LIVING AND WORKING IN VIETNAM
The Language:
Despite what so called “bush lawyers” will tell you, there is no need to be able to speak the local language to work as an English teacher, as all instruction is in English and the methods you will learn in your TESOL course will equip you very well for teaching English WITHOUT needing to know the local language.
However, a few well chosen words in the local language will have you at least recognizing what you have ordered at the restaurant, and will give you the ability to understand some simple signs.
The Vietnamese language is a very difficult language to master, and its complexities are compunded by the fact that there are at least three dialects in which the same words are pronounced differently.
Writing, however, is the same in all dialects, and luckily Vietnamese is written in the Roman script, just like English.
Some of the letters have a similar sound to English, but a lot do not, so to try to “sound out” words you see will only have the locals laughing. They are quite unforgiving of your attempts to speak their language, and you can provide many hours of amusement for them as you struggle to be understood.
As an English teacher, however, you need to be much more tolerant than the locals are about the way they use YOUR native language.
So here are just a few important words that you might like to know:
In the Restaurant:
Vietnamese food is very delicious and in the south lightly to heavily spiced- In the north its more like eating a newspaper- rather tasteless. Also, its very cheap if you are prepared to eat like the locals.
Thit cho- This is dog meat-by that I mean the flesh of a dog-and particularly in the north, it is eaten quite regularly. In Hanoi, the streets are lined with restaurants and food stalls specialising in dog meat.
Thit meow-easy to work this one out.
Tom- Shrimps- prawns- usually kept alive until needed, so they are very fresh
Cua (Coo ar) Crab- Crab soup is very popular and cheap- (Sup cua) Soop coo ar.
Ga (Gawr) Chicken- It is usually cut up very differently to what you may be used to in the west, and the head and feet are usually included. Viets like to eat “mountain chicken” or wild chicken- It is very tough and leathery, and offers very little meat.
Vit-duck
Bo Beef. Don’t expect T-bone steaks- Its usually very thin, in small pieces and often grilled. Usually also rather tough.
Heo- (Hey-ow) Pork- In the north Lon but in the south lon is a crude word meaning female genitals- so take care.
Ca- (Car) Fish
De (Yay) Goat meat In Hanoi pronounced Zay
Banh Mi- Bread- usually baguettes-often served with fried eggs-popular for breakfast- ask for “Banh Mi Opla” (Barn mee owp lar). Never buttered.
Banh Xeo- (Barn Say-Oh) Pancake type dish typical of central Vietnam- a rice batter with sprouts and other vegetables inside, and sometimes pork and small shrimp (not peeled).
Sinh To- (Sin Toe) a fruit drink made of fresh fruit, a little milk and ice-Its very refreshing, and you can have a variety of fruits in your Sinh To. Popular fruits for Sinh To are Papaya (Sin Toe Doo doo), mango (Sin toe swai), strawberry (Sin toe yeow), and coconut (sin toe yuar).
Com (gur m) Rice of all types- With chicken Com Ga, beef Com Bo, and Asian fried rice Com a chau chien
Thit (Tit) Meat
Gio (Zaw) A type of pork sausage
Eche- (Ehe) Frog
Pho (Fow) Noodle soup- basically a thin broth with a choice of ingredients added to your desire. There is no middle ground with Pho- you either love it or you hate it.
Nuoc Mam (Nook Marm) a sauce that is made from the juice that runs off rotting fish- it sounds terrible, but after they try it, most foreigners become addicted to it. It can be eaten with most Viet meals.
Lau—(Low)- a shared dish in which a variety of meats is cooked on an open fire on your table.
Trung-(Choong) Eggs
Nem- Spring rolls with meat inside.- usually fried.
Café- (Kar fey) Coffee. Café sua da (Kar Fey Sewer Dar) Iced milk coffee
Café Sua nong (kar Fey Sewer nom) Hot milk coffee.
Coffee in Vietnam is excellent, but it is also very strong- If you want western style, ask for an extra cup of hot water to thin it down.
Coffee is served in coffee shops with a dripper on your cup. It takes quite a while for it to drip down into the cup.
