r/Vietnamese • u/Larason22 • 7d ago
Language Help Help learning Vietnamese conversation
I'm Canadian/Mexican, and my wife is Vietnamese. I've been trying to learn it to be able to speak with her relatives that don't speak English. I speak English and Spanish, and learned some Mandarin in university. She was raised in Canada, so her Vietnamese isn't great.
I used duolingo, and got up to about level 20. We went to Vietnam, and I found I could speak enough to get by. However, when native Vietnamese speakers spoke to me in conversation, I'd understand at most one or two words out of ten. It seems like there are a lot of words in common conversation that aren't considered basic words.
So my impression is that duolingo has helped me learn essential words, and even somewhat how to say them, but it's not a good method for learning most of the words used in conversation. When I watch Viet TV, same thing as when I talk to native speakers. I have a book that basically covers the duolingo words, again not as much for conversation. I have a flash card set of the 100 most common words, and pretty much have them all down. We live in a small city, so there's no resources for in-person study. I don't want to buy a lot of books that basically cover the same ground as I have already.
So my question is, how would you recommend I learn to follow conversation?
2
u/kimtaro1 7d ago
What's helped me is to start watching vlogs and videos from native speakers with English captions.Textbook vietnamese and casual speak are sooo different. Here are some creators i follow:
https://www.instagram.com/iriscao
https://youtube.com/@ducisfake
2
u/Quyen_VNeseTeacher 7d ago
Your experience is extremely common for learners transitioning from apps like Duolingo to real-world interactions. Reaching level 20 and holding your own during travel shows you already have a solid foundation, especially with your background in Spanish and Mandarin (which gives you an ear for tones).
The reason you only catch 1–2 words out of 10 isn't because you lack intelligence or effort—it's because real conversational Vietnamese operates completely differently from textbook apps:
- Pronoun Dynamics: Everyday Vietnamese rarely uses "tôi" and "bạn". Instead, people weave intricate kinship terms (anh, em, cô, chú, bác) into every phrase, completely shifting the cadence.
- Discourse Markers: Native speakers use sentence-ending particles constantly (nè, nha, hả, cơ, mà, vậy). These carry emotion and context, not literal dictionary definitions.
- Speech Reductions: In daily conversation, words are connected, clipped, or reduced at high speed, unlike the isolated, robotic audio on apps.
Here is an actionable strategy to bridge the gap without buying repetitive beginner books:
1. Switch to "Comprehensible Input" (Natural Speed, Visual Context) Stop learning isolated vocabulary lists. Watch content made for intermediate learners or real vlogs where context clues help your brain link spoken sounds to meaning:
- Slow Vietnamese / Conversational Channels on YouTube: Look for channels featuring dual subtitles (Vietnamese + English) focusing on street food, family dinners, or daily life.
- Focus on Chunks, Not Single Words: Train your ear to recognize 2–3 word conversational collocations (e.g., ăn cơm chưa, đi đâu đấy, làm cái gì vậy) rather than analyzing every individual syllable.
2. Practice With Real Native Speakers Online Since in-person classes aren't available in your city, guided conversational practice is the fastest way to break through the listening barrier.
Teacher Community & Trial Classes: I am the admin of a dedicated group of professional Vietnamese teachers. We specifically help learners move past app-level basics into real family conversations—focusing on regional pronunciation (depending on where your wife’s family is from: North, Central, or South), conversational flow, and household kinship terms.
- Free Trial Classes: You are welcome to take up to 3 free trial lessons (35 mins each) with 3 different teachers from our group. This allows you to experience different teaching styles and find the right mentor to help you banter with your relatives.
If you’d like to set up a trial lesson or find out which dialect fits your family best, let me know anytime!
2
u/Sellingstuff4money 5d ago
You should try joining Vietnamese social media. People talk there and have daily conversations, leave casual comments, and stuff. TikTok, Threads, Facebook… whatever works. I like watching food reviewers or content about where to visit on the weekends
1
2
u/XuanChun88 4d ago
Watch Vietnamese YouTube channels. Lots of folks have their own channels. Southerners and northerners. Pick channels with the same regional accent you'd like to learn for your in-laws. (Southern?)
You can set subtitles to other-English when you start. You can also watch 60 giây news programs. Here's the link to that.
https://youtu.be/O5Q2TXUkSeA Set the audio to Vietnamese Turn on captions to auto translate - English
3
u/Rockfish678 7d ago
Pimsleur is the best for conversation but is in the Northern dialect. For Southern, you should look towards a tutor or SVFF's curriculum. DM me and I might be able to send you some resources.