UNSW Ph.D. gives Vietnamese lessons in Sydney in an easy and practical way!

Find out more about Nico

• 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 and grew up in Vietnam so Vietnamese is definitely my mother tongue.

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

  Surprisingly, present-day Vietnamese which is written with a Latin-based alphabet was developed by a French Jesuit missionary, Alexandre de Rhodes. And its initial purpose was for religious texts.

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

  I particularly like the tonal system in Vietnamese as it makes the language sounds like song when speaking.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  I'm a Vietnamese, so it has a spiritual meaning to me.

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

  To me, some of the most difficult things when learning Vietnamese are the tonal system and the multi-meaning of the words. Practice makes perfect!

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

  I used to have a lot of homework to do back then. But they all helped for learn Vietnamese.

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

  You'll get to know the language, traditions, cuisine and of course, the native people.