Thinking about moving to HCMC

Hello alluc.

Welcome to Expat.com!

If you have specific questions, I invite you to ask them.

Thank you,
Aurélie

Hi
Don't worry, the Vietnamese are very nice and friendly. Vietnamese language is interesting but hard to learn, because there are many tones. You will get used to the life in Viet Nam soon

Dont worry my friend!
I can sure that it's interesting time to live there in HCMC. It's a wonderful city for peace and happy environment. I'm from Ha Noi but actually did have a time living in HCMC. i also really want to live there in near future.

We can make friends and share some needed informations.

My yahoo: chanhleo_hv@yahoo.com
Skype: vuhuyen258

Welcome!

Hi,
The life in VN looks great.

Hello Friend,
Don't worry,HCMC is nice. Vietnamese language isn't too difficult to study.

Do Vietnamese people in the south speak differently to those living in the north? accent, slang?

You're right. If you want to learn Vietnamese, you should learn to voice of Ha Noi or HCMC. Because two voice are easier listening than the other regions.

alluc wrote:

Do Vietnamese people in the south speak differently to those living in the north? accent, slang?

I am not a fluent speaker, but when I started to learn, I picked up an audio program to help me learn. My wife and her family are from Saigon, which caused a bit of confusion at first because a lot of the pronunciations were different. Likewise, my boss is from the north, and some times there will be pronunciation issues as well. Over time, I think it gets a little easier to pick up the differences. Most of the programs I tried had northern accents. If you want to learn without being in the country, it would be a good idea to use a program to help you get the basics, and then use italki.com or something to help you speak with people from the area you want to live in. The grammar is pretty easy. Once you move and are surrounded by the language, it should be easier to learn.

Be prepared for very hot weather in summer, very bad pollution and really bad traffic. If you can handle those then you will be ok, its not a bad place to live, but the noise and the traffic got to me after 5 years living there.

colinoscapee wrote:

Be prepared for very hot weather in summer, very bad pollution and really bad traffic. If you can handle those then you will be ok, its not a bad place to live, but the noise and the traffic got to me after 5 years living there.

Depending on where you live in the city, how much you pay for accommodation as well as your perspective, pollution and traffic are actually not that bad if you choose wisely.

Hot weather is a matter of getting used to. When I first arrived, I was sweating a lot, even when walking 100m. After a year, I was playing several hours of tennis in the middle of the day, even in the hottest months.

If your talking about areas such as Phu My Hung and Thao Dien having less traffic, then maybe, but they are such boring places to live if you are a single person.

colinoscapee wrote:

If your talking about areas such as Phu My Hung and Thao Dien having less traffic, then maybe, but they are such boring places to live if you are a single person.

That can be offset by simply renting or buying a motorbike. Then you can live in a quiet area and very easily go to where the action is.

Yes,maybe, but they are still family areas and not where I would send a single person to live.

Yes they do. Vietnamese people in the south speak different from the north.But some words in the north pronounce not right. So i think better you learn Vietnamese in the south.

jakejas wrote:

alluc wrote:

Do Vietnamese people in the south speak differently to those living in the north? accent, slang?

I am not a fluent speaker, but when I started to learn, I picked up an audio program to help me learn. My wife and her family are from Saigon, which caused a bit of confusion at first because a lot of the pronunciations were different. Likewise, my boss is from the north, and some times there will be pronunciation issues as well. Over time, I think it gets a little easier to pick up the differences. Most of the programs I tried had northern accents. If you want to learn without being in the country, it would be a good idea to use a program to help you get the basics, and then use italki.com or something to help you speak with people from the area you want to live in. The grammar is pretty easy. Once you move and are surrounded by the language, it should be easier to learn.

Can you suggest some programs?

As Saigonmonkey mentioned, you can get to downtown with a bike.

In terms of compactness (thus distance from one place to another), I think it is hard to find another city with such a convenience.

6-7km (and 20 min on a good day) from downtown is the international airport. I could zip to downtown from where I lived (The Manor Officetel) to downtown in 10-15min even in rush hour. Such a convenience is hard to find when you live in such big cities where 1 hr's commute is nothing.

So why should I want to live downtown in chaos when I can reach it quite easily while enjoying (relative) quietness when I want it?

In terms of learning VIetnamese, I feel that the importance is correct pronunciation. It does not matter which dialect you learn. If you pronounce it right (which I would say 99% don't), we'll understand.

Personally, I speak "old" Northern dialect and detest the "new" Northern dialect.

Rachel Bowman wrote:

Yes they do. Vietnamese people in the south speak different from the north.But some words in the north pronounce not right. So i think better you learn Vietnamese in the south.

I live in the North, actually I live in Ha Noi. Could you give me some words you supposedly the pronounciation is not right? (Hehe, it's probably you cannot). Well, to tell you the truth, if you intend to learn Vietnamese, it depends on where you choose to live. If you want to settle down in HCM city, you should learn how to speak in HCM accent. But if you want to live in Ha Noi, you should learn Ha Noi accent. it's easier for you to understand what people say.

Hi. Long time lurker, first time writer. I've been getting a lot of good information so thank you all thus far.

Alluc, I too am moving to HCMC in Summer (end of July) and I have been studying the Vietnamese language. I've been taking an online course with a private tutor who lives in the South and has been teaching me specifically Southern Vietnamese pronunciation. I have tried my Vietnamese with friends I have made on previous trips and I have been able to hold simple conversations although my listening isn't all that great. One key difference between the two is that the North has six tones but the South has "only" five (although they both all six tone markers in writing).

I know that this forum has a strict no ads policy so just google something like "Vietnamese skype courses" and you'll get a few links. The teacher I have charges US$50/five lessons via Paypal and is very nice.

