Professor Nguyen Thien Giap - a tireless worker.

In 1978, I had only been working at the university for a year when I was assigned to accompany Professor Nguyen Ham Duong to take students on a research internship on language education (Vietnamese) in the ethnic minority areas of Cao Bang. At that time, transportation was very difficult. Upon arrival, we mostly traveled on foot to reach the villages. Professor Nguyen Ham Duong was tall, dignified, and very refined, looking like a Westerner. Some elderly Tay and Nung people mistook me for a Soviet citizen, whispering to me, "Are you from the Soviet Union?" As for me, I was literally a small, skinny boy. We waded through streams, crossed hills, and traversed villages. Professor Ham Duong would recount the oral tradition of "Evacuation Narrative" from his time in Dai Tu, Thai Nguyen, to me, helping to ease the fatigue. Among the stories was one about the teachers of the Department of Linguistics, now the Faculty of Linguistics. There was a story like this... Professor Ham Duong recounted: “Giap (Professor Nguyen Thien Giap) was amazing. Back in Dai Tu, our department (Language Department - VDN) sent someone to lecture for another department at the school (…). The people there appreciated us very much, and they had raised goats, so they gave us one to have a feast (at that time, there was no remuneration, just money like later on - VDN). Nobody knew how to butcher it, except me (Professor Ham Duong often referred to himself as such to his colleagues and close students). I said: Let me butcher it, but we need someone to help. Giap was chosen. He was a young, energetic officer. I told Giap to lead the goat out to the grassy field, tie it up, then whip it and chase it around so it would sweat profusely, making the meat less smelly. So Giap had to do it right away. After a while, before we even saw the goat's sweat, Giap was already drenched in sweat. I found it so funny, I said: Okay, Giap is sweating now.” "Then we slaughtered Giap first, and the goat afterward. The whole department laughed almost to death." The teacher chuckled and then asked me, "Do you think our group had a good time?" And I've remembered that funny story ever since…

Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Nguyen Thien Giap

He was awarded the State Prize for Science and Technology in 2010 for his body of work:VocabularyLearning Vietnamese, Vietnamese words and word recognition.

Nearly twenty years later, heteaching staffchildren (they weren't called that back then)lecturer(as it is now, as it is called) Nguyen Thien Giap (compared to Professor Nguyen Ham Duong when he was in Dai Tu) successively appeared on the list of Doctors, Professors, and People's Teachers of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; in 2010, he was recognized by the State Award Council, to ascend to the honorary position of receivingState AwardRegarding science and technology.

Professor Nguyen Thien Giap's education was entirely "made in Hanoi University"; his secondary education was in the countryside of Dan Phuong, Ha Tay (now part of Hanoi). In his youth, like us students back then, those who were sent abroad for further studies were incredibly lucky. It was very difficult, as many conditions had to be met. He took the entrance exam for postgraduate studies abroad. He scored very high, but… he couldn't go. So… that was that. He continued sitting at his desk in the dilapidated, mud-walled communal hut in the corner of the former Me Tri dormitory; and since it was his calling, he had to tirelessly read and research books. It was a strange time.

I don't remember the exact year, but it was certainly the last time Professor Nguyen Tai Can returned to Vietnam before going to Moscow and passing away in 2011. One day, the Professor called me over, gave me some documents, and then said: "This is Giap's material. It's old. Give it back to Giap." It was a collection of about a dozen old-fashioned, checkered school notebooks, with small handwriting and blue ink, completely filled with vocabulary information.Dai Nam Quoc Am Tu Vi(1895-1896) by Huình Tịnh Paulus Của. Professor Giáp hand-copied that collection of documents when he first graduated. At that time, seeing the book...Dai Nam Quoc Am Tu ViThese are also rare opportunities.

He then successfully defended his doctoral thesis (formerly known as associate doctorates) in 1983, was recognized and appointed Professor in 1996. Under his tutelage, more than a dozen books, both individually and jointly, along with several dozen research papers by the Professor, have been published, including:A collection of works on Vietnamese words and vocabulary.He received the State Award in 2010. As his student, and working in the same department, I had a close and familiar relationship with him. On occasions when I had the chance to congratulate him, I would often say something a little silly, "You've accomplished so much, Professor," to which he would reply, essentially, "I'm just like you (he often called me that), both originally farmers. Without hard work, diligence, and seriousness, nothing can be achieved." I understood that this was also his heartfelt advice to me.

Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Doan Thien Thuat and Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Nguyen Thien Giap

Two works by Professor Nguyen Thien Giap were awarded the State Prize:Vietnamese vocabulary learning, Vietnamese words and word recognition.It is a collection of scholarly works examining in-depth theoretical issues concerningfromandfrom VietnamesewithVietnamese vocabularyThese two works provide the first theoretical framework for definition and identification.fromas well as the theoretical framework for definition and identificationwords of the Vietnamese languageThe two works summarize the issues quite comprehensively, and the author's approach to problem-solving has been applied rigorously, thoroughly, consistently, and with high objectivity. The theoretical issues proposed in these two works have given Vietnamese linguistics a new perspective and explanation of relevant problems, thanks to their origins in the practical realities of the Vietnamese language itself, their good coordination with reasonable scientific viewpoints in linguistic theory, and their dialectical approach to problem-solving across mutually supportive dimensions: synchronic and diachronic, systemic and functional, operational, central and peripheral... Therefore, solving problems related to the theory of words and word identification in Vietnamese avoids superficial approaches that always require justification for the consequences of applying a theoretical framework that lacks rigor, logic, and thoroughness.

