Language Of The Month

Vietnamese, known locally as Tiếng Việt, is the official language of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It belongs to the Austroasiatic language family, specifically within the Vietic branch. With around 90 million people using this language (84M within Vietnam and the rest scattered across the world), Vietnamese speakers are mostly found in: Vietnam, the USA, France, Australia, Germany, and other Asian countries. Vietnamese morphemes and phonological words are mono-syllabic with 6 tones and their endings are: ngang “level”, sắc “sharp” (´), huyền “deep” (`), hỏi “asking” ( ̉/?), ngã “tumbling” (~), nặng “heavy” (.), which makes it one of the most tonal languages. Vietnam is well-known worldwide as a country that rose above the long-term yoke of colonization including over 4,000 years of Chinese rule, French colonization, and the American War—and the country continues to preserve its own cultural identity, language and national pride. Drop by the LCC to check out our awesome board!