The Present Status of Using Written Hmong Language in the Hmong Community in the Northwest Region of Vietnam - Case Study in Sơn La and Lai Châu Provinces

Writing system is an important part of a certain language. When a language has its own writing system and is widely used, it is apparent that the language will have a strong position and vitality. Hmong language is a mother tongue of Hmong people, an ethnic minority that are now residing in many parts all over the world and mainly in the northwest region (Tây Bắc) of Vietnam. Unlike many other languages which have only one writing system, Hmong has many different scripts that are being used at a time. Therefore, understanding how Hmong people use their written language is an intriguing topic to help demystify their language usage and furthermore, understand their spiritual life. From our practical fieldwork, in this paper we focus on the discussion of the current status of using written Hmong in its community in the northwest region of Vietnam.