Khmer Language Status in a Vietnamese -Speaking Context: Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

This study explores the use and promotion of the Khmer language by Khmer teachers and students in schools, at home, and within the community to provide a comprehensive understanding of their linguistic practices. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire with an open-ended question was employed to elicit responses from 16 Khmer teachers and 60 Khmer students in an ethnic boarding junior high school in Vietnam. The study, besides, conducted semi-structured interviews to triangulate the study’s data. The result showed that while teachers used more Khmer in the community, students used more Khmer at home, and Khmer was used the least at school by both groups. The study also discussed the participants’ proposed approaches to promoting Khmer.