Aspects of the Vietnamese language are introduced in this manual for inservice teacher training. The development of Vietnamese as it was influenced by other Austro-Asiatic languages is discussed. A brief modern history of the language emphasizes contact with Chinese, English, and French. The replacement of Chinese characters with the Roman alphabet is described. The sound system of Vietnamese (which is a tone language) is tabulated, as are the alphabet, vowel sounds, diphthongs, and consonants. (JB)