A Number of Issues Regarding Writing System for Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam
Keywords:
Writing system, Decision No.153/CP, ethnic minorities, Vietnam.Abstract
In Vietnam, there is diversity in the writing systems of different ethnic groups with various characteristics, with 34/53 ethnic minorities in Vietnam each having their own scripts, some ethnic groups use more than one script. Decision No.153/CP promulgated by the Prime Minister on 20th August, 1969 (amended by the Council of Ministers on 22nd February, 1980) “Refer to construct, improve and apply the ethnic minorities writing systems”, has played a big role in this process. It paved the way for the scripts in the locals and mountainous ethnicity to be reconstructed and improved, which created opportunities to build writing systems, to affirm the role of ethnic minorities scripts in preserving the languages, culture identities of ethnicities. However, today we can see an inconsistent situation of building the scripts, so a competitive situation may affect national unity and we lack an examination about writing systems’ quality, which may pose a risk of wasting natural and material resources, lacking unity in constructing ethnic minorities writing systems. A new decision to build and approve greater plans, and later, law of language, should be promulgated. A subcommittee for minor ethnic languages and scripts should also be established.
Classification number
Linguistics
Downloads
Published
References
Bh’riu Liec. (2018). P’ra Cơ Tu. Vietnam Writers’ Association Publishing House. Hanoi.
Bh’riu Liec. (15th April 2022). Preserving Cơ Tu writing system: actual status and recommendations. Current situation of using, teaching and learning Cơ Tu language, writing forms. Quảng Nam.
Đoàn Văn Phúc. (2021). Reviewing the results of reconstructing, improving and utilizing ethnic minorities writing systems following Decision No.53/CP. Promulgating legal documents on the issues of languages, ethnic minorities writing systems, aiming at stabilization, substantial growth in multi-ethnicities nations. Institute of Linguistics.
Đoàn Văn Phúc. (2022). Research in completing policy, law of ethnic minorities languages for national substantial growth. Independent state-level project, Code DTDLXH-07/18, inspected in 2022.
Hoàng Tuệ. (ed). (1984). Languages of minority peoples in Vietnam and language policy. Social Sciences Publishing House. Hanoi.
Hoàng Văn Hành. (1995). Looking back the language policies of the Party and State over the past 50 years.
Linguistics, 4.
Nguyễn Hữu Hoành. (2009). Thought on ways to change Cơ Tu script. In Tạ Văn Thông (ed), Discovering languages of minor ethnic peoples in Vietnam. Social Sciences Publishing House. Hanoi: 49-63.
Nguyễn Hữu Hoành. (2021). Issues of Cơ Tu dialect and creating a textbook for teaching and learning Cơ Tu language. Journal Dictionary Study and Encyclopedia of Vietnam, 1.
Nguyễn Hữu Hoành (ed.), Nguyễn Văn Lợi & Tạ Văn Thông. (2013). Language and writing system of ethnic peoples in Vietnam (General issues). Dictionary and Encyclopedia Publishing House. Hanoi.
Nguyễn Hữu Hoành & Nguyễn Văn Lợi. (1995). Cơ Tu language. Social Sciences Publishing House. Hanoi. Tạ Văn Thông & Tạ Quang Tùng. (2017). Language of peoples in Vietnam. Thai Nguyen University Publishing House.
Trần Trí Dõi. (1977). Research on the languages of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. Social Sciences Publishing House. Hanoi.
Trần Trí Dõi. (2011). Issues of language policy and language education in ethnic minority regions of Vietnam. Vietnam National University Press, Hanoi.
Trần Trí Dõi. (2019). The issue of developing a writing system for languages of minority ethnic peoples.
Linguistics, 3.
Unseth, P. (2005). Sociolinguistic parallels between choosing scripts and languages. Written Language & Literacy, 8: 19-42.
