Interested in learning more about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture? Here are some classes Harvard has to offer:
CULTURE
[Foreign
Cultures 60. Individual, Community, and Nation in Vietnam]
Expected to be given in 2005-2006
Catalog Number: 1976
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged…
EXAM GROUP: 12
Can a society modernize yet preserve its
cultural identity? We will explore this issue with reference to Vietnam, where a
Marxist-Leninist political system co-exists with a market economy. Modernization
has been accompanied by a revival of tradition, religion, and rituals;
urbanization by renewed stress on village solidarity. Gender roles are being
transformed. Family relationships are being reshaped by increased mobility and
new means of communications. Migration to the uplands is changing local cultures
even as ethnic minorities are offered to global tourists as icons of
authenticity. What does it mean to be Vietnamese under these circumstances?
Recent CUE Scores: 4.1 (Spring 2003-2004, Hue-Tam Tai)
[Historical Study B-68. America and Vietnam: 1945-1975]
Catalog Number: 3447
Hue-Tam Ho Tai and Ernest R. May
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged…
EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines modern conflicts in Vietnam and
their implications for the US from 1945 to 1975, from both Vietnamese and
American perspectives. Seeks to provide an understanding of the complexity of
the war and the ethical dilemmas it raised by examining issues ranging from the
power-politics assumptions of decision makers to the personal experiences of
those caught in the war. Covers both background and consequences of the war, but
the main focus is on the 30-year period during which the fortunes of America and
Vietnam became intertwined.
Recent CUE Scores: 4.28 (Spring 2002-2003, Hue-Tam Tai)
[History
1820. Premodern Vietnam]
Expected to be given in 2005-2006
Catalog Number: 4581
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
EXAM Group: ?
Vietnamese history from antiquity to the
founding of the Nguyen dynasty in 1802 with emphasis on the period following
independence from China in the 10th century. Topics
include the Sinicization of Vietnam and the sources of Vietnamese national
identity; tensions between aristocratic and bureaucratic rule; territorial
expansion and national division; first contacts with the West; the changing
status of women.
[History
1821. Modern Vietnam]
Expected to be given in 2005-2006
Catalog Number: 8192
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
EXAM GROUP: ?
Survey of Vietnamese history from 1802 to
the present. Covers the period of unified rule under the Nguyen dynasty,
French colonial conquest, the struggle for independence, the Vietnam War, and
the recent unification under Communism. Major topics include the relationship
between the state, the village, and the individual; the transformation of
Vietnamese society, culture, and politics under French rule; the rise of
nationalism and Communism; the causes and consequences of the Vietnam War.
LANGUAGE
[Vietnamese Ba. Elementary Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 3873
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). M. through F., at 9.
EXAM GROUP: 2, 11
Surveys the fundamentals of Vietnamese
phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary to provide students with basic ability to
understand, speak, read, and write Vietnamese. Conversational ability is
stressed through an interactive, communication-oriented approach.
Recent CUE Scores: 4.3 (Fall 2003-2004), 4.22 (Fall 2002-2003)
[Vietnamese Bb. Elementary Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 9940
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
EXAM GROUP: 2, 11
Continuation of Vietnamese Ba, with
introduction of additional Vietnamese texts and advertisements to enhance
reading skills.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese Ba or permission of the instructor.
[Vietnamese 120a. Intermediate Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 3276
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
Further development of speaking, reading,
writing, and aural comprehension. Texts on Vietnamese geography, history,
culture, and customs will be used, as well as audiotapes and videos. Students
are expected to speak Vietnamese in all class discussions.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese Bb or permission of the instructor.
[Vietnamese 120b. Intermediate Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 6178
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). M 10-11, W 10-11, F 9-12.
EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
Continuation of Vietnamese 120a.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 120a or permission of the instructor.
[Vietnamese 130a. Advanced Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 6287
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged…
EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
Development of high proficiency in
Vietnamese. Introduction of complex grammar and vocabulary, using authentic
Vietnamese texts, audiotapes, videos, and translation of English news articles
into Vietnamese. Discussions focus on selected short stories and poems.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 120b or permission of the instructor.
[Vietnamese 130b. Advanced Vietnamese]
Catalog Number: 3968
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). Th., 11-1 and F., 4-6.
EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
Continuation of Vietnamese 130a.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 130a or permission of the instructor.
INDEPENDENT STUDY
[Vietnamese 300. Reading and Research]
Catalog Number: 7211
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term).
EXAM GROUP: ?