New project to promote Vietnamese language in Vietnamese communities abroad

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu (Photo: VNA)

The Government has approved a project on designating September 8 as the Day for Honouring Vietnamese Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad. Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) and Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu talked to the press about the goals of the project and reasons to choose the date.

According to the deputy minister, for over 5.3 million overseas Vietnamese living in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide, the Vietnamese language is the means for them to preserve their traditional culture, establish themselves while integrating in the local community. The language is also a bridge to connect overseas Vietnamese all over the world with the motherland.

However, the language is facing a risk of falling into oblivion in overseas Vietnamese communities due to both objective and subjective reasons. Young generations of OVs, who are born and grow up abroad, are not aware of the significance of their mother tongue, while the teaching and learning of the language abroad are hindered by many difficulties.

For those reasons, the idea of establishing a day for honouring the Vietnamese language to encourage the learning and conservation of the language was made a specific task in Conclusion 12/KL-TW dated August 12, 2021 of the Politburo and Resolution 169/NQ-CP dated December 31, 2021 of the Government.

“Through the project, we hope the Day for Honouring Vietnamese Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad will become an important occasion in the cultural and spiritual life of overseas Vietnamese communities, with practical activities to highlight the beauty and richness of the Vietnamese language, spread the love of the mother tongue among overseas Vietnamese, especially young people, as well as foreign friends,” the deputy minister said.

Through the honoring of the mother tongue, the project also aims to contribute to building stable, close-knit and strong overseas Vietnamese communities who always think of and actively contribute to their motherland. At the same time, it will help spread the policies of the Vietnamese Party and State as well as the Vietnamese culture to international friends, he said.

Hieu cited several reasons for the choice of September 8 as the Day for Honouring Vietnamese Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

First of all, September 8, 1945 was the date the provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam launched a campaign on illiteracy eradication.

On September 8, 1962, President Ho Chi Minh underlined the need to preserve, respect and popularize the mother tongue in his remarks at the third congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association.

Furthermore, September 8 every year is the International Literacy Day.

Hieu said activities in response to the Day Day for Honouring Vietnamese Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad will be held all the year round and can be integrated into festivals and celebrations for overseas Vietnamese communities.

The activities will be organized by Vietnamese representative missions abroad and in combination with events sponsored by the COVA such as summer camps or training courses on Vietnamese teaching./.