Attending the seminar were the Consul General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen, Dinh Hoang Linh, and his wife; Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Thuyet; Mr. Ho Van Lam, President of the General Association of Vietnamese People in Thailand; Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa, President of the Vietnamese Association in Udon Thani Province; Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Secretary General of the Global Network for Teaching Vietnamese Language and Culture; along with representatives from agencies, experts, teachers, parents, students, and the Vietnamese community in Thailand.
The program, coordinated by numerous domestic and local agencies, attracted the participation of a large number of Vietnamese expatriates and friends in Thailand, demonstrating the shared interest and effort in preserving and spreading the Vietnamese language and culture within the community of over 100,000 Vietnamese people in Northeast Thailand.
From various locations across the country, the program was attended by representatives from the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese; Mr. Dang Thanh Phuong, Deputy Head of the People's Foreign Affairs Department, Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; the Deputy Chief of the Office of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, along with representatives from the leadership of Ho Chi Minh City and related units.
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From the "soul of the nation" to the story of the community.
In northeastern Thailand – where the Vietnamese community has developed and thrived for generations – the preservation of the Vietnamese language has become even more meaningful and urgent. The seminar "Strengthening the Teaching and Learning of Vietnamese Language and Culture in the Community of Northeast Thailand" was organized in this context, not only to examine the current situation but also to seek practical and sustainable solutions for the preservation of the mother tongue.
More than just a means of communication, the Vietnamese language – for the Vietnamese community abroad – is also a repository of memories, a connecting thread between each individual and their homeland and roots. In Northeast Thailand, where the Vietnamese community has been established for generations, the story of preserving the Vietnamese language is therefore not simply about education , but a journey of preserving identity.
The seminar "Strengthening the Teaching and Learning of Vietnamese Language and Culture in the Community of Northeast Thailand," held in Udon Thani, was not only a professional activity but also an opportunity to reflect on the long journey of the community, from its difficult beginnings to its current efforts to preserve its mother tongue.
In his opening remarks, the Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kaen, Dinh Hoang Linh, emphasized that the Vietnamese language is the "soul of the nation," the foundation for maintaining cultural identity and connecting the overseas Vietnamese community with their homeland. He recalled the historical milestone nearly a century ago when President Ho Chi Minh opened a Vietnamese language class for overseas Vietnamese in Udon Thani – laying the groundwork for the Vietnamese language learning movement in Thailand.
Khanh An School – where the journey of preserving the Vietnamese language began.
One of the most emotionally impactful highlights of the seminar was the presentation by Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan Oanh, a teacher at Khanh An Vietnamese Language School – considered one of the earliest schools to teach Vietnamese in Thailand.
In her sharing, she emotionally recalled the difficult periods of the community, especially before 1975 – when teaching and learning Vietnamese faced many limitations, and at times had to be maintained under conditions lacking both material resources and a suitable social environment.
"There were periods when teaching Vietnamese wasn't just about the classroom; it was about quietly preserving it within each family and by each teacher," Ms. Oanh shared.
It was from those simple classrooms, blackboards, chalk, and a love for the mother tongue that Khanh An School became one of the cradles of the Vietnamese language teaching movement in Northeast Thailand. From there, the Vietnamese language not only survived but gradually spread, becoming an integral part of community life through many generations.
"Even today, some of the boatmen in Thailand are old and frail, while others have passed away, but the spirit and love for the Vietnamese language are still strongly preserved and passed on," Ms. Oanh shared emotionally.
When the Vietnamese language is nurtured through the third and fourth generations
While in many other countries, the Vietnamese community is still mainly in the first and second generations, in Northeast Thailand, the Vietnamese language has passed through the third and fourth generations – a rare and commendable phenomenon.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Secretary General of the Global Network for Teaching Vietnamese Language and Culture, this is the unique value of the Vietnamese community in Thailand.
He argued that what makes this enduring lies not only in the classroom, but also in the fact that the Vietnamese language is nurtured in the family, in community life, and in the collective memory of many generations.
