Bilingualism is not 'Westernization'; being good at English doesn't mean 'forgetting' Vietnamese.

Ms. Vu Thi Thu Hang concluded her presentation at a conference on schools using English as a second language with a story about her Uber ride in Australia. The driver intentionally drove around in circles to prolong the conversation with passengers from Vietnam.

Mother tongue is the thread that connects cultures and origins.

The story goes that during a trip to Australia, she and her relatives used Uber (a ride-hailing app similar to Grab) for transportation. Upon getting in, they found the driver to be a Vietnamese expatriate, and along the way, the driver and passengers chatted happily. The conversation wasn't in English, but in Vietnamese. However, seeing the driver driving around in circles, Ms. Hang asked if he didn't know the way. At this point, the driver honestly admitted, "I was so happy to see you two were 100% Vietnamese that I intentionally drove around in circles to have more time to talk to you."

Ms. Hang, a Master's degree holder, said that the driver in the story confided in her about his sadness – a man who, while in Australia, wasn't considered truly Australian, and when he returned home, people didn't see him as entirely Vietnamese either. That feeling was a constant jumble. When he was in Vietnam, he missed Australia, and when he was in Australia, he missed Vietnam. "I feel like I have no home," the driver said.

Primary school students in Ho Chi Minh City at the "I Love Vietnamese" Festival 2024.

Photo: Thuy Hang

Ms. Hang, founder and developer of the M-English program, which teaches English through storytelling and creative music , concluded her presentation "Creating an English-speaking environment in preschools - effective approaches" at last week's conference with the message: "The mother tongue is the thread that connects cultures and roots. Bilingual learning, with English as a second language in school, allows each child to become a globalized citizen. Children can go out into the world, but preserving and maintaining the Vietnamese language is like holding a thread that keeps them connected to their homeland, so they don't forget their roots."

Focusing solely on English and neglecting Vietnamese could have serious consequences.

We've heard many stories about the distress of parents whose children prefer to use English and not Vietnamese. Whenever they visit their grandparents and uncles and aunts in the countryside, the children are unfamiliar with Vietnamese food, customs, and traditions.

With over 20 years of experience in teacher training, development, and management of bilingual and international preschool and primary education programs, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, a Doctor of Education, shared with me many sad stories about Vietnamese students "forgetting" Vietnamese even while still in Vietnam. These children attend international schools (single-language, English-only) from a young age, and even at home, they struggle to speak Vietnamese fluently when communicating with relatives, grandparents, and parents.

Dr. Huyen once advised a couple whose eldest child, while attending high school in Vietnam, had "forgotten" Vietnamese. They realized their mistake in letting their child avoid speaking Vietnamese at home, allowing him to use almost 100% English in all aspects of life and studies. Being Vietnamese but unable to speak Vietnamese is very sad, as it means losing a crucial identifying characteristic of being Vietnamese.

In the context of the Prime Minister's approval of the Project to make English a second language in schools for the period 2025-2035, with a vision to 2045, the creation of schools where English is used as a second language is receiving increasing attention. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen emphasized that, even in bilingual schools where English is used as a second language, it is essential to preserve and promote the mother tongue alongside the development of English. Bilingualism is not about "Westernization"; bilingual education is much deeper, and in the context of integration, the goal is to help Vietnamese students become global citizens while still preserving the Vietnamese language and protecting Vietnamese identity.

A Vietnamese language training activity for primary school students in Ho Chi Minh City.

Photo: Thuy Hang

And preserving the Vietnamese language and protecting Vietnamese identity is certainly not just the responsibility of schools or society. It's a story that begins within each family. Children must be educated and encouraged by their parents and grandparents to preserve their Vietnamese identity while developing their English skills, rather than becoming overly proud of their children for "speaking English like native speakers" and thinking "it's okay not to use Vietnamese."

Ms. Ha Dang Nhu Quynh, Academic Director of DOL English and a PhD student at the University of Reading, UK, once shared with the author, "Language is a living entity, so not using it will lead to its disappearance. Even Vietnamese people, born in Vietnam, who only communicate in English will gradually lose their Vietnamese language skills."

According to Ms. Quynh, English is just a tool, not the destination, unless you want to specialize in teaching and researching English. While English skills are certainly helpful in the workplace, a lack of specialized knowledge will prevent success. Furthermore, working in Vietnam without proficiency in Vietnamese offers more disadvantages than advantages. "Even foreigners coming to Vietnam want to learn Vietnamese to integrate, so why should Vietnamese people take away the ability to speak Vietnamese from their children?"

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/song-ngu-khong-phai-la-tay-hoa-gioi-tieng-anh-khong-co-nghia-quen-tieng-viet-185251213173803375.htm