Presentation on Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Linguistics in Australia

During his visit to Hanoi to lecture at the Faculty of Linguistics, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Dr. Thai Duy Bao, Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, accepted an invitation to present at the scientific meeting of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language on September 18, 2012, with the topic: "Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Linguistics in Australia".This was the first seminar of the 2012-2013 academic year for the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language. A large number of faculty members, researchers from within and outside the Faculty, including some retired faculty members and collaborators, enthusiastically attended the presentation. For two hours, Dr. Thai Duy Bao addressed two important topics: the foundations and position of Vietnamese Studies in Australia; and the issues and solutions for teaching Vietnamese in this country where 1% of the population is of Vietnamese origin. It is known that Vietnamese is one of the top 14 languages ​​in terms of the number of speakers and is officially taught in Australian high schools. The issue of using, teaching, and maintaining the Vietnamese language within the Vietnamese community in Australia was particularly interesting to the audience. Dr. Thai Duy Bao stated that Vietnamese Studies and the teaching of the Vietnamese language are also among the fields receiving significant attention at the Australian National University. The scientific seminar was engaging and lively. Dr. Thai Duy Bao, along with experts and participants, discussed related issues such as language, history, cultural assimilation, and the similarities and differences between the study and teaching of Vietnamese studies and the Vietnamese language in Vietnam and Australia in particular, and abroad in general. Over 25 years ago, Dr. Thai Duy Bao defended his doctoral dissertation in Linguistics at the Department of Vietnamese Studies, Hanoi University, under the guidance of Professor Hoang Trong Phien - former Head of the Department, and the late Professor Bui Phung - former Head of the Department.