Bir- Beer- Anyone, including children can buy beer from shops, etc. The most popular brands are Tiger, heineken, Ba ba ba, Saigon and Fosters.
Bir den- Black beer- usually sold at micro breweries which are easy to find.
Bir tiou (beer chewy) is draught beer and its very fresh.
Tra (Char) tea. Beware the local tea served with ice at most meetings and interviews- It is a powerful laxative.
Nuoc (Nook) Water
OTHER USEFUL WORDS:
KHONG (Kong) No
VANG (Varng) Yes
CO (Co) Yes
PHAI (Fai) Correct
PHAI (Fai) Right (Direction)
CHAI (Ch-eye) Left (Direction)
THANG (Tongue) Straight ahead “di thang (dee tongue) go straight ahead.
RE (Well) Turn- Re Phai (Well Fai) Turn right
DUNG LAI (Yoong lie) Stop (In Hanoi ZUNG LIE)
CAHN SAT (Carn sart) Traffic police
CONG ANH (KONG ARN) Criminal Police
Anh Cham (Arn Charm) Thief
Xin Chao (Sin Chow) Hello
Cam An (Kerm Arn) Thanks
Xin Loi (Sin Loy) Sorry.
Xe Buyt (Say Beat) Bus- Ben Xe Buyt – Bus station or stop
Xe Om- (Say Ohm) Motor bike taxi
Nha (Nar) House
Nha Tuoc (Nar Two ook) Chemist-Drugstore
Ban (barn) For sale
Cho Thue (Chow Tway) for rent
Phong (Fong) Room Phong cho thue –room for rent.
Kach San (Kak San) Hotel.
Cong cong (Kong kong) public
Dien thoi (Dee-en Toy) telephone Dien thoi cong cong- public telephone
Buu dien (Boo Dee-en) Post Office (sometimes shortened to Boo.Dee)
Chup Anh (Choop Arn) Take a picture
Di cham (Dee chum) Drive more slowly
Di Ngyen (Dee nee-yen) Drive faster.
The Language:
Despite what so called “bush lawyers” will tell you, there is no need to be able to speak the local language to work as an English teacher, as all instruction is in English and the methods you will learn in your TESOL course will equip you very well for teaching English WITHOUT needing to know the local language.
However, a few well chosen words in the local language will have you at least recognizing what you have ordered at the restaurant, and will give you the ability to understand some simple signs.
The Vietnamese language is a very difficult language to master, and its complexities are compunded by the fact that there are at least three dialects in which the same words are pronounced differently.
Writing, however, is the same in all dialects, and luckily Vietnamese is written in the Roman script, just like English.
Some of the letters have a similar sound to English, but a lot do not, so to try to “sound out” words you see will only have the locals laughing. They are quite unforgiving of your attempts to speak their language, and you can provide many hours of amusement for them as you struggle to be understood.
As an English teacher, however, you need to be much more tolerant than the locals are about the way they use YOUR native language.
So here are just a few important words that you might like to know:
In the Restaurant:
Vietnamese food is very delicious and in the south lightly to heavily spiced- In the north its more like eating a newspaper- rather tasteless. Also, its very cheap if you are prepared to eat like the locals.
Thit cho- This is dog meat-by that I mean the flesh of a dog-and particularly in the north, it is eaten quite regularly. In Hanoi, the streets are lined with restaurants and food stalls specialising in dog meat.
Thit meow-easy to work this one out.
Tom- Shrimps- prawns- usually kept alive until needed, so they are very fresh
Cua (Coo ar) Crab- Crab soup is very popular and cheap- (Sup cua) Soop coo ar.
Ga (Gawr) Chicken- It is usually cut up very differently to what you may be used to in the west, and the head and feet are usually included. Viets like to eat “mountain chicken” or wild chicken- It is very tough and leathery, and offers very little meat.
Vit-duck
Bo Beef. Don’t expect T-bone steaks- Its usually very thin, in small pieces and often grilled. Usually also rather tough.
