Incrementalism in Post-Colonial language planning

This study employs Lindblom’ s incrementalism theory to analyze Vietnam’ s language policy evolution from 1945 to the present, emphasizing its dual focus on stability and adaptive incrementalism. Post-independence reforms, such as the National Literacy Campaign (1945–1950s), eradicated pre-independence period scripts like Chữ Nôm chatacters, achieving rapid linguistic unification but disrupting cultural continuity. Subsequent phases — including language purification (1960s) and standardization (1979–1990s) — shifted toward incremental adjustments, balancing nationalist agendas with globalization demands. The 1986 Đổi Mới reforms further prioritized English for economic integration while marginalizing minority languages through bilingual education. Vietnam’ s policies reflect a path dependence on colonial and nationalist legacies, yet demonstrate strategic adaptation to global pressures. Incrementalism enabled controlled reforms, maintaining socio-political cohesion through Vietnamese dominance while cautiously addressing minority language attrition and foreign language needs. This approach challenges binary views of post-colonial policy as either radical rupture or passive continuity, and illustrates how gradual adjustments reconcile cultural sovereignty with globalization. The study highlights incrementalism’ s utility in managing multilingual societies, advocating for policies that balance majority-language promotion with endangered language revitalization. It offers insights for nations navigating linguistic inequality and cultural preservation amid globalization.