The main focus of Elementary Vietnamese is to assist learners in developing basic skills in listening, speaking, writing and reading the language. It serves a secondary function as a general introduction to modern Vietnamese society and culture, with dialogues, cultural notes, exercises and readings drawn from contemporary life and popular media there. Elementary Vietnamese is designed for effective self-study as well as for use in a college-level classroom. Features of the Third Edition include: Many hours of new audio recordings by native Vietnamese speakers. Innovative pronunciation drills to help you to achieve near-native pronunciation ability. New usage examples, cultural notes, and exercises along with photos showing life in Vietnam today. A guide for instructors ("New Edition Notes") detailing changes made in the Third Edition. The MP3 audio recordings which accompany this book are of native Vietnamese speakers. These recordings cover: All dialogues, narratives and vocabulary. Grammar and usage notes. Everyday Vietnamese idioms and expressions. A unique set of pronunciation drills to help you speak like a native. Commonly-used proverbs, to help you speak and understand colloquial Vietnamese.