Time and Location

T, R

Description and Goals

This course provides a general linguistic overview of Vietnamese, introduces and analyzes its key issues in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and pragmatics. We will study the history of the language, the writing systems, and inconsistencies between sounds and characters. We will examine the sound system, what creates the ‘Vietnamese accent’, the development of tones, how the native speakers adopt loanwords, how properties of Vietnamese syllables allow the speakers to play word game and reduplicate words to reduce or intensify meanings, how words are combined, the basic word order and structure of phrases and clauses, how concepts of time and completion are expressed, how to use the proper term to address someone, how politeness is expressed through particles, how social changes in gender roles reflected in the language, and dialectal stigmatization.

Background in either Vietnamese or linguistics might be helpful but not required. The course is introductory to the Vietnamese language. More technical readings will be provided to students who are interested in having a deeper linguistic understanding of the language.

Prerequisites: completion of LIN 3010 “Introduction to linguistics”, or VTN 1130, VTN 1131, or with the instructor’s permission.

Homework

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Final Grades

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Grading Scale

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Attendance and Late Policy

Attendance is mandatory.