The Application of Word Networks in Developing Sino-Vietnamese Vocabulary for Learners of Vietnamese as a Foreign Language

Abstract

In the context of increasingly expanding international cooperation, the growing number of foreigners coming to Vietnam to study, work, and live has created an urgent demand for learning Vietnamese as a foreign language. However, for foreigners, mastering the Sino Vietnamese lexicon remains a significant challenge. This difficulty stems from challenges in understanding the semantic development and shifts of Sino- Vietnamese elements, as well as a lack of specialized support tools, while this lexical class represents a large proportion of the Vietnamese vocabulary system. Based on network and lexical network theory, and the existing Vietnamese lexical network, this article builds two models of Sino-Vietnamese lexical networks: (1) a network organized by Sino-Vietnamese elements and (2) a thematic network. On this basis, the article suggests directions for applying these lexical networks in teaching Vietnamese to foreigners in order to facilitate the acquisiton, systematization, and effective development of their Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary. The research results underscore the applicability of the lexical network model in teaching Vietnamese vocabulary as a foreign language, and provide foundational data for digitizing the Sino-Vietnamese lexical network into electronic tools for both teaching and self-learning in the future.