Tiếng Việt 123 Books: Are They Good For Self-Study?
When you search for a Vietnamese textbook, Tiếng Việt 123 is one of the top results. You can find the hard copy on Vietnamese e-commerce sites such as Tiki or Fahasa (if it’s not sold out yet). As for the digital version, one can easily see it being sold on Amazon.
However, despite the accessibility, is it worth purchasing for self-studying? Normally, each textbook is designed with certain goals. Some are meant to be used in class with a professional teacher only. Today, let’s look at Tiếng Việt 123 the textbook AND the workbook to see if they’re designed for the purpose of self-studying.
Basic Details
- Authors: Tập thể giáo viên 123Vietnamese - Teachers at 123Vietnamese Centre
- Level: A
- Year of publication: 2019
- Images in this review are taken from the preview provided by the authors. Now let’s look at the book closely!
Content: good coverage
The books have 16 lessons in total. Each lesson covers a topic. The books have covered the most basic daily life topics: self-introduction, going shopping, talking about hobbies, etc… However, I would say they incline towards working adults. You won’t find many readings nor example conversations that are about school nor study.
Grammar: great explanation but unorganized at the end
Besides the beautiful illustrations, it’s the grammar presentation that charmed me. I love how the textbook explains grammars, both in Vietnamese and English. It also gives examples. This provides learners more chances to grasp the content. The grammars at the beginning are also well suited for new language warm-up. However, as the book goes on, Tiếng Việt 123 gradually weakens and becomes unorganized. Personally, I feel that the grammars at the end is too difficult and left little impression afterwards. The textbook doesn’t even mention the grammar for “Ai”/”Who” nor “Tại sao”/”Why”!!! In order to make these lessons work, one would need to have a professional teacher who is used to the books!
Real-life Function: 4/5
The author has put thoughts into incorporating real-life skills into the books. For instance, Tiếng Việt 123 includes ways to bargain, to ask for direction, to order at restaurant, etc… If you need examples and explanation, the book is great at listing those. After a couple of sessions, there are also fun facts about Vietnam and its culture. In the real-life function aspect, one can learn a lot from the book.
Skills & Exercises: questionable, workable with a teacher
In order to cover all 4 macro skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, both of the textbook and workbook need to be purchased. It’s because the textbook doesn’t provide exercises. Tiếng Việt 123 textbook is more like a grammar and vocab handbook. I see a lot of possible improvements that can be made in order it to be more “effective” for self-studying learners
Verdict
Overall, if you’re looking for a A-level Vietnamese grammar and sample conversational piece handbook for review, the textbook is a good choice. The grammars are explained and presented clearly in both English and Vietnamese, with illustration. This helps learners easily look up and refresh their knowledge, a huge advantage compared to other books that only explain in Vietnamese without any visual aid! However, for pure self studying, aka without any help from a professional teacher, I don’t think this is a suitable book. Remember to stay away from the workbook!!!!
Find the Kindle version of the book here.
