Vietnamese is taught by the Critical Languages Program at the University of Arizona with credit and non-credit options available. Small class sizes, expert tutors, and immersive learning that connects language with lived experience.
Sinh Le leads a Vietnamese class session at CLP.
Why Study Vietnamese?
Vietnamese is the sole official and national language of Vietnam but did you know it is the sixth most spoken language in the United States with over 1.5 million speakers? Many of our students set out to learn the language in order to forge a deeper connection with family members and neighbors. Others wish to explore their heritage or learn about Vietnam’s rich history and unique culture.
In some ways Vietnamese is refreshingly simple as it doesn’t have plurals, articles or genders. Although it is a tonal language, like Mandarin, it uses the Latin alphabet. Mastering all six tones is often compared to learning to sing which makes for an entertaining challenge. Misplaced tones provide plenty of opportunities for clever puns and charming wordplay. Wouldn’t you like to join us in the conversation?
Learning Outcomes
Read through our Student Learning Outcomes and see what to expect from courses 101 - 301.
Satisfy the Language Requirement
- For the B.S. complete courses 101, 102
- For the B.A. complete courses 101, 102, 201, 202
Ready to Register?
For Credit
If you are a beginner, sign up for CRL 101 under course section number 331 in UAccess.
Not sure where to start?
If you have studied the language before or have spoken it at home, you should reach out to the tutor of your language or the Program Coordinator to schedule a free informal placement assessment.
If you do not see a level that you need offered in UAccess, reach out to critlang@arizona.edu.
Want to take a non-credit course?
You may have interest in learning this language but do not need university credit. We offer non-credit, community courses for adults, as well as individualized tutoring. (No UA matriculation needed).
More About Vietnamese
Origins and Spread of the Vietnamese Language
Vietnamese is an Austroasiatic language that originated in the north of Vietnam and is the national and official language of the country. It is the native language of the Vietnamese (Kinh) people, as well as a first or second language for the many ethnic minorities of Vietnam. As the result of Vietnamese emigration and cultural influence, Vietnamese speakers are found throughout the world, notably in East and Southeast Asia, North America, Australia and Western Europe. Vietnamese has also been officially recognized as a minority language in the Czech Republic. Vietnamese vocabulary has borrowings from Chinese, and it formerly used a modified set of Chinese characters called chữ nôm given vernacular pronunciation. The Vietnamese alphabet (quốc ngữ) in use today is a Latin alphabet with additional diacritics for tones, and certain letters.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Vietnamese Language", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.