Contributions of american descriptive linguistic school to the study of Vietnamese: A contemporary look

This article examines the contributions of the American descriptive linguistic school in the mid-20th century to the study of Vietnamese. Two most important monographs on Vietnamese grammar by two foremost American descriptivist/structuralist grammarians were taken for examination: Studies in Vietnamese (Annamese) Grammar by Murray B. Emeneau and A Vietnamese Reference Grammar by Laurence C. Thompson. It is clear that among the foreign scholars who have studied Vietnamese, Emeneau and Thompson have made the most substantial contributions to the study of Vietnamese grammar.