Preserving and spreading Vietnamese
After retiring early, Ms. Kim Lien and her children moved to Hungary to settle down. For older children, there is no problem, but for the 6-year-old child, she wonders when her child enters grade 1, which is how to make her child both know English and learn Hungarian without forgetting Vietnamese.
I also have to "hand over" to my older children to tutor their younger siblings in Vietnamese, buy Vietnamese books for them to read. Not only that, my family has a custom that after dinner, turn on VTV for the whole family to watch. I think Vietnamese is the root, no matter where they are, Vietnamese people still have to cultivate and learn Vietnamese. Fortunately, the Vietnamese community in Hungary is quite large, so whenever there is community work, I encourage my children to participate," Ms. Lien shared.
Ms. Lien's story is quite typical of preserving Vietnamese for people far from home. In an exchange with Lao Dong Newspaper, Meritorious Artist Le Vi, who is currently living with her husband in France, also said that currently, her eldest son is 31 years old, her second son is 22 years old, and her youngest daughter is about to turn 18. All three of the artist's children do not pursue art. She teaches Vietnamese to her children so that they remember their roots even though they grew up in France.
For the Vietnamese community abroad, there is a rather special day: From 2022, September 8th is annually chosen as Vietnamese Language Day in the Vietnamese community abroad. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese communities around the world to turn to their mother tongue, preserve and promote the value of Vietnamese, and spread their love for Vietnamese to younger generations and international friends.
The preservation and development of Vietnamese has played an important role in efforts to promote the image of the country and people of Vietnam to the world. A overseas Vietnamese community that preserves its mother tongue is the most natural and effective "cultural ambassadors", contributing to affirming the nation's position and unique identity in the international arena.
Preserving the Vietnamese language is preserving the soul of the nation. Each word, each sound spoken in a foreign land not only expresses love for the homeland, but also an affirmation of the lasting vitality of Vietnamese culture through all spaces and times.
Yesterday, September 8th, in response to Vietnam Culture Day November 24th, the Vietnamese Cultural Center in France (CCV) chaired and coordinated with the Association for Culture and Life of Vietnam (Assovie Vietnam) to launch the "Vietnamese Language in Children's Hearts" contest.
According to regulations, the participants are children of Vietnamese people aged 6 to 12, currently living in France and European countries. Contestants are divided into two groups. The VN group is for contestants with both parents being Vietnamese. The V.EU group is for contestants with parents being Vietnamese.
The organizers said that contestants use 100% Vietnamese in the presentation; they can choose vertical or horizontal video frames, prioritizing high resolution. Contestants must appear directly and present their contest content themselves. Video content needs to be healthy, positive, and suitable for their age.
Vietnamese is a soft resource
Previously, on the evening of August 23, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs chaired and coordinated with the Foreign Affairs Television Department, Vietnam Television Station to organize the "Dear Vietnamese" Gala 2026 with the theme "The kite flies high from the mother's voice".
Speaking at the program, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized that there are things that follow us throughout life and with each Vietnamese person, which is Mother's language. Vietnamese is the first lullaby of grandmothers and mothers, the memory of the communal house, the wharf, the countryside field, the place that preserves history, culture and the national soul. Whether each person chooses a different journey, whether living in Vietnam or anywhere in the world, Vietnamese is still an invisible but strong bond connecting us with our roots.
Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on the work of Vietnamese people abroad affirms that Vietnamese people abroad are an inseparable part of the community of Vietnamese ethnic groups, one of the important strategic resources, contributing to enhancing the overall strength of the nation; a bridge between Vietnam and the world; accompanying and directly participating in the cause of building, developing and protecting the Vietnamese Fatherland.
In particular, the resolution emphasizes: Vietnamese is not only a language of communication but also a soft resource of the nation. Each Vietnamese language class abroad, each Vietnamese book preserved, and each teacher persistently teaching mother tongue to the younger generation are contributing to fostering Vietnamese identity in the heart of the world.
