Getting Started

Listen and read

Tom: Hi, I’m Tom. You look new here.

Lai: I am. I'm Lai from Ha Giang.

Tom: Oh, I’ve heard about beautiful Ha Giang. Do you live in the mountains?

Lai: Yes, I do. I’m from the Tay ethnic group. We are the second largest ethnic group in Viet Nam, only after the Kinh.

Tom: Oh ... I once saw a bamboo house on high posts in a travelbrochure. Do you live in a home like that?

Lai: Yes, we call it a “stilt house”. Our house overlooks terraced fields.

Tom: Awesome. What is life in your village like?

Lai: It’s peaceful. There are 16 houses in my village. We live very close to nature.

Tom: I love it. Can you tell me something about your culture?

Lai: Certainly. We have our own culture. You can see it in our folk dances, musical instruments like the dan tinh, and our special five-colour sticky rice.

Tom: It sounds interesting. I hope to visit Ha Giang one day.

Read the conversation again and circle the correct answers.

1. What are Tom and Lai talking about?

A. Minority groups in Viet Nam.

B. Ha Giang.

C. Life of the Tay people.

2. A “stilthouse” _______________.

A. is a multi-storey home

B. is on high posts

C. always faces a field

3. Lai mentions ___________ of the Tay people.

A. folk dances

B. popular festivals

C. costumes

Tom: Hi, I’m Tom. You look new here.

Lai: I am. I'm Lai from Ha Giang.

Tom: Oh, I’ve heard about beautiful Ha Giang. Do you live in the mountains?

Lai: Yes, I do. I’m from the Tay ethnic group. We are the second largest ethnic group in Viet Nam, only after the Kinh.

Tom: Oh ... I once saw a bamboo house on high posts in a travelbrochure. Do you live in a home like that?

Lai: Yes, we call it a “stilt house”. Our house overlooks terraced fields.

Tom: Awesome. What is life in your village like?

Lai: It’s peaceful. There are 16 houses in my village. We live very close to nature.

Tom: I love it. Can you tell me something about your culture?

Lai: Certainly. We have our own culture. You can see it in our folk dances, musical instruments like the dan tinh, and our special five-colour sticky rice.

Tom: It sounds interesting. I hope to visit Ha Giang one day.

Complete the sentences with the words and phrases from the box.

1. I love mua sap, a popular _________ of the Thai people.

2. Their beautiful stilt house _________ a large rice field.

3. A: What is the name of a popular Tay’s _________?

 B: It’s dan tinh.

4. Every ethnic group has their own _________ culture.

5. Of the 54 _________ in Viet Nam, the Kinh is the largest.