Project Proposal for Designing and Publishing set of
Vietnamese-ethnic Minority Language Dictionaries

I. Background to the project

At present, there is an increasing demand in learning Vietnamese and ethnic minority languages in Vietnam, however book system tools as dictionaries are in shortage and not realistic.  HEDO cooperates with Ethnic Minority Book Center to designing set of Vietnamese-Ethnic Minority language dictionaries in order to meet the demand of students in  ethnic minority areas where they still face difficulties in education development and to serve communication among Vietnamese and ethnic minority people there.

II. Objectives:

To provide Ethnic Minority schools with Vietnamese-Ethnic Minority Language dictionaries such as (Cham, H’Mong, Bana, Jrai ...) according their residential location in order to:

- Support Ethnic Minority student to learn and speak Vietnamese and Ethnic Minority language better.
- Support Vietnamese cadres and people who work in ethnic minority areas to learn ethnic minority languages for better communication and working.
- Contribute in essential resource provision for researches related to language and ethnic culture.

III. Project results:

Designing and writing:

HEDO and Centre of Ethnic Minority Book will invite capable and famous Vietnamese and Ethnic Minority authors to writing, designing and translating this set of dictionaries which includes 5 sets:

            1. Vietnamese- H’Mong dictionary       - 14.5 cm wide x 20.5 long

            2. Vietnamese- Khome dictionary         - 14.5 cm wide x 20.5 long

            3. Vietnamese- Cham dictionary           - 14.5 cm wide x 20.5 long

            4. Vietnamese -Jrai dictionary               - 14.5 cm wide x 20.5 long

            5. Vietnamese -Tay and Nung dictionary - 14.5 cm wide x 20.5 long

Selling these dictionaries to equip to libraries in primary schools, ethnic minority boarding schools in ethnic areas.

IV. Main content of dictionaries:

Collecting about 6.000 word sets and translate basic words, popular cultural words which is closed with material-cultural life, with learning activities of ethnic minority pupils in particular and ethnic minority community in general.

The word sets is alphabetically ordered from A, B, C...

V. Beneficiaries:

Ethnic minority pupils

Teachers working in ethnic minority areas.

Readers

VI. Plan of designing and publishing:

At present, the set of dictionaries has been already designing. But the difficulty is finding funding for publication.

V. Estimated cost:

Estimation: one dictionaries costs VND 45,000

Number of published dictionaries: 1.500 copies per dictionary.

Total budget for 5 dictionaries will be:

VND 45,000/copy x 1,500 copies/dic. x 5 dictionaries = VND 337,500,000

(three hundred and thirty seven million, five hundred thousand VN dongs) 

Equivalent to: USD 24,107

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"HEDO do hope that donors who pay much attention to education development in ethnic minority areas can support funding to publish these dictionaries. They are sure to be necessary tools for learning and teaching in ethnic minority schools."

Thank you very much and best regards.

Yours sincerely,
Prof. Trinh Ngoc Trinh
Director of HEDO

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Contact/organiser name: Prof. Trinh Ngoc Trinh, Director of HEDO
Contact/organiser address: 49 Dai Co Viet, Ha Noi, Vietnam
Contact/organiser telephone: +84 4 8691223 / 8692502
Contact/organiser fax: +84 4 8692502
Organisation: Highland Education - Health - Science Development Organisation (HEDO) - A Vietnamese humanitarian non-governmental organisation
Country: Vietnam