While not perfect, these two works are indeed a significant step forward in the field of theoretical research onfromVietnamese language and issues related tovocabularyThese works are relevant, considering both their novelty and their systematic, thorough, and practical relevance to the Vietnamese language. Therefore, it can be said that the two aforementioned works contribute to the theory of words in general and the theory of Vietnamese words in particular. For relevant studies on the Vietnamese language, almost no research on words fails to mention these two works, either to endorse them or to refute them, thus avoiding a less thorough approach.

Professor Nguyen Thien Giap's unwavering dedication to overcoming hardship was easily noticeable. During the difficult and arduous years of the country's history, he, like many others, stayed up late studying while struggling to make ends meet. He also had to raise pigs and chickens with his family to supplement their daily lives. Yet, he never complained about the hardship. Naturally kind-hearted, he often cheerfully told me, "I rely entirely on my wife, young man." In 1978, the Professor and I went to Da Nang to prepare for the student internship. The country was facing extreme difficulties. The North and South currencies were not yet unified, and each person on assignment could only exchange a very small amount – I don't remember the exact amount, only that it was very tight, about five dong. The Reunification Express train rumbled for several days and nights before reaching Da Nang. Sitting on wooden chairs all day made my body stiff. Bedbugs bit my buttocks, causing them to swell. On the first night on the train, I was wondering how I would manage to sleep when I saw the Professor, showing off his experience, take a raincoat he had brought with him, crawl under the seat, spread it out, and say, "Crawl down here and sleep." I crawled in and did as he said. My bag, which was almost empty, contained two sets of clothes to use as a pillow. The train rocked. The screeching of the iron wheels on the tracks still echoes in my ears to this day. Yet, in just a short while...PeopleI slept very soundly. That reconnaissance trip was unsuccessful; we couldn't take students to western Quang Nam and Da Nang because of the Fulro's harassment. We turned back and headed to Cao Bang; and I accompanied Professor Ham Duong there again. The following year, 1979, the Chinese army attacked us along the entire Sino-Vietnamese border. The country was thrown into turmoil once more.

Professor Giap was one of the key contributors to the strength of the Department and later the Faculty of Linguistics. Linguistic theory, Vietnamese vocabulary and semantics, and Vietnamese pragmatics were his areas of greatest interest, and he dedicated himself to teaching his students. Dozens of doctoral students successfully supervised and defended their dissertations under his guidance. Besides teaching at his home university (Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities), he also taught at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City and many other universities and research institutes. From 1986 to 1988, he was a visiting professor at the University of Paris VII (France), and in 1997, he was a visiting professor at the University of the Orient, Naples, Italy. When invited and elected as Head of the Organization Department of the University, Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Director of the Hanoi National University Publishing House, Head of the Editing and Publishing Department, Faculty of Journalism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University, Head of the Vietnamese Linguistics Department of the Faculty of Linguistics, and Member of the Council for Professor Titles in Linguistics, Professor readily accepted these roles as a job, a responsibility to the University and the community; and once the work was done, he quickly returned to his main profession: research, teaching, and training. I know he always strived, and strived in a sincere way, to work, to cultivate his writing. What made me respect him even more was his deep respect for the labor and achievements of others. When he heard about what his colleagues, near and far, had accomplished or published, Professor would often ask me if I knew, and if not, he would inform me. And a look of joy would shine on his face. With his students who were just starting their careers, he would often affectionately ask about what this or that student had accomplished.

He was hardworking and loved his job, yet after endless discussions and conversations about research, teaching, and student training, the Professor would often reminisce about his hometown. He would enthusiastically tell me about his favorite dish, braised taro with fish, a simple meal for the poor, and about his childhood days of picking bamboo shoots or gathering dried loquat fruits to burn and soak in water to make rice cakes, giving them the emerald green or amber yellow-brown color of the rice cakes from his village. Living simply, the Professor sometimes held truly peculiar beliefs. One day, when his wife, Ms. Huong, was on a business trip to Cambodia, I visited his house on a sweltering summer afternoon. I gently knocked, but received no answer. I went to the open window and saw a scene straight out of a Liao Zhai (a Chinese fairy tale). The Professor, wearing shorts and shirtless, sat silently reading, with several green patches resembling leaves stuck to his body. I called out to him. He opened the door. I noticed some kind of leaves had been crushed and stuck to him. His son, Khoa (now architect Nguyen Thien Khoa), was very young at the time, sleeping on the floor, with a few pieces stuck to him as well. I pointed at him and asked, "What are you doing?" He smiled brightly and innocently replied, "It's too hot. I've gotten a few boils. This is a secret remedy; someone told me about it. You crush apple leaves until they're smooth and then stick them on. It's detoxifying. It's very cooling." I smiled, though my smile was probably crooked, though I couldn't see it myself. But I caught his joy and rare innocence.

Now, sometimes when I sit and recall those old stories, I wonder if the joy of his work captivated Professor Giap and brought him sweet fruits: a happy family, significant contributions to the Faculty and the University, remarkable scientific achievements, and the trust, love, and respect of his colleagues and students. I congratulate our Professor Giap; and suddenly I realize: before reaping the rewards, how much effort he poured in... And strangely, I seem to catch glimpses of the joyful, sweat-drenched story of slaughtering a goat from so many years ago…