Have you learned your SO's language?

[Mike n Huong 1]

I am very interested in knowing how many of you have made a full effort in learning your SO's language? I am not just talking about how to say hello and goodbye, I am talking about being able to have a full conversation in your SO's language.

It has been something that I really want to do, and have bought a translation book and CD, but neither have been much help. My wife and I both work full time jobs and we haven't given this enough attention. We are setting aside time for her to teach me.

Has anyone had success in learing and if so what were your sources that taught you, if you don't mind sharing?

Thanks,

Mike

[luckytxn 2,264]

I can speak a few words of her language but do try to learn a word now and again. She laughs a lot when I try to learn a new word so she has fun. Luckily I don't have to learn her language.

[ScottThuy 140]

I can speak a few words of her language but do try to learn a word now and again. She laughs a lot when I try to learn a new word so she has fun. Luckily I don't have to learn her language.

I have been learing it for almost a year now.. I still have problems pronouncing some words right.. It is much more simple than english in so many ways...but I have so much more to learn.... having a friend that tutors me really helps.. he compares the language to learning how to play music.. I must agree its like when I learned to play the guitar. I have been thinking about getting rosetta stone, but it isnt cheap...

I must say that one of the hurdles I have found is the same thing that they have when they learn english... slang and accents... Yes there are areas of VN in which words mean different things and are said very different. When I first started learning the language, a friend of mine's wife worked at a nail salon and I would go hang out there after the gym a few days a week as they were always slow that time of day. I remember them arguing about how I should pronounce a word that everyone of them said a little different than the other... much like how boston, alabama, california accents would be different for someone with ESL.

[Icarus 0]

Hey Mike, good to see you online!

I've been learning via Rosetta Stone and several flash cards programs. I've got a long ways to go yet, but can speak conversationally to my wifes family and coworkers with not much problem. In fact, I really enjoy the reactions I get from trying and find that helps to encourage me further. I'd say that once I understood the basic building blocks of how the VNese structure sentences, it was only a matter of increasing my vocabulary. Any way you do it, good luck, its well worth it (and the best reason of all...my wife gets turned on by listening to me speak her language!)!!

[ScottThuy 140]

Hey Mike, good to see you online!

I've been learning via Rosetta Stone and several flash cards programs. I've got a long ways to go yet, but can speak conversationally to my wifes family and coworkers with not much problem. In fact, I really enjoy the reactions I get from trying and find that helps to encourage me further. I'd say that once I understood the basic building blocks of how the VNese structure sentences, it was only a matter of increasing my vocabulary. Any way you do it, good luck, its well worth it (and the best reason of all...my wife gets turned on by listening to me speak her language!)!!

Was RS worth the money?

[Malrothien 6]

While both of us speak English, my first language was Spanish. He will learn Spanish for me so that I can use it more.

[Icarus 0]

Hey Mike, good to see you online!

I've been learning via Rosetta Stone and several flash cards programs. I've got a long ways to go yet, but can speak conversationally to my wifes family and coworkers with not much problem. In fact, I really enjoy the reactions I get from trying and find that helps to encourage me further. I'd say that once I understood the basic building blocks of how the VNese structure sentences, it was only a matter of increasing my vocabulary. Any way you do it, good luck, its well worth it (and the best reason of all...my wife gets turned on by listening to me speak her language!)!!

Was RS worth the money?

Absolutely! And it works both ways

[ScottThuy 140]

Hey Mike, good to see you online!

I've been learning via Rosetta Stone and several flash cards programs. I've got a long ways to go yet, but can speak conversationally to my wifes family and coworkers with not much problem. In fact, I really enjoy the reactions I get from trying and find that helps to encourage me further. I'd say that once I understood the basic building blocks of how the VNese structure sentences, it was only a matter of increasing my vocabulary. Any way you do it, good luck, its well worth it (and the best reason of all...my wife gets turned on by listening to me speak her language!)!!

Was RS worth the money?

Absolutely! And it works both ways

A friend of mine said they have most of the RS disks a our local library, I hope they have Viet...... Mike that may be something to check into...

[GuardianOne 0]

Hey Mike, good to see you online!

I've been learning via Rosetta Stone and several flash cards programs. I've got a long ways to go yet, but can speak conversationally to my wifes family and coworkers with not much problem. In fact, I really enjoy the reactions I get from trying and find that helps to encourage me further. I'd say that once I understood the basic building blocks of how the VNese structure sentences, it was only a matter of increasing my vocabulary. Any way you do it, good luck, its well worth it (and the best reason of all...my wife gets turned on by listening to me speak her language!)!!

