The scientific conference "Linguistics Training and Research in Vietnam – Theoretical and Practical Issues" was held on November 11, 2011. This event was part of the program celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Linguistics discipline and the 15th anniversary of the Faculty of Linguistics.The workshop attracted the interest and participation of over 100 delegates, including domestic and international scientists, lecturers, trainees, and students of the university.
Over 100 papers were submitted to the conference, including 30 from foreign scientists from universities such as the University of California – Los Angeles (USA), the University of Sheffield (UK), Paris 7 University (France), Peking University, Guangxi University, Osaka University (Japan), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (South Korea), the Australian National University (Australia), and Ubon Rachathnani University (Thailand)... The content of the papers focused on theoretical and practical issues related to training and research in linguistics, Vietnamese linguistics, and languages inside and outside Vietnam. In the plenary session, delegates attending the conference heard four keynote presentations:
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Con, Head of the Department of Linguistics:Linguistics Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities: 55 years of scientific research.
- Associate Professor Marina Prévot, former Head of the Vietnamese Studies Department, University of Paris 7:Language and Literature - an illustration of the relationship between the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Paris Diderot University 7.
- Professor Quyen Di, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California – Los Angeles:Efforts to teach and learn Vietnamese in the United States.
- Professor Song Jung Nam, Head of the Vietnamese Department, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies:Some thoughts on the examination system of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam.
Following the plenary session, the workshop proceeded to four subcommittees:
- Teaching Linguistics, Vietnamese Linguistics, and the Vietnamese language.
- Linguistic and Vietnamese Linguistic Issues
- Issues concerning the Vietnamese language and culture.
- Linguistics of ethnic groups in Vietnam and the region
Discussions on the teaching of Linguistics, Vietnamese Linguistics, and the Vietnamese language focused on language teaching, including teaching Vietnamese as a foreign language in Vietnam and many other parts of the world, teaching English, and teaching minority languages in Vietnam. Notable contributions included reports by Gyanam Mahajan and Juliana Wijaya (University of California – Los Angeles, USA), and Professor Marina Prévot (University of Paris 7), who addressed issues related to the heritage of one's mother tongue in the process of individual integration with a non-linguistic community. Current issues in Linguistics and Vietnamese Linguistics were discussed, covering a range of theoretical and practical topics. Associate Professor Bui Manh Hung (Ho Chi Minh City University of Education) discussed the differences in meaning and usage of the words "a little" and "a bit" in Vietnamese. Nigel Duffield (University of Sheffield, UK) presents the core issues of the Vietnamese language using Chomsky's minimalist approach. Following Chomsky's approach, Professor Anoop Mahajan (University of California – Los Angeles, USA) discusses the position of prepositions and word order from a generative typological perspective, with numerous examples drawn from Chinese, Vietnamese, Hindi, and other languages.
Regarding issues related to the Vietnamese language and culture, many reports have addressed metaphors in Vietnamese, the use of idioms and proverbs, and issues related to Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary. Issues concerning word formation have been revisited from a theoretical perspective by Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Ton (Institute of Linguistics) in his report "Does Vietnamese have a so-called 'morpheme-forming' method and reduplicated word formation method?". In addition, issues concerning the history of Vietnamese vocabulary, proper names, geographical dialects, and social dialects of Vietnamese have also been discussed in numerous reports. Regarding the languages of Vietnamese ethnic groups and the region, Professor Dr. Hoang Thi Chau (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) explained the classification of South Asian language groups based on number systems. Professor Dr. Tran Tri Doi (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) raised the issue of purely Vietnamese and loanwords. Shimizu (Japan) presented a historical analysis of Vietnamese phonology based on Nôm script data…
This scientific conference is a culmination of scientific achievements to solemnly celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Linguistics Department and the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Linguistics. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the Faculty of Linguistics to summarize and evaluate its training and research process, and to further promote research projects and international cooperation in the coming period.
Some results of the Workshop
1. From a scientific perspective- Total number of papers submitted to the Conference: 105 papers, including 30 papers by foreign authors. The Organizing Committee selected 80 full papers and 25 abstracts for publication in the Conference Proceedings. - Total number of delegates participating in the Workshop: 115 delegates (100 delegates with reports + 15 delegates as guests), including: + 85 delegates from more than 20 universities and research institutes in the country: Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Foreign Languages - Vietnam National University, Hanoi University, Da Nang University, Hue University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Institute of Linguistics, Institute of Lexicography and Encyclopedia, Institute of Han Nom Studies, etc. + 30 delegates from 15 foreign universities: University of California-Los Angeles (7), University of Paris 7- (2), Sheffield University - UK (2), Peking University (2), Osaka University (3), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (2), Guangxi University (2), Guangxi Nationalities University (2), National University of Australia (2), Kaohsiung University - Taiwan (1), National Cheng Kung University - Taiwan (1), Tsinghua University (1), Beijing University of International Trade and Economics (1), Ubon Thani University – Thailand (1), Rahajbat Thani University – Thailand (1). - A total of over 60 reports were presented and discussed at the plenary session and in 4 subcommittees, of which nearly ½ were reports by foreign authors. - Delegates participating in the Conference highly appreciated the scientific significance and practical value of the Conference as well as the content and quality of the scientific reports participating in the Conference.2. Regarding international cooperation- The workshop has helped maintain and promote cooperative relationships in training and scientific research with the Faculty of Linguistics' traditional partners domestically (Institute of Linguistics, Institute of Lexicography and Encyclopedias, and many universities) as well as internationally (University of Paris 7, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Osaka University, many universities in China, etc.). - Through the workshop, cooperative relationships in training and scientific research have been developed with several new and promising partners, especially with highly ranked foreign universities with strong linguistics departments such as the University of California – Los Angeles (USA), the University of Sheffield (UK), the Australian National University, etc.
