VIETNAMESE FOLK LITERATURE FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
INTRODUCTION
From the dawn of the nation's history until today, the Vietnamese people have constantly struggled against natural disasters and foreign invaders; diligently working to embellish and preserve the country for eternity. That history has been reflected in literature, from folk literature to written literature, and has become an endless source of inspiration for writers and poets.
 |
Price: 79,000 VND Please call 028 668 17058 |
Like many other literatures, Vietnamese folk literature is an invaluable spiritual product of the Vietnamese people. It is not only a means to meet the need of expressing emotions, manifesting lifestyles, and explaining natural and social phenomena of people at one time, but folk literature is also a spiritual source nourishing the souls of Vietnamese people through many generations.
In the undergraduate training program of Vietnamese Studies for international students at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, the subject Vietnamese Folk Literature is a compulsory course. Having a concise textbook on Vietnamese folk literature to serve the learning needs of foreign students as well as the teaching of lecturers is an urgent requirement. Therefore, we have compiled this textbook.
The content of the textbook mainly provides students with a general overview of Vietnamese folk literature: characteristics of folk literature, genres of folk literature, typical works, etc. On that basis, those interested in researching Vietnamese literature can delve into issues of Vietnamese folk literature, in correlation with the folk literature of countries with cultural and historical similarities. Through the textbook, foreign students and readers also gain a deeper understanding of the history, culture, and people of Vietnam.
The textbook consists of two parts:
Part 1: Main content of the textbook, including 5 chapters:
Chapter 1: Overview of Vietnamese folk literature
Chapter 2: Folk language and sayings
Chapter 3: Folk lyrics
Chapter 4: Folk narrative
Chapter 5: Folk theater
In each chapter/lesson, the textbook introduces the most basic issues and the simplest content, suitable for the receptive ability of foreign students. For folk literature genres, the textbook introduces basic characteristics, content features, artistic aspects of the genre, and a few typical works.
Due to language barriers, foreign students cannot consult many folk literature works in other publications. Therefore, in the Additional Reading section of each genre, the authors have chosen to introduce typical works, known by the majority of Vietnamese people, for students to easily refer to.
At the end of each lesson, the textbook has guide questions so that students can prepare at home or review after learning in class.
Part 2: Appendix
Most folk literature works, especially stories, often have difficult vocabulary that foreign students find hard to understand. Therefore, the textbook includes a Glossary for students' convenience in the process of exploring the works.
Based on referring to previous Vietnamese Folk Literature works by researchers and based on the reality of teaching folk literature to foreign students, the author group has tried to select and introduce to foreign students the essence of Vietnamese folk literature, to introduce the culture, beauty of the soul, and aesthetic style of the Vietnamese people through literature.
This is the first Vietnamese Folk Literature textbook compiled for foreign students. We respectfully introduce it to teachers, students, and domestic and international readers interested in Vietnamese literature.
Ho Chi Minh City, September 2021
FACULTY OF VIETNAMESE STUDIES
