Reporters from Vietnam, the US, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Poland gathered at an October 22 seminar in Hanoi to discuss Vietnamese language instruction for expatriate Vietnamese communities. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son, the National State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs’ (COVA) Chairman, noted it was the second seminar of its kind to attract the participation of domestic and foreign reporters and editors, researchers, and representatives from cultural, communications and education agencies. Media agencies have actively supported Overseas Vietnamese (OV)’s efforts to hold on to their Vietnamese language and cultural identity across a diverse range of media, promoting Vietnam’s land, people, traditions, and internationally operating businesses. Son said ideas presented at the seminar will be considered when authorities review the ten years of progress since the promulgation of the Party’s Politburo Resolution 36 on OV affairs. Seminar attendees discussed ways to improve the efficiency of learning and teaching Vietnamese and strategies for maintaining and promoting national cultural identities among OV communities. They also talked about curricula and teaching materials and the role of the Vietnamese language press. Participants will conduct exchanges at the conclusion of the seminar, working with Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City press agencies and touring cultural and historical sites. VOV