Vietnamese Folktales for Language Learners (9780804859905)

Immerse yourself in Vietnamese culture while improving your language skills!

This book features twenty-five engaging Vietnamese folktales retold for beginning to intermediate language learners. Each story is presented in parallel Vietnamese and English versions on facing pages, followed by a glossary, discussion questions, cultural notes and grammar highlights. Free online audio recordings by native speakers are available for each story.

The stories in this collection include:

• The Legend of the Dragon and the Fairy: A love story said to explain the origins of the Vietnamese people
• The Mountain God and the Water God: How the annual battle between two gods causes yearly flooding during Vietnam's monsoon season
• Who's the Heavenly Emperor's Uncle? When an animal team journeys to Heaven to complain about the lack of rain on Earth, a toad saves the day by impressing the Emperor with his wit
• The Wisdom of Chopsticks: A lesson in unity about a wise man challenging his sons to break a bundle of chopsticks
• Plus 21 other memorable tales

Perfect for classroom use or independent study, and for anyone interested in Vietnamese culture and literature.


About the Author:
Tri C. Tran teaches Vietnamese and linguistics at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author and translator of many books including dictionaries, textbooks and collections of short stories, such as Vietnamese Stories for Language Learners, Reading and Writing Vietnamese and Essential Vietnamese Grammar. He is an advocate for heritage language education and an editorial member of the literary e-magazine damau.org.

Phuong Anh Nguyen Tran is an illustrator based in Saigon. She studied graphic design at Van Lang University with a focus on Vietnamese indigenous culture, and today strives to weave stories of the country's vibrant culture into her illustrations. You can find more of her work on instagram @the.mad.eleine