Vietnam fosters native language preservation in overseas communities

THE HANOI TIMES — The Vietnamese language is the soul of the nation, deeply intertwined with the country’s cultural identity and history, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, emphasizing the need to preserve the language as it helps strengthen the bonds between overseas Vietnamese communities and their homeland.

Hang was speaking at the ceremony to celebrate the "Day of Honoring Vietnamese Language" and the launch of the 2025 "Search for Vietnamese Language Ambassadors Abroad" contest, which was held in Hanoi on March 29.

At the event, Nguyen Manh Dong, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, encouraged the active participation of overseas Vietnamese in recognizing and honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of the Vietnamese language worldwide.

Along the contest, Dong said a series of programs were also presented to support the language learning process of overseas Vietnamese.

Vietnam Television's VTV4 channel has aired two educational programs, "Tieng Viet Khong Kho" (Vietnamese is not difficult) and "Vui Cung Tieng Viet" (Having fun with Vietnamese), hoping to make the language learning process more interesting for young overseas Vietnamese.

The program features Vietnamese folk literature to help overseas Vietnamese children learn the language while connecting them to their homeland's heritage. It will be broadcast on VTV4 from April 2025 and available on digital platforms.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Studies Center and Bamboo Vietnamese Language School in Japan have held competitions in Vietnamese speaking, painting, and cultural knowledge. A new Vietnamese book collection built by the community was also introduced to provide more learning resources for overseas Vietnamese children.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang announced that this year marks the second celebration of Vietnamese Language Honor Day, which saw enthusiastic participation from the Vietnamese community both at home and abroad. She urged ongoing efforts to protect and promote the Vietnamese language, emphasizing the importance of preserving it to maintain the nation’s cultural identity.

Speaking on behalf of the overseas Vietnamese community, Tran Hong Van, the 2023 Vietnamese Language Ambassador, stressed the importance of teaching Vietnamese to overseas-born children, saying that keeping their mother tongue and cultural roots would give them a strong foundation to succeed.

"Helping our children speak Vietnamese, love Vietnamese culture, and connect with their roots is building a solid foundation for them to shine anywhere in the world," said Van.

The feeling of being connected to Vietnam will inspire them to care about, work with, and contribute to the country. This valuable intellectual and human resource, along with the priceless spiritual values that each family gains when their children speak Vietnamese, is something that we should all strive to KEEP THE VIETNAMESE FLAME ALIVE!"