"Here, the Vietnamese language is not just taught, but lived within the community," he said.
However, in the context of deep integration, challenges remain. Many delegates believe that today's younger generation tends to use their native language more, while the environment for using Vietnamese in families and society is gradually shrinking.
Look directly at the reality to find solutions.
The seminar devoted considerable time to practical discussions, with the participation of teachers, parents, and students – those directly involved in teaching and learning Vietnamese.
There is a consensus that, despite the great need to learn Vietnamese within the community, many difficulties remain, such as a shortage of teachers, a lack of suitable learning materials, and a lack of environments for using the language in daily life – issues that have also been noted in many Vietnamese communities around the world .
Based on that experience, many solutions have been proposed, emphasizing the role of families, schools, and associations in creating a sustainable learning environment.
During the seminar, Mr. Songpon Baolopet, Director of the Center for Vietnamese Studies at the Royal University of Udon Thani, emphasized that the collaboration of research and training institutions and partners in Thailand is not only of professional significance but also serves as a sustainable bridge in cultural and educational exchange between the two countries. According to him, teaching and researching the Vietnamese language is contributing to helping Thai people better understand Vietnam, its people, and its culture, thereby further strengthening the foundation of the Vietnam-Thailand friendship.
From the perspective of the community, Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vice President of the General Association, and President of the Association of Vietnamese People in Udon Thani Province, shared that for overseas Vietnamese, the Vietnamese language is not just a language, but a sacred bond connecting them to their homeland. According to him, preserving the Vietnamese language is also about preserving identity, preserving memories, and maintaining the connection between generations of Vietnamese people living abroad, especially in the context of the community having experienced many historical ups and downs.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Mr. Ho Van Lam, President of the General Association of Vietnamese People in Thailand and President of the Thai-Vietnamese Business Association, believes that the dissemination of the Vietnamese language needs to be placed within the overall context of community life, from education to economics, from family to social activities. When Vietnamese is used in daily life, in the workplace, and in community connections, the language will not only be preserved but also continue to be nurtured and developed.
From classroom to policy: A Vietnamese language ecosystem is needed.
One of the highly regarded approaches is strengthening connections between communities through the Global Vietnamese Language Teaching Network.
Established in 2025, the Network has attracted hundreds of teachers and volunteers from over 130 countries and territories, becoming an important platform for sharing experiences, learning materials, and teaching methods.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, the most important thing is not the numbers, but the increasingly clear consensus within the community: Preserving the Vietnamese language is preserving the cultural foundation and long-term vitality of the Vietnamese community abroad.
Beyond just community initiatives, delegates also emphasized the role of policy and domestic support.
The proposals included: Introducing Vietnamese as a foreign language in local schools; Expanding the model of Vietnamese-language libraries in the community; Strengthening cultural activities and festivals associated with the Vietnamese language; Creating an environment for using Vietnamese in daily life and work.
These solutions aim to build a comprehensive Vietnamese language ecosystem – where the language exists not only in the classroom, but is present in every aspect of life.
Preserving the Vietnamese language means preserving our roots and our future.
A significant highlight of the program was the book launch ceremony for "Learning Vietnamese with Fun" – Volume 2. More than just a learning resource, the book is the culmination of dedication and love for the Vietnamese language, aimed at young Vietnamese generations living abroad.
During the program, Professor Nguyen Minh Thuyet directly introduced the structure and content of the book, hoping to make learning Vietnamese more accessible, lively, and relevant to everyday life.
Concluding the discussion, a consistent message was affirmed: preserving the Vietnamese language is not just about preserving a language, but about preserving the roots, identity, and future of the community.
Earlier, on the morning of April 29th, at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site in Udon Thani, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen, the Association of Vietnamese People in Thailand (General Association), the Thai-Vietnamese Business Association in Thailand, and a large number of overseas Vietnamese organized a ceremony to offer incense and flowers in remembrance and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2026).
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/gin-giu-va-phat-trien-van-hoa-viet-tai-thai-lan-747838.html
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