California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in Orange County will start offering the first Vietnamese degree program in the United States by spring 2014, its student newspaper recently reported.

The program will include a major and minor, an international business concentration in Vietnamese, and Vietnamese teaching credentials that provide certification for teachers wanting to teach the language in US public schools, according to The Daily Titan published daily at the university.

Public school students throughout the county will have a chance to learn Vietnamese through the teaching credential program, which comprises such components as bilingual authorization that would allow teachers to provide instruction in Vietnamese and single-subject credentials letting teachers offer Vietnamese language courses in schools.

Like other teaching credential programs, enrollees in this Vietnamese program must gain proficiency in the subject matter as well as an understanding of their future students.

Many Vietnamese parents have placed their children in Vietnamese courses in the local community, said Natalie Tran, a CSUF assistant professor.

But a large number of Vietnamese Americans still do not know much about their native language and culture, said Dr. Mitch Avila, a CSUF professor of philosophy.

The new program is thus good for Vietnamese students who grew up in the US and are willing to explore more about their culture, The Daily Titan cited Edwin Dizon, 23, a CSUF information systems major.