The Vietnamese language has adapted with the development of the country, but new vocabulary has been added to the language as well.
Vietnamese is spoken by a large percentage of Vietnam’s population and millions of overseas Vietnamese. According to various sources, many of the phrases and words in Vietnamese are borrowed from Chinese and a product of French colonial influence. The written system of Vietnamese is adapted from the Latin language alphabet.
“The growing Vietnamese vocabulary has helped increase communication in the fields of economics, trade, and scientific research,” says Associate Professor Ha Quang Nang in an article by Viet Nam News. “Some Vietnamese researchers have said our Vietnamese will face a crisis in our lifetime.”
Nang discussed how Vietnamese are no longer using the correct grammar structure of Vietnamese and are inserting English words in their conversations. Advertisements have a mix of English and Vietnamese, which can confuse consumers at times. Younger people cannot read or speak many of the Vietnamese words.
“The ‘disorder’ and ‘pollution’ of Vietnamese reflects the disrespect of the mother tongue which has caused a loss in our traditional, moral, philosophy and national cultural characteristics,” continues Nang in the article.
To combat these challenges, Vietnamese government officials have promoted the study of the language by focusing on speaking and writing Vietnamese in classrooms. As well, native Vietnamese speakers have launched websites and created initiatives to spread understanding of Vietnamese language and culture.
Read the original article here.
