Incrementalism in Post-Colonial language planning
Policy evolution in Vietnam (1945–present)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17592199 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Qiang Zhang (0000-0003-4613-3100, Sun Yat-sen University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-05 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Language Problems & Language Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0272-2690 • E-ISSN: 1569-9889 |
| Publisher | John Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1075/lplp.25024.zha |
| OpenAlex | W7160313737 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
This study employs Lindblom’ s incrementalism theory to analyze Vietnam’ s language policy evolution from 1945 to the present, emphasizing its dual focus on stability and adaptive incrementalism. Post-independence reforms, such as the National Literacy Campaign (1945–1950s), eradicated pre-independence period scripts like Chữ Nôm chatacters, achieving rapid linguistic unification but disrupting cultural continuity. Subsequent phases — including language purification (1960s) and standardization (1979–1990s) — shifted toward incremental adjustments, balancing nationalist agendas with globalization demands. The 1986 Đổi Mới reforms further prioritized English for economic integration while marginalizing minority languages through bilingual education. Vietnam’ s policies reflect a path dependence on colonial and nationalist legacies, yet demonstrate strategic adaptation to global pressures. Incrementalism enabled controlled reforms, maintaining socio-political cohesion through Vietnamese dominance while cautiously addressing minority language attrition and foreign language needs. This approach challenges binary views of post-colonial policy as either radical rupture or passive continuity, and illustrates how gradual adjustments reconcile cultural sovereignty with globalization. The study highlights incrementalism’ s utility in managing multilingual societies, advocating for policies that balance majority-language promotion with endangered language revitalization. It offers insights for nations navigating linguistic inequality and cultural preservation amid globalization
Globalization · Incrementalism · Language planning · Language policy · Multilingualism · Sovereignty · Multilingual Education and Policy · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
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| Highly cited | No |
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