The grammar is pretty simple and vocabulary easy to remember after a while but the pronunciation and spelling is tricky.

The one thing that really bugs me after being here for 9 months is concept of Vietnamese time and this leads to value of promises! They have a clock system of their own! No reason to be punctual, time is highly rubberized!! Why do they say '9 o'clock', I come' when they actually mean '10 o'clock' or even later or even the next day!! Kills the whole meaning of the original English phrase?? Comments? It's the NORM?

I have learnt to tell them to call me when they have actually arrived at the pre-arranged location. I had a secretary who was late for work every day for two years, I told her to leave home earlier, she just looked at me with that look of "whats he talking about".

colinoscapee wrote:

I have learnt to tell them to call me when they have actually arrived at the pre-arranged location. I had a secretary who was late for work every day for two years, I told her to leave home earlier, she just looked at me with that look of "whats he talking about".

Wow. I wish I could be your secretary. I don't know why she wasn't sacked for being late for work for a long time. Maybe You're an easygoing Boss... Wish some day My Boss was easy to work with as you were

Well she was a really lovely girl and did a very good job, we remained friends even after I stopped the business.

colinoscapee wrote:

Well she was a really lovely girl and did a very good job, we remained friends even after I stopped the business.

Oh I see, what a lovely reason! hope your friendship will last forever

In first world economies, we want the work to be done properly and punctuality is also a given.. Here, it's a case of keeping a relationship going, and rules are bent owing personal whims. It's also whether you know the right people and contacts/connections in order to get things done.  Yes, things will get done - eventually

Hi, trying to learn Viet deil is a toughy so many tones and if you get them wrong youll get some weird looks I ve tried the language cd and even then local dialects vary a friend in Perth WA suggested watching Veit language movies, also sbs have a Viet news service at 7 pm in Aus i think her idea is that you will adopt the tonal ability then the language will follow . Im wanting to do the same as you but dont have a proffesional background so work may be a toughie, can any one help with suggestions?

Holy hell in a handbasket, what happened in this thread?

Anyhoo... while it seems to be the unpopular position for some reason, I have to agree that anyone who isn't a native speaker (or can speak to the level of one) has no business teaching English.

I don't have super strong ties to Vietnam (as my homeland... that's the US to me), it drives me up the wall that when these poor folks are learning incorrect English.

And it may not even be the "teacher's" fault, as they may have learned their English from someone else... but at the same time, they should be informed when their English is not spot on.

And it's not just about spelling either (grammar is much more important).

Cold hard truth, folks. It sucks, but it's also necessary.

Hi > just to inform you that some off topic posts have been moved to a private mod forum.

Please concentrate on the initial topic or you can start a new topic on the Ho Chi Minh City forum.

Thank you.

LastInTranslation wrote:

Holy hell in a handbasket, what happened in this thread?

Anyhoo... while it seems to be the unpopular position for some reason, I have to agree that anyone who isn't a native speaker (or can speak to the level of one) has no business teaching English.

I don't have super strong ties to Vietnam (as my homeland... that's the US to me), it drives me up the wall that when these poor folks are learning incorrect English.

And it may not even be the "teacher's" fault, as they may have learned their English from someone else... but at the same time, they should be informed when their English is not spot on.

And it's not just about spelling either (grammar is much more important).

Cold hard truth, folks. It sucks, but it's also necessary.

Wow, you're the lucky one, your post is still kept here. Our previous posts got deleted...hmm

thank you, just makes me wonder sometimes

funnybear92 wrote:

Rachel Bowman wrote:

Yes they do. Vietnamese people in the south speak different from the north.But some words in the north pronounce not right. So i think better you learn Vietnamese in the south.

I live in the North, actually I live in Ha Noi. Could you give me some words you supposedly the pronounciation is not right? (Hehe, it's probably you cannot). Well, to tell you the truth, if you intend to learn Vietnamese, it depends on where you choose to live. If you want to settle down in HCM city, you should learn how to speak in HCM accent. But if you want to live in Ha Noi, you should learn Ha Noi accent. it's easier for you to understand what people say.

My mommy and daddy from the north, they speak with north voice, i was born in the south and live in the south. So i understand which pronuonciation the south or the north wrong. Normaly Ha Noi person most of them think they pronounce perpect, but i dont think so. For Ex: If they said: Very good -- Vietnam word is: Rất tốt, but they normally said: Dất tốt, they dont read R, most of   them read R - > D. And the south they pronounce some words  wrong also. For Example: Too - Cũng (Vietnam) but most of them pronounce Củng, Ms. Vân ( they will pronounce Ms. Zân ). Back home = Về nhà: they will prounce: Zề nhà.....

But i think it nice, it is culture.

Yuli

Yuli_nguyen wrote:

My mommy and daddy from the north, they speak with north voice, i was born in the south and live in the south. So i understand which pronuonciation the south or the north wrong. Normaly Ha Noi person most of them think they pronounce perpect, but i dont think so. For Ex: If they said: Very good -- Vietnam word is: Rất tốt, but they normally said: Dất tốt, they dont read R, most of   them read R - > D. And the south they pronounce some words  wrong also. For Example: Too - Cũng (Vietnam) but most of them pronounce Củng, Ms. Vân ( they will pronounce Ms. Zân ). Back home = Về nhà: they will prounce: Zề nhà.....

But i think it nice, it is culture.

Yuli

This language variation is not only in Vietnamese language or Vietnam, but all languages and international regions are same in this dilemma.Regional dialects are the result of numerous factors, including patterns of settlement, subsequent migration, and isolation.There are greater differences in dialects from North to South than from East to West, perceptions about the language of a region and perceptions of the people who live there reinforce each other and regional dialects are not homogeneous. There are many sub-dialects in each regional dialect area.
English language also has no exception.

Ken Charma