Heo- (Hey-ow) Pork- In the north Lon but in the south lon is a crude word meaning female genitals- so take care.
Ca- (Car) Fish
De (Yay) Goat meat In Hanoi pronounced Zay
Banh Mi- Bread- usually baguettes-often served with fried eggs-popular for breakfast- ask for “Banh Mi Opla” (Barn mee owp lar). Never buttered.
Banh Xeo- (Barn Say-Oh) Pancake type dish typical of central Vietnam- a rice batter with sprouts and other vegetables inside, and sometimes pork and small shrimp (not peeled).
Sinh To- (Sin Toe) a fruit drink made of fresh fruit, a little milk and ice-Its very refreshing, and you can have a variety of fruits in your Sinh To. Popular fruits for Sinh To are Papaya (Sin Toe Doo doo), mango (Sin toe swai), strawberry (Sin toe yeow), and coconut (sin toe yuar).
Com (gur m) Rice of all types- With chicken Com Ga, beef Com Bo, and Asian fried rice Com a chau chien
Thit (Tit) Meat
Gio (Zaw) A type of pork sausage
Eche- (Ehe) Frog
Pho (Fow) Noodle soup- basically a thin broth with a choice of ingredients added to your desire. There is no middle ground with Pho- you either love it or you hate it.
Nuoc Mam (Nook Marm) a sauce that is made from the juice that runs off rotting fish- it sounds terrible, but after they try it, most foreigners become addicted to it. It can be eaten with most Viet meals.
Lau—(Low)- a shared dish in which a variety of meats is cooked on an open fire on your table.
Trung-(Choong) Eggs
Nem- Spring rolls with meat inside.- usually fried.
Café- (Kar fey) Coffee. Café sua da (Kar Fey Sewer Dar) Iced milk coffee
Café Sua nong (kar Fey Sewer nom) Hot milk coffee.
Coffee in Vietnam is excellent, but it is also very strong- If you want western style, ask for an extra cup of hot water to thin it down.
Coffee is served in coffee shops with a dripper on your cup. It takes quite a while for it to drip down into the cup.
Bir- Beer- Anyone, including children can buy beer from shops, etc. The most popular brands are Tiger, heineken, Ba ba ba, Saigon and Fosters.
Bir den- Black beer- usually sold at micro breweries which are easy to find.
Bir tiou (beer chewy) is draught beer and its very fresh.
Tra (Char) tea. Beware the local tea served with ice at most meetings and interviews- It is a powerful laxative.
Nuoc (Nook) Water
OTHER USEFUL WORDS:
KHONG (Kong) No
VANG (Varng) Yes
CO (Co) Yes
PHAI (Fai) Correct
PHAI (Fai) Right (Direction)
CHAI (Ch-eye) Left (Direction)
THANG (Tongue) Straight ahead “di thang (dee tongue) go straight ahead.
RE (Well) Turn- Re Phai (Well Fai) Turn right
DUNG LAI (Yoong lie) Stop (In Hanoi ZUNG LIE)
CAHN SAT (Carn sart) Traffic police
CONG ANH (KONG ARN) Criminal Police
Anh Cham (Arn Charm) Thief
Xin Chao (Sin Chow) Hello
Cam An (Kerm Arn) Thanks
Xin Loi (Sin Loy) Sorry.
Xe Buyt (Say Beat) Bus- Ben Xe Buyt – Bus station or stop
Xe Om- (Say Ohm) Motor bike taxi
Nha (Nar) House
Nha Tuoc (Nar Two ook) Chemist-Drugstore
Ban (barn) For sale
Cho Thue (Chow Tway) for rent
Phong (Fong) Room Phong cho thue –room for rent.
Kach San (Kak San) Hotel.
Cong cong (Kong kong) public
Dien thoi (Dee-en Toy) telephone Dien thoi cong cong- public telephone
Buu dien (Boo Dee-en) Post Office (sometimes shortened to Boo.Dee)
Chup Anh (Choop Arn) Take a picture
Di cham (Dee chum) Drive more slowly
Di Ngyen (Dee nee-yen) Drive faster.
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