The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2024 - 25

Market awareness is key
when defining realistic
expectations in the design
of translated and localized
services and products.
Companies producing and
organizations purchasing
Vietnamese-language
services need to be aware
of the historical context
for these services and the
differences between the
domestic market in Vietnam
and markets overseas.
This article will provide
an introduction to the
Vietnamese translation
markets inside and outside
Vietnam. Project managers
and vendor managers
who understand how the
Vietnamese language has
evolved can more accurately
determine the variant
that is most appropriate
for a specific region and
chose the most appropriate
translators and interpreters
for the job.
This article will also
summarize some key
differences between
the Vietnamese variant
currently used in Vietnam
and the variant used in
many diasporas, including
the U.S., that translators,
project managers, vendor
managers, and companies
should know about. When
recruiting, training, and
assigning projects and
evaluating the practitioners
who provide translation
and interpreting services,
managers need to be
aware of the landscape for
professional and academic
training in Vietnamese. The
following addresses the
progress and challenges
and solutions to the
standardization of this
underdeveloped market.
www.ata-chronicle.online
The VietnameseLanguage
Services
Markets Inside and
Outside Vietnam
The Vietnamese market
can be divided into the
market in Vietnam and the
overseas markets in the U.S.,
Australia, Canada, and New
Zealand. The U.S market is
the largest overseas market.
War officially ended in
Vietnam in 1979, and the
country opened its borders
in 1986. This means that
Vietnam's language industry
is young. However, over the
past 20 years, the worldwide
translation market has grown
tremendously. In Vietnam,
economic integration and
international cooperation
have brought many business
opportunities for companies
and businesses. Strong
growth in publications,
goods, services, as well as
business deals with foreign
countries in general, have
further spurred the growth of
the Vietnamese translation
market. According to average
estimates, the value of
Vietnam's language services
market could reach almost
one billion USD if it achieves
its full potential and is
standardized properly.4
Vietnam has become a
dynamic and friendly player
in terms of financial and
business development due
to the economic reforms
adopted in 1986.5
This
environment has led to
an increasing demand for
translation and interpreting
(T&I) services, mainly
from non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),
companies, and governments
that want to connect with
and do business in Vietnam.
The current capital of Hanoi
and the past capital of Saigon
(now officially referred to
as Ho Chi Minh City) are
especially active submarkets
for language services. While
the number of Vietnamese
people in English-speaking
countries like the U.S.,
Australia, Canada, and
New Zealand has increased
since 1975, most people
of the first generations of
Vietnamese diaspora have
limited English language
proficiency. As such, T&I
services for these Vietnamese
communities tends to be
conducted primarily within
the subject areas of civil
and criminal law, health
care, law enforcement, and
immigration due to the
historical events of these
nations and the requests for
language services made by
governmental entities for
events and informational
content to the general public.
Generally, the Vietnamese
T&I market in Vietnam is
more extensive in quantity,
but professionalization,
standards, and regulations
are lacking. Translations
originating from this market
are sometimes of poorer
quality. Also, translators
originating from Vietnam
tend to be paid much lower
rates. Freelancing rates are
significantly lower than that
of the Vietnamese markets
overseas.6
Except for the
projects affiliated with the
government, ministries
and departments of foreign
affairs, and NGOs, the
majority of projects paid at
higher rates are managed
by foreign companies. The
reasons for this include the
lack of professionalization
among Vietnamese
translators and interpreters,
the lack of professional
American Translators Association 25
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The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2024

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