The Vietnamese "Yes"
Ever since I was little, my grandmother used to scold me for saying "da" (pron: ya) to her when I wanted to tell her "yes" to a question. She would put that tone (the "please move some information around in your brain and reserve a special place for this because I've told it to you a billion times, and I'm getting annoyed" tone) in her voice and would say (in Vietnamese), "you have to add a word to that. Da vung (yes, that's correct), da khong (yes, that's not correct), da co (yes, I have it), da duoc (yes, that's fine)," etc. In my mind, I have always translated "da" as "yes."
After being here, I understand why my grandmother was so frustrated. To the Vietnamese, when they say "yes" to anything, they mean "yes, I am acknowledging that I have heard the words that are coming out of your mouth." Whether they are saying "yes" to your question, or whether they have even understood your question, is apparently irrelevant. You have to ask the question 3 more times, using different words if you're speaking English or gesticulating wildly if you are speaking Vietnamese. You also have to add "or no" to your questions, even if it doesn't make any sense.
When I addressed this problem to one of my older classes, one of my students told me that he didn't want to hold everyone else back with his selfish misunderstanding. His exact words were "I don't want to hold the class back." I countered with, "If you don't understand, chances are someone else doesn't either."
I opened up a flood gate. this guy asked me anything and everything under the sun. It was wonderful. I really felt like I was teaching. I could explain to them differences culturally and semantically; I was able to bring my innate knowledges of both Vietnamese and English to the table.
In an educational world that favors the student's pocketbook over the student's education, a teacher with impeccable English and an Asian face is turned down for a white face, even if they are from France and speak with a romantic (but improper) uncomprehensible "twang." So, it was quite refreshing to have students appreciate my Asian heritage instead of insist on a whiter face. It felt even more invigorating to know that my students wanted me back on merit.
I think it has to do with the grammatical structural differences between Vietnamese and English, which also directly relate to cultural differences. But more on this later.
After being here, I understand why my grandmother was so frustrated. To the Vietnamese, when they say "yes" to anything, they mean "yes, I am acknowledging that I have heard the words that are coming out of your mouth." Whether they are saying "yes" to your question, or whether they have even understood your question, is apparently irrelevant. You have to ask the question 3 more times, using different words if you're speaking English or gesticulating wildly if you are speaking Vietnamese. You also have to add "or no" to your questions, even if it doesn't make any sense.
When I addressed this problem to one of my older classes, one of my students told me that he didn't want to hold everyone else back with his selfish misunderstanding. His exact words were "I don't want to hold the class back." I countered with, "If you don't understand, chances are someone else doesn't either."
I opened up a flood gate. this guy asked me anything and everything under the sun. It was wonderful. I really felt like I was teaching. I could explain to them differences culturally and semantically; I was able to bring my innate knowledges of both Vietnamese and English to the table.
In an educational world that favors the student's pocketbook over the student's education, a teacher with impeccable English and an Asian face is turned down for a white face, even if they are from France and speak with a romantic (but improper) uncomprehensible "twang." So, it was quite refreshing to have students appreciate my Asian heritage instead of insist on a whiter face. It felt even more invigorating to know that my students wanted me back on merit.
I think it has to do with the grammatical structural differences between Vietnamese and English, which also directly relate to cultural differences. But more on this later.
posted by Vivi at 7:27 AM
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