The worry of "misalignment"
Thuong Minh village, located in Minh Quang commune, is a land of pristine and majestic mountain scenery in the highlands of Tuyen Quang province. In recent years, it has been gradually transforming with the development of community tourism .
However, this development also brings significant challenges in preserving the ethnic cultural identity. Mobile phone coverage is widespread throughout the villages, and the internet has permeated every home, bringing with it new cultural influences. Children are growing up in the digital age, familiar with popular songs online, and the Kinh language is gradually becoming the primary language of communication, replacing the Pà Thẻn language.
Teacher Phan Van Truong "stands in front of the class" to teach the Pa Then language to students - photo: Thanh Tung
- Are you going to school tomorrow?
- Nứ pu ny ạ sị nhi thớ sý đẹ (I've eaten rice already!).
The "old man asks a chicken, the grandson answers a duck" situation described above is quite common between the two generations in Thuong Minh. Often, the elderly prefer to communicate in the Pa Then language, while the younger generation only understands bits and pieces; some grandchildren don't even know how to speak it. This "mismatch" causes headaches and sleepless nights for the elderly.
Phan Van Truong understood this well. As both the village's youth union secretary and a rare gem in the village having graduated from the Faculty of Education at Tan Trao University, he felt it was his responsibility to do something to ensure that the ethnic language was known to more young people.
So, day after day, he met with the elderly people, chatting with them, and carefully transcribing each word accurately, hoping to create a document to preserve their ethnic language. He devoted himself to this idea for many years, but what saddened him most was the decline of the ancient Pà Thẻn script. When transcribing the Pà Thẻn language, he still had to use the standard Vietnamese alphabet, transcribing it according to its pronunciation. For example: "Tơ pa" (tree), "no ý" (eating rice), "o ó" (drinking water)...
Many of the Pà Thẻn people pronounce words with different intonations and breathy intonations, making them very difficult to write down. He said that language must be passed down orally; only through direct learning can one truly understand, remember, and apply it. If you just write things down without learning, reading, or practicing, then books and notes will just end up gathering dust in a box.
Then, unexpected joy came when the local government decided to revive the Pà Thẻn culture, including opening folk song classes. "Like a fish finding water," his long-cherished dream finally took flight, and Trường volunteered to teach folk songs to the villagers.
Remember "pu quơ"
"Pú quơ" is the first word young teacher Phan Van Truong taught his students. In the Pa Then language, "pú quơ" means ancestor or origin.
He explained that the Pà Thẻn people must remember their "pú quơ" (ancestral roots), just as forest birds never forget to return to their nests after foraging, and forest leaves always fall back to their roots after years. Remembering one's ancestors and origins is essential for growth and maturity; even after death, the "spirit" will still be recognized by ancestors, preventing it from getting lost.
The class includes people of all ages, the youngest being 6 years old and the oldest 60. Mr. Truong said that each person comes here for different reasons. The children genuinely come to learn the language, while the older people come to review, or simply to listen and support the young people who love their ethnic heritage. That is a source of encouragement for him to try even harder.
The teacher's lessons are very easy to understand. His explanations and analogies are very clear, so many people enjoy learning from him. Hung Kieu Anh shared: "Teacher Truong's class has reviews of previous lessons and homework assignments. We learn and practice at the same time, so we all grasp the material well."
The lesson plan compiled by Mr. Truong contains a total of 30 lessons. The lessons progress from easy to difficult, starting with greetings, inviting people to eat, and offering drinks, then gradually moving on to longer and more challenging dialogues.
Everything was well-structured, scientific , and easy to remember. Hung Thi Mai remembered it perfectly: "Lesson 1 is about greetings, Lesson 2 is about asking about someone's health, Lesson 3 is about inviting someone to eat or drink... I think our ethnic language isn't difficult at all; with hard work and diligence, you can learn it right away."
According to Ms. Hung Thi Tam, her grandchild comes home from school and immediately starts talking to grandparents and parents in the Pa Then language. Sometimes the whole family teaches each other how to speak and pronounce the words. It's so much fun!
After more than a month of operation, Mr. Truong's class has achieved many successes. Witnessing the young people speaking their ethnic language fills him with immense joy and happiness. Even though the class has ended, he always takes advantage of every opportunity to "plant" the seeds of his ethnic language in his young students.
The teacher shared: "To teach a language, you don't need to stand on a podium; you just need to practice whenever you have the chance. From gatherings on the hillsides, sports activities, cultural events, to youth union meetings, I take advantage of every opportunity to talk to and guide them in speaking the Pà Thẻn language."
Known for his deep affection for his hometown of Thuong Minh, Truong has been trusted and elected as the Youth Union Secretary for the past 10 years. He actively participates in learning Pa Then folk songs, performing with members of the Thuong Minh village homestay art troupe during holidays and welcoming tourists.
Truong said he has always been proud and felt fortunate to be a Pa Then person, born in Thuong Minh, a land with unique and mysterious cultural characteristics. Each person has their own way of contributing to building their homeland, and he will continue his journey of preserving and protecting his ethnic identity with a heart full of responsibility.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/miet-mai-giu-tieng-pa-then-185250706181253817.htm
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