As a rapidly developing country, Viet Nam has an urgent need for speakers of international languages in order to attract foreign investment and tourism, and to promote the economy.  English is officially taught to children from around 6 years old, and Foreign Language Centres are dramatically increasing in number, with English being the most popular foreign language offered to learners.  English has become an important requirement for many jobs, and although most Vietnamese learners have a very good grasp of English grammar, some have serious pronunciation errors which cause barriers to communication. 

Like many other languages, Vietnamese has many phonotactic features which prevent learners pronouncing English like native speakers.  The three most common problems, I feel, are vowel sounds, syllable stress, and final consonants.  Two of these problems do not always cause misunderstanding, for me anyway.  If someone tells me “I saw a snack in the grass,” I know they (usually!) mean “I saw a snake in the grass”, and if  the word “necessary” is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable instead of the first, I can still understand.  However, it is when the final consonants of words are missing that serious communication problems can occur.  In the Vietnamese language there are few word-final sounds, but in English the end of the word is often the most important sound, and is vital to understanding what is being said.  Some time ago I was sitting at a table outside a restaurant, trying (unsuccessfully!) to learn a bit more Vietnamese, when a foreign gentleman came and sat at the table next to mine.  The waitress came and asked him “Wu you lie tor lun?”.  The man had absolutely no idea what she was asking, even when she repeated it slowly twice more.  What she was actually trying to say was “Would you like to order lunch?”.  This is a very true and simple example of the importance of correct pronunciation, particularly when it comes to word endings.  They are critical because they can prevent communication.  It saddened me that the waitress had graduated from the University of Foreign Languages with a degree in English, yet she was unable to ask a simple question.

Thanh and his wife

For any Vietnamese, the first step in improving your pronunciation is to be aware of your problems.  One man who knows this only too well is 42-year old Ngo Long Thanh.  He started learning English at school when he was 17, and continued through University.  When he graduated from the University of Economics, he applied for a job with an Australian company and succeeded in gaining an interview.  It was a disastrous experience, because he and the Australian interviewer could not understand each other.  Thanh realised that he was unable to communicate because he had no environment in which to practise his English.  To help her son to improve his skills, Thanh’s mother gave him enough money to go to the Philippines for one month.  There, not only is English taught in schools, but it is an official language along with the local Filipino language.  The population is given another key tool necessary for language acquisition - exposure outside the classroom.  Road signs, advertisements, business letters, radio and television programmes – all are in English as well as Filipino.  This does not mean that everyone understands or speaks English, but it does mean that exposure to the language is so great that those who do speak it can communicate quite fluently.  Thanh found a job in a coffee shop so that he could support himself and was able to extend his visit to 6 months.  After that he returned to Da Nang, applied for a job with the same Australian company as before, and was interviewed by the same Australian.  The interviewer could not believe the dramatic improvement in Thanh’s English – and he was offered a position in quality control.  Well done Thanh!

Students from Duy Tan University enjoying drinks and improving their English

He worked for the company for 5 years until it went bankrupt following the 1998 Asia economic crisis, and then spent the following 15 years working for a non-governmental organisation.  Dealing with poor people made Thanh realise that he wanted to make some contribution to society, and this year he and his work colleague, 40-year-old Bui Thi Phuc, gave up their jobs in order to realise a vision and fulfil a dream.  On 24 May they opened Da Nang’s first ‘Speak English Only’ coffee shop - TiPi.

“We wanted to create a friendly environment where people who love speaking English can get together and help each other to improve their speaking skills,” said Thanh.  “All members of our Vietnamese staff were chosen because of their excellent English skills and friendly personalities.  They love to motivate customers and encourage them to join others in conversation.”  Phuc added “I teach English at my home and have over 100 students.  I recognise that the role of exposure in learning a second language cannot be over-emphasised.  Not only does it allow people to experience the language first hand, in real situations, but it provides reinforcement, something Vietnamese students rarely get outside the classroom.”

An 8-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man having a 30 minute conversation about soldiers!

TiPi is a welcoming and stylish place where anyone can go to drink coffee and relax (and in the future experience English-style sandwiches!), but most of all to communicate in English.  Crucial to the success of this enterprise will be the presence of native English speakers, whether they are living here or just visiting Da Nang.  A 50% discount on drinks is offered to any native English speakers who come and chat with customers, so if you are an ex-pat or a tourist, please go along and spend some time helping others.  One university student told me “Wow, everybody speaks English here and it is a great opportunity for me to practise.  I am now speaking English without being shy and I have learnt many things in just 10 minutes by talking with native English speakers.”

Staff and customers chatting with British tourists

The TiPi coffee bar welcomes people of all ages, and provides a varying programme of English-related activities including guest speakers, music nights, a fables corner for children, quizzes, and movie mornings.  Next Sunday at 7.30pm, native English speakers will present a session on ‘Common pronunciation mistakes’ – so if you want to go along and participate, or just to listen, you will be very welcome.

TiPi is located at 57 Pham Van Nghi and is open every day from 7am – 10pm.  For more information, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tipicafe, or telephone 0913476773.  You never know - it could open up a whole new world of language for you!

(Written by Carole Kendal)