Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of August Revolution and National Day September 2: Honoring the 'ferrymen' who carry the Vietnamese language far and wide

Đại sứ Phùng Thế Long và cô Ngọc Dung Moser - Tổng Thư ký Hội Người Việt Nam tại Thụy Sĩ. Ảnh: Anh Hiển - PV TTXVN tại Thụy Sỹ

Ambassador Phung The Long and Ms. Ngoc Dung Moser, Secretary General of the Association of Vietnamese People in Switzerland, at the ceremony.

The ceremony began with a sacred flag-raising ceremony, with the heroic National Anthem resounding at the Embassy headquarters in the capital Bern, the entire hall seemed to relive the historic moment of September 2, 1945 when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence.

Delegates and participants then watched a documentary film depicting the 80-year journey of building and defending the Fatherland, along with the aspirations of innovation, integration and development of the Vietnamese people.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Phung The Long emphasized the great significance of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2. The Ambassador affirmed the deep pride of the Vietnamese people in the glorious past, current achievements and the whole country is optimistic about the new era, the era of national development.

On this occasion, Ambassador Phung The Long also announced the decision to award certificates of merit to teachers of Binh Minh School, a Vietnamese language school in Zurich.

In response to the recognition of the Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland for the efforts to maintain the Vietnamese language in this European country, Ms. Ngoc Dung Moser, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Association in Switzerland, shared about the difficulties from the early days of its establishment until the time when Vietnamese was recognized as an optional language in public schools in the canton of Zurich.

“In the era of globalization, we can live in many places, speak many languages and get acquainted with many cultures, but only Vietnamese reminds us of our roots. Every time I hear Vietnamese in Switzerland, I feel like I am returning to my homeland. A lullaby, a friendly greeting or just a polite 'yes', these are like invisible strings connecting Vietnamese people far away from home with their roots,” said Ms. Ngoc Dung Moser.

Ms. Tran Dinh Linh Phuong was grateful to receive the certificate of merit from the Vietnamese Embassy, considering this a timely encouragement for teachers - those who spare no effort and time to teach Vietnamese to children at Binh Minh School.

She said: “Everyone has their own family and work, but we share the same passion to continue teaching Vietnamese to children. The Vietnamese community in the German-speaking states of Switzerland is quite large but scattered, so sending their children to Binh Minh school on weekends is not without difficulties. Therefore, we have to create flexible study hours, suitable for families living far from the city."

After all, teachers always find joy in teaching and express happiness when Vietnamese becomes an optional language in the public school system here.

Also at the ceremony, Mr. Andreas Reinhard, a Swiss whose child is studying at Binh Minh School, expressed his gratitude for the school's efforts to maintain Vietnamese language classes.

He affirmed: “My son has been learning Vietnamese since he was young. He is very interested and always talks to his mother in Vietnamese at home. Even when I have free time, I find ways to learn Vietnamese. Now, I can communicate simple sentences with my son, considering this a way to help him maintain his connection with his homeland Vietnam."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ky-niem-80-nam-cach-mang-thang-tam-va-quoc-khanh-29-vinh-danh-nhung-nguoi-lai-do-cho-tieng-viet-vuon-xa-326326.html