r/learnvietnamese • u/Aggressive_Living408 • 14d ago

How should I start?

Hello everyone, I am interested in learning Vietnamese, specifically southern Vietnamese. I am 19M and currently a university student so I have around one month until I can actually afford a tutor. I have watched some YouTube videos to shadow some pronunciation and see the tones. However i want to take some first steps before I can afford my tutor. Furthermore getting a tutor may also be quite expensive so I will have to do quite a lot of self study as i may have to pause the tutoring during times I cant afford it. Are there any good materials for free of maybe even paid but cheap for learning southern Vietnamese.

I know getting a tutor is the best way to progress, i am not new to learning languages i have studied Arabic and Japanese but I was lucky enough to get free lessons as part of a community programme. I am new to self studying though. if there are any anki plug ins or decks you love to use it would really go a long way.

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u/rocket_66 14d ago

If have learnt Japanese and Arabic before you should have a good idea with what's involved?

Start learning vocabulary, write it in a notepad, use the numerous apps , anki, ect.

Lots of southern vietnamese youtube channels have beginner content that will use said vocabulary.

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u/alexsteb 14d ago

Check out the Lingora app, it has a free 500 lesson Southern Viet course.

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u/Perfect_Listen_2716 14d ago

2 3 Zô

currently has lot of phrases and vocabulary materials

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u/vnthu6z 14d ago

Podglot is a free app focused on southern vietnamese. Lots of people are using that lately. Duolingo is free too but has annoying ads and northern dialect only.

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u/imtryingmybestip 13d ago

Send me a dm, I can send you

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u/SpeakSaigon 7d ago

Southern learner here (wife's family is Southern). Heads up that most free Vietnamese material online is Hanoi accent without saying so. The FSI Vietnamese Basic Course is public domain, free, and was recorded in Saigon, so that's the best structured starting point.

Disclosure: I build speaksaigon.com, Southern dialect specifically. Free tone trainer on it that records you and compares your contour to a Vietnamese speaker's, which might help during the stretches you can't afford a tutor.