ENGLISH AS the leading language in Vietnam
In this day and age, some Vietnamese citizens take the view that Vietnam is suggested to consider English as a key means of communication to get a financial advantage over others in the global rat race. On the contrary, a group of people are firmly convinced that Vietnamese should be the first language to maintain other vital values such as ethnicities and cultural identities. This paper will consider both views to give my opinion in the end.
Firstly, English is recommended to become the official language due to its definite impacts and power in terms of the economy, finance, politics, and so on. Therefore, letting English be the key speech will increase children's exposure to this form of communication in their formative years. Moreover, in the future, they can reduce the time of practicing English because of their at-birth shadowing and listening to English. Because English is the main speech in the Model United Nations and business negotiations, it plays a crucial role in supporting to convey your ideas. To be more specific, according to recent research, speaking English means that a person can impart his or her knowledge to over 1 billion residents throughout the world while there are only about 100 million people speaking Vietnamese. Nowadays, some countries can hardly have access to highly qualified education, and some have gradually considered English as a principal form of interaction. Thus, Vietnam ought to surpass both groups of countries to gain economic benefits in the world market.
In the second place, there would be some possible threats to Vietnamese were English to be the mother tongue. To clarify this point, some minorities who speak Vietnamese varieties might find English hard to access because there is not a wide range of learning materials for such varied languages. However, the government at this moment do not prioritize writing curricula for them owing to a lack of budget. Furthermore, taking English into consideration might sacrifice Vietnamese culture and identity. To illustrate, Vietnamese have many features such as Nha Nhac Cung Dinh Hue or Cong Chieng Festival, which received the recognition of UNESCO. Moreover, Vietnam has been known for long-standing traditions and customs which represent the essence of the Vietnamese people. Those core values must not be replaced at all costs because every country is unique and has its own remarkable characteristics, and Vietnam does, too. Therefore, a better option is to learn English as a second language and maintain Vietnamese history.
To summarize, opinions are divided between English should become the leading language and Vietnamese should take that place. From my perspective, I support the latter view because people can still be encouraged to study English in order to succeed in the business ladder as well as maintain their historical and cultural highlights.
