'Language is an indispensable companion of man'

Professor Nguyen Thien Giap is one of the famous Linguistics researchers in Vietnam. He is interested in linguistic theory, Vietnamese vocabulary and semantics, and Vietnamese pragmatics.

He has published many works discussing language issues and the bookModern linguistic trends and schoolswas the first work to show most clearly the movement and change of Linguistics.

Talking with him about the book opened up a lot of interesting information about the languages ​​of Vietnam as well as the world.

Mastering Vietnamese and other countries' linguistics

- "Modern Linguistic Trends and Schools" is a massive work, nearly 600 pages thick with 10 chapters. How long did it take you to write this book and what difficulties did you encounter during the process?

- BookModern trends and schools of linguisticspublished by Hanoi National University Publishing House in late 2018 and early 2019. This is the result of at least 20 years of research and teaching by lecturers from the Department of Linguistics, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Hanoi National University) and many other universities across the country.

Completing this work requires the writer to cover many different linguistic traditions in different countries. The writer must not only master the Vietnamese linguistic tradition, but also delve deeply into the linguistic traditions of China, France, Russia, England, America, etc.

Professor Nguyen Thien Giap received the B prize at the 2020 National Book Awards ceremony on the evening of October 9. Photo: Quynh Trang.

It is also problematic to place a particular line of research into any particular direction. For example, Generative Linguistics is considered by some to be a branch of Structural Linguistics.

When I was retained as a faculty member at the school, I witnessed a heated debate about whether there was such a thing as a Marxist linguistics.

In this work, I have generalized into 5 main trends. The structural trend includes 5 schools: Geneva School; Prague School; London School; Copenhagen School and American School.

Rationalism is expressed in N. Chomsky's Generative Linguistics. Materialism is expressed in Marxist Linguistics. Cognitive tendency is expressed in Cognitive Linguistics. Cultural tendency is expressed in Anthropological Linguistics.

- The work is considered to have many scientific values ​​in teaching, training and researching Linguistics today. What made you most satisfied or regretful when the book was published?

- Before that, I had published many works, such asMethodology and methods of language research,Language Research Methods, Linguistics Textbook...

What has been written in this work reflects my current understanding of the subject matter. When I finished this book, I had no concerns.

- The book discusses many linguistic trends and schools, but it seems that only Anthropological Linguistics is close to us. Is that a sign that Linguistics in Vietnam has not really developed?

- Actually, Anthropological Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field, studying the relationship between language and culture. This is a new field, with modest achievements. However, Linguistics and especially Vietnamese Linguistics in Vietnam have had many achievements.

To know more, you can readHistory of Vietnamese Linguistics, Nguyen Thien Giap, editor-in-chief, Tri Thuc Publishing House, 940 pages, published in 2017. Of course, compared to the requirements, we still have to try harder, but not to the point of "not really developing" as you mentioned.

- As someone who has been involved in Linguistics for many years, what problems do you see happening with languages ​​in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular?

- Nowadays, many people are interested in studying the issues of Pragmatics. It is in Pragmatics that theoretical perspectives on cognition and culture are applied.

It can be seen most clearly through the book.Theoretical linguisticsPublished by Hanoi National University Publishing House in 2020. The work has 320 pages, out of a total of 955 pages, discussing Pragmatics.

- Recently, there have been many debates regarding proposals to improve language and writing. What do you think about this issue?

- Actually, we shouldn't say "language improvement". Language itself is always moving and changing. People influence the development of language through campaigns to "preserve the purity of language, standardize language"...

The writing system can be improved or not improved. It is wrong to think that the national language is already perfect and does not need to be improved. The national language still has certain limitations.

However, improving the writing system is a matter of national importance, not of individuals. It is a practical scientific issue, which needs to ensure continuity and development.

Currently, the State has not raised the issue of "improving writing" so we do not discuss it. Scientists can freely discuss this issue as a purely scientific issue.

Readers can read more in my article "Some issues about the national language" inNational language: Formation, development and contribution to Vietnamese culture, Ho Chi Minh City National University Publishing House, published in 2017.

- In your opinion, what role does language play in people's practical life?

- To answer this question, I would like to quote two sentences that I wrote inIntroduction to Linguistics, first printed in 1993 and now in its 21st edition:

"Language is an indispensable companion of human beings. The magic, beauty and meaning of human language constantly stir curious and sensitive hearts and minds, and humans have formed a science about it: Linguistics".

"Knowledge of Linguistics is useful for everyone. It is essential for those who work in teaching and research. Those who use language as a professional tool such as writers, journalists, propaganda officers... also need to know linguistics".

According to zingnews