Study Abroad in Vietnam: Vietnamese Studies & Service-Learning in Ho Chi Minh City – Academics

Vietnam Curriculum: How the Academics Fit Together

Đi một ngày đàng, học một sàng khôn.
The travel shapes the person.
- Vietnamese proverb

Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây.
When eating fruit, remember the person who planted the fruit tree.
- Vietnamese proverb

More than with any other study abroad location, CET Vietnam students tell us that the program “changed their life.” The “travel” to Vietnam shaped them. How? By immersing them.

First, students “remember who planted the fruit trees.” They give back to their overseas community through service-learning. They build houses, translate websites, tutor English—whatever their hosts need.

Next, academics contextualize the service-learning experience. A day at a local women’s shelter goes hand in hand with an examination of gender inequality. A morning spent renovating a local school requires a study of economic development in the rural areas.

Finally, students take Vietnamese language. Language skills make the difference between traversing a place and living within it. Students practice their Vietnamese everywhere—in the classroom, at the markets, on the bus, even at home. Vietnamese roommates are always happy to help with a homework question or two.

CET Vietnam students leave Vietnam with stories to tell, questions to ponder and plans to continue to give back, no matter where in the world they are.

Vietnam Fall & Spring Academic Requirements

All students participate in service-learning. Students perform service at a local organization. Projects are based on the needs of the hosts. Service-learning placements are complemented by a service-learning course. Students reflect on their experiences and discuss assigned readings. Course: 42 total hours. 3 recommended credits. Placement: approximately 6 hours/week. 2 recommended credits.

Past service-learning projects have included:

• Leading mini-courses in English at a shelter for girls who are victims of sexual abuse.
• Translating subtitles for an educational video about HIV/AIDS.
• Teaching English at a Buddhist center for needy families.
• Creating a website for a shelter for the blind that allows the organization to accept online donations.
• Hosting a Halloween party (the first ever!) for children affected by HIV.

All students enroll in the core course—Introduction to Vietnamese Studies. The course introduces students to high-profile issues in modern Vietnam: recent history, economic development, gender inequality and environmental sustainability. Course lecturers are local scholars or experts in each discipline covered. 42 total hours, plus faculty-led academic excursions. 3 recommended credits.

All students enroll in Vietnamese language classes. All levels are offered. All language classes include a weekly one-on-one tutorial with an instructor. 130 total hours. 8 recommended credits.

View all course options and download syllabi.

Classroom Matters

Prerequisites

There is no language prerequisite for this program. Students of all Vietnamese language levels are welcome, including beginners and heritage learners.

Language Class Placement

Vietnamese language class placement is determined by:

• The results of a placement exam taken upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.
• The student’s transcripts.
• The student’s Vietnamese language ability as demonstrated in the application.

Adjustments to placements are made during the first week of classes.

Academic Rigor

CET Vietnam is a study abroad program for serious students. Classes are scheduled on all weekdays. Fridays and weekends are typically reserved for academic excursions and activities. Students can expect at least one hour of prep time for every hour of class time. Service-learning projects can require lengthy time commitments. Participation in classes and all excursions is mandatory.

Heritage Learners

Every term, this program welcomes students who have acquired some Vietnamese language (usually speaking skills) from their home environment. CET has many ways to accommodate these students: group classes for learners with similar needs, or individual tutorials in lieu of the regular language curriculum. Bottom line: CET’s language curriculum is flexible and can be tailored to meet the needs of every student.

Outside the Classroom

Traveling Seminars

Two traveling seminars take students out of the city and into the rural countryside:

• Central Vietnam. This weeklong trip takes students through central Vietnam and north to Hanoi. Students tour vestiges of ancient Cham civilization sites. They cook regional specialties with local hosts. They study the local history and visit places not listed in any guidebook.
• Mekong Delta. On this three-day trip, students learn how the Delta locals live today. They travel down the Delta by boat. They visit villages that are sustained by handicrafts, fish farming or fruit orchards. They stay overnight in villagers’ homes.

Weekly Academic Excursions

The program tries to show students as many sides of life in Ho Chi Minh City as possible. Through weekly excursions, students see and do many of the things that they learn about in class. Past students have:

• Visited the tunnels of the American War resistance village of Cu Chi.
• Watched a water puppet show.
• Visited a forest and biosphere reserve to see environmental initiatives in action.
• Conversed with clinic doctors about regional health care issues.
• Toured the network of canals in Ho Chi Minh City to witness the effects of pollution.

Extracurricular Classes

Extracurricular classes are arranged according to student interest. Recent classes have included Vietnamese folksongs, bamboo flute, calligraphy and Chinese chess—a game well loved by locals.

Have an idea for an extracurricular? The residence staff is all ears.