What you'll learn
Start speaking Vietnamese and discover a rich language and culture with our Vietnamese language short courses online!
Whether you're preparing for a trip to Vietnam, connecting with family and friends, exploring your heritage, or simply interested in learning a fascinating language, this beginner-friendly course offers a practical and supportive introduction to Vietnamese. No previous experience is required.
From your very first class, you'll begin using practical, everyday Vietnamese. You'll learn how to introduce yourself, ask simple questions, and take part in basic conversations while steadily building your vocabulary, pronunciation, and confidence.
Vietnamese is a tonal language, and developing accurate pronunciation is an important part of learning to communicate effectively. Guided by an experienced tutor, you'll learn to recognise and use tones with confidence while becoming familiar with both Northern and Southern accents. Along the way, you'll also gain insight into Vietnamese culture, customs, and communication styles, helping you use the language more naturally in real-life situations.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Vietnamese: Beginners Level 1 course, participants will have developed practical skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- Using Vietnamese tones with growing confidence and accuracy
- Recognising key differences between Northern and Southern Vietnamese pronunciation
- Greeting people and introducing yourself and others
- Asking for and giving simple directions
- Talking about travel, places, and everyday activities
- Using numbers, including those used in money and transactions
- Asking about prices and making simple purchases
- Talking about time, dates, and daily routines
- Using basic grammar structures to ask and answer questions
- Developing an understanding of Vietnamese culture, customs, and communication etiquette
Course content
What will be covered in this Vietnamese: Beginners Level 1 course?
During the course, participants will be guided through key concepts, techniques and approaches that typically include:
Topics
- Vietnamese alphabet and pronunciation
- Numbers and everyday vocabulary
- Greetings and introductions
- Places, directions, and transport
- Time, dates, and seasons
- Hobbies and daily activities
- Vietnamese culture and customs
Communication skills
- Speaking and listening through guided practice
- Developing confidence in everyday communication
- Training your ear to recognise tones and accents
Grammar
- Basic sentence structure
- Asking and answering questions
- Use of prepositions
- Past, present, and future expressions
- Describing things using adjectives
Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant interests, and instructor approach.
Intended audience
Who is this Vietnamese: Beginners Level 1 course for?
This course is ideal for complete beginners with no previous knowledge of Vietnamese, as well as travellers, heritage learners, and anyone interested in Vietnamese language and culture.
Whether you're preparing for travel, connecting with Vietnamese-speaking family or friends, or simply looking to develop practical communication skills, this course provides a supportive introduction to everyday Vietnamese.
Course venue
Online via Zoom
Zoom details will be provided with your enrolment confirmation.
Requirement: A device with a stable internet connection
Course materials
What to bring to class
- Notebook and pen
- Course textbook (see below)
Textbook & Resources
Please purchase the course textbook for Vietnamese Course: Beginners Level 1 and Vietnamese Course: Beginners Level 2:
Colloquial Vietnamese – The Complete Course for Beginners
ISBN: 9781138950238
We recommend purchasing your textbook once your course has been confirmed (usually within three working days of the proposed start date). The textbook is not included in the enrolment fee.
Certificate of completion
Achievement Recognition
Students who attend at least 80% of the course will receive a Certificate of Attendance from Sydney Community College.
This certificate recognises your commitment to learning Vietnamese and can support your personal or professional development.
What's next?
After completing this course, you can continue your learning with Vietnamese: Beginners Level 2 course, where you’ll expand your vocabulary, strengthen your grammar, and build greater confidence in conversation.
Course testimonials
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Erik said: I like the nice group and the teacher was very funny. I liked the listening activities. What U didn't like about the course was that I had to miss the last 2 classes as it was dragged along for 2 weeks. I had already plans. Maybe you should work on bringing a replacement teacher if that happened again cause it is really inconvenient for some students who have everything prepared beforehand
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Michelle said: Bao is friendly and encouraging. My peers were also great!
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Helen said: Can’t really comment on the venue as it was online in my own living room. I felt our teacher Bao did a very good job of trying to keep us focussed on pronunciation and the different tones of the language, as having now visited Vietnam I realise this was vital to useful communication. I very much appreciate all his efforts, and feel that what I could learn in just 8 lessons was very useful.
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Deborah said: The beginners course was a great introduction to the principles of Vietnamese -- I learnt a lot every week, our tutor Bao was incredibly patient and excellent at explaining the core structure of the language. We learnt about pronunciation, common sayings and a LOT of vocabulary. Highly recommend for anyone who is interested in learning Vietnamese!
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James said: The tutor did not try to impose a too strict learning regime. He allowed the class to learn at a rate all of us could handle and we still managed to complete all the units composing the beginner's part of the course. Bao was also always very willing to walk around to each student and check our work and help with any individual difficulties. He is also a very happy and pleasant person and communicates this well through his knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching Vietnamese language and culture.
Course tutors
Hoang Bao Nguyen
Great reasons to enrol in a short course with us
Small classes
A personal approach means quality learning, so you can enjoy plenty of interaction with your instructor and the chance to ask questions.
Short & sweet
Our short courses & workshops get straight to the point, providing the skills you need with minimal commitment of your precious time.
Facilities & equipment
Our range of venues suit every type of course, are easy to get to, and have the equipment and tech needed to support your learning.
Easy, secure enrolment
Enrol online 24/7 with a safe, convenient 3-step process.
Quality instructors
Our educators bring first-hand experience and knowledge, with up-to-the-minute practices from diverse industries.
Business or pleasure
Our courses help you rapidly increase your skills and knowledge, for professional development or personal interest.
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<p>Start speaking Vietnamese and discover a rich language and culture with our <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/learn-language/vietnamese">Vietnamese language short courses</
...If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Vietnamese Course: Beginners Level 1
If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Vietnamese Course: Beginners Level 1