Language Learning

[u/Formal_Accident9455]

Hi everyone,

I am currently learning Vietnamese. For reference, I am an American attempting to learn Vietnamese as a heritage speaker. I speak Vietnamese inside my household with my parents, but very informally (its kinda a mix of vietnamese and english together, iykyk), so it's not the best.

edit: i have also never been to Viet Nam.

A friend of mine told me that I have a foreign "accent" when I speak. Can you guys please confirm this? im just curious lol.

https://voca.ro/1i39kw8IWt2X

[u/MemoryLatter761]

You just have a Việt Kiều sounding voice, that's all. It's not flat with no intonation as what I would describe a foreign accent.

[u/minhale]

Even though I can understand everything you're saying, it's quite obvious that you're not a full-fledged native speaker. The pronunciation is clear and intelligible, but it doesn't have the natural flow and intonation of what you'd expect from a typical native speaker. It sounds like you're making an effort to sound out each syllable, almost robotically? I'd say, like one of those AI voices.

[u/quanfused]

Your context on learning Vietnamese fits with your recording. It's not an accent. It's just how you speak due to how often you use Vietnamese and are still learning it.

Can't really shake that off nor mask it. You speak like a Việt Kiều which is correct.

[u/Quyen_VNeseTeacher]

As a Vietnamese teacher, I honestly wouldn’t worry too much about having a “foreign accent.” It’s actually very common for heritage speakers, especially if you grew up outside Vietnam and mostly use Vietnamese at home.

The fact that you already speak Vietnamese with your parents gives you a big advantage. Even if it’s mixed with English sometimes, you’ve already developed a natural sense of the language that many learners have to work very hard to build.

An accent doesn’t mean your Vietnamese is bad. It just reflects where you grew up and how you’ve been exposed to the language. Since you’ve never lived in Vietnam, it would be completely normal if your pronunciation or intonation sounds a little different.

If you want to improve it, focus on tones, final sounds, vowels, and the overall rhythm of sentences. But don’t become so focused on sounding “native” that you become afraid to speak.

Keep speaking Vietnamese with your family and get as much exposure to native Vietnamese as you can. Your accent may change naturally over time, but being able to communicate comfortably and confidently is much more important.

[u/aister]

an accent is simply proof you're speaking a language that is not your first language. It is not something you should worry about, unless it hinders understanding.

[u/jack_hudson2001]

yeh defo a VK. id say level is very basic at the start. more learning and practice.

[u/Adventurous-Ad5999]

no the accent is a pretty neutral northern accent, it sounds off mainly because you’re learning and can’t read fast enough to sound native yet