Starting in fall 2011, the College of Charleston is offering the first, and only, Vietnamese class in North or South Carolina. The course will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 to 9:50 a.m. Students will learn the Vietnamese language, customs, and culture.
“Learning Vietnamese is the ‘in’ thing now, especially for international business and hospitality and tourism management majors,” says Trieu (TJ) Nguyen, the course instructor and director of the Center of Vietnamese Enterprise in the School of Business. “Plus, Vietnamese is the only Asian language that uses the Roman alphabet – making it more simple for Westerners to learn.”
Vietnam has a fast growing economy, despite the global economic downturn. Many Fortune 500 companies are establishing their presence in Vietnam and the hospitality and tourism industry is booming as the country is considered the last of the most exotic and least explored regions.
“I’m hoping students will go beyond just taking this course,” Nguyen says. “Once they have a foundation of the language and customs, there are opportunities for them to complete internships, research projects, and to study abroad in Vietnam. Nike, Coca Cola, Ford, Microsoft, and Intel have established a presence and I’d love to see our students interning there!”
For more information, contact Trieu (TJ) Nguyen at 843.953.4999.
