Spreading the love for the homeland, the sea, and the islands through Vietnamese language classes

After each long trip to Truong Sa island district and the DK1 platform, OVs collected “valuable documents” which are photos and videos which they were eager to share with the second and third generations born abroad.

Many Vietnamese associations abroad have made plans to disseminate the information they have gathered on Vietnam’s sea and islands to inspire expats’ patriotism and their spirit of national pride.

The task of preserving and promoting the national cultural identity for the overseas Vietnamese community has always received special attention by the Party and State. Teaching the Vietnamese language is a key component of Vietnam’s cultural identity. Along with improving the quality of teaching and learning, overseas Vietnamese communities also understand the importance of educating students on the nation’s patriotic traditions. This is especially so for the sovereignty over the homeland’s territorial waters, that includes the sea and islands.

A Vietnamese language class (Photo courtesy of Lac Long Quan Vietnamese Language School)

Le Xuan Lam is a Vietnamese expatriate from Poland, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Que Viet Newspaper, and Chairman of the Council of Lac Long Quan Vietnamese Language School. Established in 1999, the Lac Long Quan Vietnamese Language School now has 150-180 students aged from 6-14 each year.

After receiving a notice from the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland, Lam immediately decided to register for the trip which he has awaited for a long time.

He shared his intentions to impart the love for the homeland sea and islands for the school’s students after returning from the trip to Truong Sa and DK1 platform.

Having the same passion with younger generations, Trinh Cong Tan is Vice President of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic and President of the association in Ostrava. He said that with the support of the Vietnamese Government, the Foreign Ministry, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, since 2002, the OV Association in the Czech Republic began to teach Vietnamese language for the second and third generations born there.

Disseminating knowledge on national sovereignty over sea and islands in a Vietnamese language class (Photo: VNA)

Teaching and learning the Vietnamese language has proved effective in improving communication skills in daily life. It helps children understand more about their history, traditions, and the cultural identity of Vietnam. Even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, classes continued online to keep the warm messages of love and unity flowing to the coming generations of overseas Vietnamese./.

VNA