The second session of the GUAVA Member Highlights series took place on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. (ET) via Zoom, bringing together participants from across the United States, Europe, and Vietnam for an inspiring morning of professional sharing.
This spring session featured two outstanding projects showcasing innovation in Vietnamese language teaching and curriculum development:
Trang Phan (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) & Chu Phong Lan (University of Languages & International Studies, ULIS – VNU) / Vietnamese Vibes: The First Trilingual Vietnamese Textbooks in Italy
Trang and Phong Lan introduced Vietnamese Vibes, a groundbreaking three-volume textbook series designed for Vietnamese learners in Italy. Built on a trilingual framework (Vietnamese–English–Italian) and grounded in authentic, real-life materials, the series spans beginner to advanced levels and covers all four language skills. Each volume features 12 core lessons and 2 review lessons, aligned with both Vietnam’s Ministry of Education proficiency standards and the CEFR framework. Vietnamese Vibes represents a significant milestone as the first Vietnamese textbook series of its kind developed specifically for the Italian educational context.
📽️ Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/zhCGD8eXyjU
Ha Nguyen (University of Washington) / Engaging with Vietnamese Sociolinguistics through Student-Centered Projects
Ha shared a rich project-based learning model that invites both heritage and L2 Vietnamese learners to step into the role of sociolinguistic researchers. Students design and carry out their own investigations into language variation, ideologies, culture, and identity — then analyze their data and present their findings to the class. The approach encourages learners to engage with Vietnamese not just as a subject of study, but as a living language that is spoken, negotiated, and contested in real communities. The result is a learning experience that extends well beyond the textbook.
📽️ Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/4vuo842SADs
Cảm ơn!
Thank you to Trang, Phong Lan, and Ha for sharing their work so generously, and to all participants who joined from across time zones — from the U.S. Pacific Coast to Italy to Vietnam — to make this a warm and engaged community event. We look forward to continuing the series in the fall!
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