Week 1: Why I Chose to Learn Vietnamese
Jacob H -
If you could choose to speak any language, what would it be? To me, the answer was not immediately obvious until I thought about some of the connections in my life. I realized there was a huge language barrier between me and my friends’ families. For one in particular, it is hard to get to know many of her family members at all. Just the fact that they speak Vietnamese and I speak English is enough to keep us strangers. So, I have made it my mission to bridge this gap through language and culture. This is Bridging Worlds: A Journey Into Vietnamese Language and Culture.
I plan to visit my partner’s family in Saigon, Vietnam by the start of the Summer. When I land, I plan to be a self-sufficient tourist, capable of speaking to vendors, finding my way around, and most importantly, able to speak with the family I will stay with for three weeks. I certainly will not rely on English signs or translators, being rendered a helpless toddler without these precious resources.
Vietnamese culture fascinates me, especially the food. I’ve enjoyed dishes like Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang (above) and Gỏi Cuốn but want to try Bánh Mì and Chè dessert (above). Also, in Vietnam, family is a much more sacred bond than we seem to consider it here in the United States, which upsets me all the more when I think about how disconnected I am from the Vietnamese family I spend so much time with.
This may seem like a lot, but I love learning languages. Spanish was my first, and after six years of speaking it, I have realized how much I love speaking in a new tongue. I love exploring differences between how languages say the same things, like how we say “I am 18 years old” in English but “I have 18 years” in Spanish.
This week I’ve put in a lot of research into the challenges ahead of me. Vietnamese tones will be difficult to master, forcing me to change my intonation of speech entirely. I must get used to the fact that questions in Vietnamese do not end with English’s universal questioning tone, and other implicit meanings in sentences cannot necessarily be expressed by tone. I must master Vietnamese classifiers that accompany virtually all nouns instead of the words ‘a’ or ‘the.’ I must familiarize myself with particles, words that have no meaning on their own, but that add a subtly different meaning to the whole sentence. This will not be easy.
Despite this, I know I will make it. After all, I personally know over ten different Vietnamese speakers, some of whom have perfect English, easily able to assist me with learning. Also, I will consistently visit the family’s nail shop, where I will absorb all the Vietnamese day-to-day at the business.
I know this will be challenging, but just as rewarding as learning Spanish was. When I hop out of the plane in Saigon, I want to do more than just get by—I want to truly connect. Follow along as I take on this challenge!
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