Theoretical Foundations for Developing an English-Vietnamese Glossary of Clinical Linguistic

Abstract

This study focuses on establishing the theoretical and practical foundations for the pilot compilation of an “English - Vietnamese Glossary of Clinical Linguistics Terminology.” As an interdisciplinary field intersecting linguistics, biomedicine, and speech-language pathology, Clinical Linguistisc requires a well-developed system of terminology. However, such a system remains unavailable in Vietnam. By employing statistical methods and content analysis of prestigious international resources, the study proposes a standardized process for translating specialized terms into Vietnamese, including key concepts such as articulatory disorder, aphasia, and dysarthria. The findings provide a comprehensive overview of concepts related to clinical linguistics and establish appropriate application principles for developing a terminology handbook. The study also includes the pilot compilation of over 200 entries. This work is expected to support instruction, research, and clinical practice in speech therapy, while simultaneously promoting the development of Clinical Linguistics as a specialized field within Vietnam’s education and healthcare systems.