Hmong
Hmong Speaking and Listening Resources
Hmong Speaking and Listening Resources
While there is no substitute for a real-life interaction with another language speaker, there are many available resources that can help you practice your speaking, listening, and comprehension skills. Depending on your own interests, you can tailor your exposure to correspond with your goals. Want to grow your vocabulary to be able to discuss relevant social issues? Check out a Hmong news station. Maybe you’d like to get a better grasp on flowery, descriptive language; in that case, a Dab Neeg, or folktale, might be of interest to you! Whatever your path and whatever your goals, there is a resource out there that can help you be the best language user you can be. Below are a couple of my own personal favorites along with a brief description of how I use them!
Dab Neeg Hmoob YouTube Channel
With over 100,000 followers and an incredible amount of content, this channel is an excellent way to listen to entertaining folktales while boosting your vocabulary. The narrator speaks clearly and with a good amount of feeling, adding some real-world emphasis to their online storytelling. For those who want something expressive, consistent, and enjoyable, this is the channel for you.
For elementary Hmong language learners, this website has a wide array of assorted listening resources, including musical downloads. For more advanced learners, the introductory material offers an excellent review of context specific language, traditional poetry and musical formats, and all the details necessary to have a solid cultural and linguistic base moving forward.
This website offers a ton of different broadcasts focused on Hmong life and culture. Whether you want to explore current events or learn more about specific elements of Hmong culture, this is the place for you. For those wanting to expand their exposure to different types of accents, pacing, and inflection, the wide range of narrators and anchors make this a must-visit resource.
San Diego Hmong Language Project
Filled with clips of music, folktales, and other recordings, this archive takes an unfiltered look (and listen) to the voices of the Hmong community in San Diego. Helpful captions give you the context necessary to understand each recording, and the wide array of options in both Hmoob Dawb and Hmoob Leeg dialects offer a true-to-life resource that you can’t find anywhere else.
Zeem Muag Hmong Radio Station
Reachable over a conference-call format, this radio station is one of the best possible resources for hearing Hmong in a colloquial context. While beginner and intermediate learners might struggle to keep up, the ability to listen to real time discussion, guest speakers, Q&A sessions, and other programming gives you an incredible option for boosting your comprehension. The free-talk periods, which often lend themselves to spirited debates, offer an added layer of cultural context, as you get a chance to hear real opinions on todays most pressing issues.
