'I can...' statements: Resource 4: Vietnamese

Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program

The Polyglots: Vietnamese

Information for primary school educators

ELLA is a fun, digital, play-based language learning program for children in preschool. The aim is for children to recognise the different sounds and concepts of a language other than English through the introduction of words, sentences and songs in age-appropriate experiences and practices. Early experience in language learning is an important platform for encouraging language learning in the later years of education.

Preschools involved in this project have chosen one of the available languages to incorporate into their educational program. The ELLA apps are designed to provide children with early language learning experiences and are aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Australian Curriculum (Foundation to Year 2).

The ELLA apps

The ELLA apps are designed to be engaging and educational.
The design and development of the ELLA apps was guided by experts in languages, early childhood and technology.
Children play together as they explore the apps, sharing ideas and helping each other.
Learning experiences within apps are play-based and draw on the interests and activities of young children; for example, a sandpit, cooking experiences, art activities, building and role-play.
Educators and children learn together – an effective and collaborative learning method.

What are the benefits for children of participating in ELLA?

There are many benefits to learning another language in the ELLA program.

Children expand their knowledge of how language works and apply these skills to other literacy tasks such as listening carefully to sounds in words. These skills will be used when children learn to read and write.
Language learning increases memory, concentration and critical thinking skills.
Children use social skills when they play with the apps. They share the tablets and their knowledge, and they interact and help each other.
The apps provide opportunities for children to increase their digital skills.
The apps create opportunities to celebrate culture and diversity, to share home languages, and to strengthen links between families and the preschool.
The skills and understandings developed through ELLA can be extended in children’s language learning experiences at school, whether this be continuing with the same language or transferring to a new language.

The ELLA program is funded by the Australian Government and managed by Education Services Australia.

Want to find out more? Visit the ELLA website

Key Vietnamese language included in the ELLA apps

Each of the ELLA apps engages children in play-based activities in different contexts to provide meaningful opportunities to hear and use language. There are also many cultural elements included in the apps.

Below is a brief description of each app and some of the key words and phrases that children are introduced to.

App 1: The Polyglots in the Playroom

When exploring The Polyglots in the Playroom, children become familiar with language relating to greetings, introductions, farewells and expressing likes and dislikes.

Through engaging with App 1, children will begin to develop skills to:

sing the ‘Hello’ song in Vietnamese
say some simple greetings in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Xin chào!	Hello!
Hẹn gặp lại!	See you later!
A lô!	Hello! (on the phone)

introduce themselves in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Tôi tên là (name)!	My name is (name).

App 2: The Polyglots at the Beach

The Polyglots at the Beach provides a playful environment and opportunities to explore the language of colours.

While playing above and below the water, children are encouraged to interact with the language of colours, sea creatures and expressions of preference.

Through engaging with App 2, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some colours in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Màu xanh trời	Blue
Màu xanh lá cây	Green
Màu cam	Orange
Màu hồng	Pink
Màu đỏ	Red
Màu vàng	Yellow

express some likes and dislikes in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Tôi thích màu đỏ!	I like red!
Tôi không thích màu vàng!	I don’t like yellow!

App 3: The Polyglots at the Birthday Party

The Polyglots at the Birthday Party is an opportunity to explore the language of numbers through counting candles, singing songs, making cakes and saying how old children are.

Through engaging with App 3, children will begin to develop skills to:

count to ten in Vietnamese

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Một	One
Hai	Two
Ba	Three
Bốn	Four
Năm	Five
Sáu	Six
Bảy	Seven
Tám	Eight
Chin	Nine
Mười	Ten

say how old they are in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Tôi (age) tuổi!	I am five years old.

say happy birthday in Vietnamese

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Chúc mừng sinh nhật!	Happy birthday!

App 4: The Polyglots at the Zoo

The Polyglots at the Zoo features animals in an open-range zoo and introduces children to words for foods and drinks, and phrases for being able to say they are hungry and thirsty, for asking politely and saying thank you.

Through engaging with App 4, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some fruits in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Táo	Apple
Chuối	Banana
Cam	Orange
Dâu	Strawberry

say I’m hungry/thirsty in Vietnamese

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Tôi đói!	I’m hungry!
Tôi khát nước!	I'm thirsty!

say thank you in Vietnamese

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Cảm ơn!	Thank you!

make simple requests in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Cho tôi nước táo!	I’d like/I want an apple juice.

App 5: The Polyglots at the Circus

The Polyglots at the Circus takes children to the magical space of a circus, providing them with the opportunity to experience language related to parts of the body.

Through engaging with App 5, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some body parts in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Đầu	Head
Cánh tay	Arm
Chân	Leg
Bàn chân	Foot

say some parts of the face in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Mắt	Eye
Tai	Ear
Miệng	Mouth
Mũi	Nose

say something hurts in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Đầu tôi đau!	My head hurts!

use some adjectives in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
To	Big
Nhỏ	Small

App 6: The Polyglots at the Park

The Polyglots at the Park features games and activities that encourage children to actively engage in learning verbs and adverbs relating to actions.

Through engaging with App 6, children will begin to develop skills to:

respond to some simple instructions in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Đi bộ!	Walk!
Khiêu vũ!	Dance!

use some adverbs in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Nhanh	Fast/quickly
Chậm	Slowly

App 7: The Polyglots in the Town

The Polyglots in the Town provides an opportunity for children to use familiar language developed through apps 1–6 in a range of experiences in the town.

Through engaging with App 7, children will begin to develop skills to:

name some shapes in Vietnamese. For example:

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Hình tam giác	Triangle
Hình vuông	Square
Hình tròn	Circle

recognise the meaning of some words written in Vietnamese
say goodbye in Vietnamese

Vietnamese phrase	English translation
Tạm biệt!	Goodbye!

Connections with the Australian Curriculum for Vietnamese

The ELLA apps provide an engaging and enjoyable resource to support children in the initial stages of learning Vietnamese.

The statements below are taken from the Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum for Vietnamese. They capture some of the elements that children will have learnt by the end of Year 2 – after three years of learning Vietnamese at school.

The ELLA apps provide opportunities for children to engage with the following statements from the Australian Curriculum. Children’s abilities and levels of achievement will be influenced by a range of factors.

Foundation to Year 2 Achievement Standard

Children interact with teachers and peers through action-related talk and play.
Children introduce themselves and others, and express thanks, likes and dislikes, needs and wishes, for example, Tôi tên là …, Cảm ơn, Tôi thích/không thích …
Children use modelled, repetitive language when participating in games and shared activities.
When interacting, children use the sounds and tones of Vietnamese and distinguish between questions and commands.
Children identify information and key words, such as names of people, places or objects, and convey information about themselves using modelled sentences.
Children identify how the ways in which people use language reflect where and how they live and what is important to them.

ELLA is funded by the Australian Go ELLA is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and is managed by Education Services Australia. © 2021 Commonwealth of Australia, unless otherwise indicated. This material, other than Commonwealth trade marks in The Polyglots characters and The Polyglots logo, may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 licence, unless otherwise indicated.

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Telephone: +61 3 9207 9600 ELLA helpdesk: 1800 468303