Was RS worth the money?

There are other ways to get it for free. I got the Tagalog for free online.

[Mike n Huong 1]

I checked into Rosetta Stone also, and thought it was expensive. When I mentioned how much it was, we both felt it was too much when my wife can teach me for free. There are a few reasons I want to learn the language. First it would bring me and my wife closer, it would allow me to be closer to my in laws, and I am very involved in the Vietnamese community in our area.

I am glad that I am not the only one wanting to learn the language.

[Josephs 0]

I tried to use RS and it worked for the most part. the only problem is my fiancee is from the South, Mekong delta area. down there they only use 4 tones, but in the north they use 6 tones, so when i would say a word to her she was a little confused then she explained this to me and well we are working on it. I did give her english RS and she is using it to some degree. the best thing for me was to be there where you are forced to learn and learn fast. My fiance knows a lot of English, but speaking and understand is hard. As for me, I can speak a little. for the most part I can try to say what i want. anh muon di va anh muon ngu. anh khong hieu. haha i remember so many times trying to talk viet/english and my future brother in law would listen to me and then just say khong hieu, with the biggest smile on his face. boy do i miss them all...

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I practiced a lot of words and phrases I learned using Byki, Pimsleur (which SUX!), and various sound clips I found on the internet. I thought I was doing good, but nobody could understand me. When I started practicing using headphones and mic it was a little easier for me to hear what I was doing wrong, but people still have a really hard time understanding me, and I thought I was saying everything correctly. I didn't really hear how far off I was until I tried recording myself.

I always have a notebook with me, so I tried writing the words when people couldn't understand me speaking them, but I found it very difficult to remember the diacritical marks. I finally started writing the correct words and phrases in my notebook so I could just look them up and point to them. I also keep a pocket English/Viet dictionary with me. When I've got internet access, I use google to translate, but you have to double check by translating back into English to make sure the translation made sense.

This is going to take a lot of time, effort, and experience...

[Kevin and 10]

I can say my Tieng Viet sucks. I don't get to practice much, only on the phone and its hard to understand sometimes.

I have been taking a Tieng Viet class at a Vietnamese temple for the past 2 years every Sunday. They have free lessons. It is mostly kids who were born in the US whose parents are from Vietnam, but they have 2 adult classes.

The first year we went strictly by the text book (Spoken Vietnamese for Beginners. Long Nguyen Marybeth Clark Bich Thuan Nguyen ISBN# 978-1-877979-45-3) It was very fast and we mostly learn vocab. No sentence structure or emphasis on sounds and tones.

Last year we got a new teacher, who was much better. We went over sounds and tones every class and the learning structure was better.

[decker 1]

I used RS and like Josephs said it is using the Northern dialect so Linh looked at me all stupid-like. My complaint with RS is that you don't get the translation with it. You are basically parroting sentences associated to a picture.

She also refused to teach me while I came to visit her because "Then all pretty ladies be talking to you!" She is pretty territorial. Her daughter My is teaching me some.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I used RS and like Josephs said it is using the Northern dialect so Linh looked at me all stupid-like. My complaint with RS is that you don't get the translation with it. You are basically parroting sentences associated to a picture.

She also refused to teach me while I came to visit her because "Then all pretty ladies be talking to you!" She is pretty territorial. Her daughter My is teaching me some.

Pretty much all the courses use the northern dialect. It's the "official" Vietnamese dialect. If spoken well, a southerner will be able to understand you without much difficulty, sort of like a New Yorker can understand someone from Alabama. If not spoken well, it's more like a Frenchman trying to imitate a person from Alabama - incomprehensible!

Phuong is from Hue, and they use a mixture of the northern and southern dialects. They do use the 7 tones, but they pronounce letters like "d" as they are pronounced in the south ("y" sound, rather than "z" sound). Same with words like "giờ". In the north, it sounds similar to "zo". In the south, it's closer to "yer". That one really threw me the first time I tried to tell someone what time it was.

I didn't know RS used the same method as Pimsleur. In that case, I'd say RS also sucks. What good is it to learn how to parrot sounds if you don't know precisely the words you are learning to speak? Sure, you'll be able to repeat a sentence that they will understand, but you won't be able to compose your own sentences, nor understand anything they say in response unless it's identical to a phrase you've already learned. I gave up on Pimsleur because it doesn't come with a transcript and translation of the Vietnamese words and phrases, and there's almost no focus on composition. On the other hand, if you just want to know how to tell the taxi driver to take you to the proper hotel, it's fine.