ABSTRACT

Given the role of languages in disseminating knowledge, this study explored the positioning of Vietnamese researchers in relation to the foreign language they used for research. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with six participants who were researchers in social sciences. Findings revealed that senior researchers positioned Russian and French as an ebbing tradition while the mid-career researcher considered Chinese providing less access to research. In contrast, early-career academics saw English as bringing great opportunities to their career despite expressing their anxiety about their proficiency in using English for publication. We argue that although disseminating knowledge in English amongst younger generation researchers is important, senior researchers in educational systems influenced by multiple languages should still be encouraged to capitalise on their existing multilingual capacity, using their preferable foreign languages to disseminate knowledge globally. Instead of solely conforming to the hegemony of English, policies and practices of research should consider multilingual sources in policymaking process.

摘要

鉴于语言在传播知识中的作用，本研究探讨了越南研究人员相对于他们用于研究的外语的定位。数据是从半结构化访谈中收集的，其中六名参与者是社会科学的研究人员。调查结果表明，高级研究人员将俄语和法语视为渐进的传统，而职业中期的研究人员则认为汉语提供了较少的研究机会。相比之下，尽管对使用英语进行出版的熟练程度表示了焦虑，但早期职业学者却认为英语为他们的职业带来了巨大的机会。我们认为，尽管在年轻一代的研究人员中传播英语知识很重要，仍应鼓励受多种语言影响的教育系统中的高级研究人员利用其现有的多语言能力，使用他们偏爱的外语在全球范围内传播知识。研究的政策和实践不应单单遵循英语霸权，而应在决策过程中考虑多语言来源。