Tran Quang Minh, 25 years old, graduated with a degree in Linguistics from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, with a GPA of 3.91/4.
At the graduation ceremony at the end of July, Minh's speech, recounting her journey of leaving China to retake the university entrance exam in Vietnam, and her feelings for her family and her late mother, moved many people to tears.
"I'm proud of what I've achieved, I just regret that if I had started learning earlier, my mother could have been there."Minh said.
Quang Minh is a former student of the Biology specialized class at Thai Nguyen High School for Gifted Students in Thai Nguyen province. Interested in learning about Chinese culture and language, he started studying Chinese in 10th grade to prepare for studying abroad. After graduating from high school in 2018, Minh won a full scholarship to Chongqing University, where he is pursuing a law degree.
In 2020, Minh returned to Vietnam for Tet (Lunar New Year) but got stranded and had to study online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. His mother had been battling cancer for some time, causing him constant worry while he was away. This time, he had the opportunity to take his mother on trips and take photos.
Minh said the pandemic disrupted his studies but also gave him time to reflect on life. He decided not to return to China to continue his studies but to take the university entrance exam in Vietnam.
During his time in Chongqing, Minh met many friends from different regions and countries, so he often paid attention to the pronunciation and intonation of each person. Curious, he researched and compared it with Vietnamese and Chinese, finding it interesting. Therefore, Minh enrolled in the Linguistics program at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
In 2021, Minh took the high school graduation exam and scored over 27.5 points in the D78 subject group (Literature, English, and Social Sciences), becoming the top-scoring student in this major at the university.
Minh said that at first he felt pressure from his peers and financially, but he realized he needed to be responsible for his choices, so he studied seriously. Right from the start of his studies, he set a goal of winning a scholarship so he wouldn't have to ask his family for tuition. Minh also worked as a tutor and Chinese translator to cover his living expenses.
Minh's secret to studying is being proactive and not hesitating to discuss topics he doesn't understand with lecturers. As a result, he won 7 out of 8 academic achievement scholarships from the university.
According to him, the field of Linguistics aims to explain and understand the principles of language. Therefore, to gain more knowledge, in addition to reading extensively, he participates in scientific research, works on projects with his professors, and follows graduate students to learn from them.
Quang Minh and his father (in white shirt) go up on stage to receive a certificate of merit at the graduation ceremony and valedictorian awarding ceremony of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on July 30. Photo: USSH Media
From his second year, Minh, along with his professors and senior students, traveled to many regions to collect data and research the languages of various ethnic groups. The materials he brought back, combined with his diligence and seriousness, helped Minh win first prize twice in scientific research at the faculty and university levels, and second prize at the 2024 Science and Technology Award for Students organized by the Ministry of Education and Training.
In addition, Minh has had several articles published in journals of the Institute of Linguistics and presented at international conferences.
His research experience also helped the young man from Thai Nguyen province to excellently complete his graduation thesis on the tonal system in the Hanoi dialect as pronounced by young people, achieving a perfect score of 10.
According to the supervisor, Dr. Ta Thanh Tan, a linguist and lecturer at Hanoi Pedagogical University, said that this topic arose during a field trip when the two of them went to Giang village (Ha Tinh province) to study the Kha Phong language.
This thesis points out that the tonal system of the Vietnamese language in Hanoi has undergone significant changes over the past 100 years. For example, in the pronunciation of young people aged 18-30 today, the rising tone is no longer a rising tone but has become a level tone before rising. Similarly, the questioning tone no longer goes down and then up but only gradually descends to a lower pitch.
"Solid theory, well-designed research, and modern research techniques are the distinguishing features of Minh's thesis.""Dr. Tan remarked. In addition, he was impressed by his students' dynamism and versatility."
Quang Minh (in black shirt) during a field research trip in Quang Tri, August 6th. Photo: Provided by the subject.
