VCE Vietnamese Second Language flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Unit 1 satisfactory completion

A student earns 'S' for Unit 1 by demonstrating all unit outcomes through set assessment tasks, not by achieving a pass mark on a graded scale.

Outcome-based assessment

Assessment in Units 1 and 2 reports whether each outcome has been demonstrated, with feedback on strengths and areas for improvement rather than a competitive rank.

Oral assessment requirement

Across Units 1 and 2, at least one assessment task per unit must assess speaking or listening, ensuring all four macro-skills are covered.

Quốc ngữ script

The romanised Vietnamese writing system using Latin letters with diacritics for vowels and tone marks; standard written Vietnamese in all assessment tasks.

Six Vietnamese tones

Vietnamese has six tones: level (ngang), falling (huyền), rising (sắc), dipping-rising (hỏi), creaky rising (ngã), and heavy falling (nặng), each marked in writing.

Unit 1 themes

Unit 1 typically covers the individual, family and friends, and education and work, with language functions such as introducing oneself, describing family, and discussing school.

Unit 2 themes

Unit 2 extends to leisure and holidays and to Vietnamese-speaking communities, including travel, celebrations such as Tết, and cultural practices.

Assessment task conditions

Tasks are completed mainly in class under supervision, are part of the normal teaching program, and are not take-home assignments unless the school specifies otherwise.

Address terms in Vietnamese

Vietnamese uses kinship-based pronouns (anh, chị, em, ông, bà, con, cháu) that encode age and relationship; correct choice is part of communicative accuracy.

Classifiers in Vietnamese

Vietnamese nouns often take classifiers such as cái, con, chiếc, quyển, người; the classifier must match the noun's semantic category.

Word order in Vietnamese

Vietnamese is subject-verb-object; adjectives follow the noun (nhà đẹp = beautiful house), and question words stay in the position of the missing information.

Tense marking in Vietnamese

Vietnamese verbs do not inflect; time is shown by context or particles such as đã (past), đang (progressive), sẽ (future), and sắp (about to).

Negation particles

Negation uses không (general), chưa (not yet), and chẳng/không hề (emphatic); không precedes the verb or adjective in the predicate.

Unit 3 Outcome 1

Assesses listening and speaking in Vietnamese through tasks such as responding to spoken texts and participating in spoken interactions on studied topics.

Unit 3 Outcome 2

Assesses reading and writing in Vietnamese through comprehension of written and viewed texts and production of written texts in specified text types.

Unit 4 Outcome 1

Assesses listening and speaking at a more advanced level, often linked to the Detailed Study and to topics on Vietnamese-speaking communities.

Unit 4 Outcome 2

Assesses reading and writing, including analysis of texts and production of extended written responses in Vietnamese using appropriate register and format.

School-assessed coursework weighting

SACs in Units 3 and 4 contribute 50 per cent of the final study score; the external examination contributes the remaining 50 per cent.

Oral examination structure

The oral examination lasts about 15 minutes: a 7-8 minute presentation and discussion on the Detailed Study, followed by a general conversation of about 7 minutes.

Detailed Study

A student-researched investigation of an aspect of Vietnamese language or culture, presented orally and discussed in the oral examination, demonstrating depth and cultural understanding.

Written examination duration

The written examination runs 2 hours 30 minutes including reading time and contains listening, reading and viewing, and writing sections.

Listening section

Students hear spoken Vietnamese texts, often twice, and answer questions in Vietnamese or English as directed, identifying main ideas and supporting detail.

Reading and viewing section

Students read or view authentic Vietnamese texts such as articles, advertisements, and notices, then answer comprehension and inference questions.

Writing section

Students produce written texts in Vietnamese in specified text types, assessed on content, range and accuracy of language, and appropriateness of register and format.

Text type conventions

Each text type has structural features: a diary entry uses dates and personal reflection; a letter uses salutation and closing; an article uses headline and paragraphs.

Register in Vietnamese

Register depends on relationship and context, shown through pronoun choice, honorifics such as ngài, và, and particles like ạ and nhé that signal politeness.

Assessment criteria

Marks reflect relevance and depth of content, accuracy and range of vocabulary and grammar, and cultural appropriateness, with errors judged by their effect on communication.

Language of response

Answers are in Vietnamese unless a question is asked in English and requires an English answer; unjustified switching between languages can lose marks.

Cultural knowledge criterion

Responses should show understanding of Vietnamese cultural practices and values, such as Tết customs, family hierarchy, and respect for elders.

Compound words in Vietnamese

Many Vietnamese words are compounds of two syllables (học sinh = student, xe đạp = bicycle); both syllables are written separately but form one lexical unit.

Politeness particles

Final particles such as ạ (respect), nhé and nhá (friendly suggestion), and à (seeking confirmation) shape tone and are assessed in spoken and written production.