English rejected to be second official language in Vietnam

Tuan Minh 22:57, 2019/06/14

Vietnam is in the process of deepening international integration, the teaching of foreign languages is paid special attention to and the learners’ choice of language is well respected.

The National Assembly (NA) on Friday gave passage to the amended Law on Education, but the proposal for English to become the second official language in Vietnam was not included.

An English class in Vietnam. Photo: Internet

The drafter argued that the 2013 Constitution stipulates the national language is Vietnamese and citizens have the right to use their native languages and select their communication languages, while there is no regulation on the second language.

Besides, in terms of foreign affairs, Vietnam is in the process of deepening international integration, the teaching of foreign languages is paid special attention to and the learners’ choice of language is well respected.

Earlier, at the Youth Entrepreneurship Forum held on November 2018, local media quoted Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Manh Hung that the Vietnamese government should soon recognize English as the second official language in the country to help startups reach out to the world.

The proposal stirred heated discussion on social media and prompted numerous professionals to pitch in with their views and opinions, according to the article.

While some welcomed the idea and supported widespread use of English in Vietnam, others were worried about the cultural, legal and other implications of formalizing it as an official language.

Everyone agreed that it was good to improve English use and fluency in the country, so the debate boiled down to whether adopting and using it as an official language was a feasible and practical option for Vietnam.

They expressed concern that having English as an official language could undermine Vietnamese language and culture. Most subjects taught in English at school could lead to its everyday life use.

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