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According to official figures, 86.2% of the population speak Vietnamese as a native language. Various other languages are spoken by the several minority groups in Vietnam. The most spoken of these languages are: Tày (1.5 million), Mường (1.2 million), Khmer (1.05 million), Chinese (870,000, this figure also includes speakers of all Chinese dialects), Nùng (860,000), H'Mông (790,000), and Tai Dam (700,000). French, a legacy of colonial rule, is still spoken by some older Vietnamese as a second language but is losing its popularity. Russian — and to a much lesser extent Czech or Polish — is often known among those whose families had ties with the Soviet bloc. In recent years, Chinese, Japanese and English have become the most popular foreign languages, and English is an obligatory course in most schools. |
Vietnam Information: Inside
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