Researching and Teaching Vietnamese as a Second Language

This book fosters a global scholarly dialogue on teaching and researching Vietnamese as a second language, with particular attention to pedagogy, identity, and research innovation. It positions Vietnamese within the framework of Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs), highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of teaching and learning in multilingual and multicultural contexts.

The first section examines Vietnamese learning in global settings: heritage language use in bilingual families, second language acquisition in different geographical regions, and the potential of virtual tandem exchange programs. The second presents diverse pedagogical strategies, including corpus-based vocabulary design, task-based learning, and gamification for heritage learners. The third analyzes acquisition processes, such as cross-linguistic influence from Sino-Japanese knowledge, challenges in motion constructions for Chinese and Korean learners, and the acquisition of wh-word order by Japanese learners. The last section turns to broader social and cultural dimensions, focusing on heritage vs. non-heritage dynamics, learner identity, and translanguaging as a tool for inclusive pedagogy. By integrating empirical classroom-based research and educators voices from different regions, this volume offers practical insights alongside theoretical contributions. It serves as an essential resource for educators, researchers, and anyone interested in the dynamic field of Vietnamese language teaching and research on a global scale.