of Vietnamese Language and Culture<\/strong>
\nB7 Bis, Bach Khoa
\nTel: 043 8694323
\nEmail: \u2028ktv_vnh@yahoo.com<\/a>
\nA National University department offering Vietnamese language and culture classes for foreigners. Private and small group lessons available.<\/p>\n

Goethe Institute<\/strong>
\n58 Nguyen Thai Hoc
\nTel:+84 4 37342251
\nhttp:\/\/www.goethe.de\/hanoi<\/a>
\nEmail:\u00a0\u2028info@hanoi.goethe.org<\/a>
\nThe Goethe Institute is the German cultural institute in Hanoi. They offer beginning Vietnamese courses that meet twice a week\u2014check the website to see when classes begin.<\/p>\n

Standard Vietnamese Group<\/strong>
\nRoom 212, Building C, Hanoi University, 9 Nguyen Trai street, Thanh Xu\u00e2n distrcit
\nTel: 0977774287
\nEmail: \u2028kieuhoa@standardvietnamese.com<\/a>
\nVietnamese classes focused on daily conversation and cultural activities.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ el_class=”city-side-bar”][vc_row_inner el_class=”sidebar-section-one”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Top Tips” font_container=”tag:h4|font_size:24|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_separator color=”#ffffff” type=”full_width” thickness=”1″ up=”” down=””][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
01<\/td>\nThough there are many shopping options in Hanoi, you may find that the style or size you need is unavailable. Large western sizes can be very elusive!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
02<\/td>\nLearning Vietnamese offers an important window onto Hanoi society and culture & helps at all levels of social interaction and day-to-day convenien<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
03<\/td>\nGET OUT OF TOWN! just a weekend away can work restorative miracles. Don\u2019t wait till you feel run down\u2014plan excursions in advance and keep<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
04<\/td>\nMail delivery from overseas is not always reliable, so try to think in advance of any books, CDs, or software you may need in Vietnam.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
05<\/td>\nSet up online banking before you leave, and be sure to notify your bank you\u2019ll be using your ATM card in Vietnam\u2014otherwise they may think<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_class=”sidebar-section-two”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Useful links” font_container=”tag:h4|font_size:24|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” el_class=”useful-links”][vc_separator color=”#ffffff” type=”full_width” thickness=”1″ up=”” down=””][vc_column_text el_class=”useful-links”]<\/p>\n