A professional and dedicated tutor with a certificate in teaching Vietnamese has taught Vietnamese to students from Asia, Europe, and America at all levels.

Find out more about Phuong

• Did you grow up speaking this language? Or were you inspired by a trip abroad, an individual, or a certain aspect of the culture?

  Yes, Vietnamese is my mother tongue, and growing up immersed in its poetic rhythms shaped who I am today. What truly inspires me, however, is sharing the deeper layers of our culture through the language. Vietnamese isn't just about grammar, it is a reflection of our values such as respect, community, and warmth. Seeing how learning even a few phrases opens doors to genuine connections for travelers and expats is what keeps my passion for teaching alive.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  I would choose Thúy Kiều, the brilliant and resilient protagonist from The Tale of Kiều (Truyện Kiều) by the great poet Nguyễn Du. For generations, this masterpiece has been the ultimate showcase of the Vietnamese language's beauty, emotional depth, and rich imagery. Kiều embodies the historical resilience, loyalty, and grace of the Vietnamese people. Referencing her story is a wonderful way to show students how deeply literature and national character are woven into the phrases we use every day.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or expression in the language that you particularly like?

  I absolutely love how our pronoun system works. Instead of a generic "you" and "I," Vietnamese uses family titles like "anh" (older brother), "chị" (older sister), or "em" (younger sibling), depending on age and relationship. Even when speaking to a stranger, a shopkeeper, or a student, you treat them like family. It immediately reduces the distance between people and builds an organic warmth that you rarely find in other languages.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Living and teaching in Australia, Vietnamese is my living link to my roots, my heritage, and my identity. But more than that, it matters because it serves as a cultural bridge. Sharing my native language with students in Australia allows me to dismantle cultural barriers, cultivate cross-cultural empathy, and give my students a profound, authentic understanding of Vietnam that goes well beyond conventional tourism.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  The primary challenge for most learners is mastering the six distinct tones. Because Vietnamese is a tonal language, a single syllable like "ma" can mean "ghost," "mother," or "rice seedling" depending entirely on your pitch.
  
  What helps the most is a communicative, audio-visual approach. I guide my students to listen to the language as if it were music, focusing heavily on mimics, active mouth positioning, and real-life interactive speaking drills before worrying too much about dry text exercises.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  During my time studying education management and training as a teacher, I spent a lot of time analyzing how adults acquire new languages compared to children. I distinctly remember a lesson where we broke down how adults overthink pronunciation out of a fear of making mistakes. That realization completely revolutionized my own teaching philosophy. Today, I have built a high-empathy, mistake-friendly classroom where my students feel entirely safe experimenting with sounds, laughing through the missteps, and building genuine confidence from day one.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Moving to and living in Melbourne completely transformed my perspective on my native language. Stepping outside of Vietnam allowed me to look at Vietnamese through the eyes of an outsider. Experiencing the linguistic shifts, regional dialects, and unique challenges faced by the Vietnamese diaspora in Australia gave me a much sharper, more analytical understanding of the language. It taught me how to explain complex linguistic nuances clearly to non-native speakers, making me a far more effective, adaptable, and empathetic educator.