Hanoi (VNA) – The Government has approved a projecton designating September 8 as the Day for Honouring Vietnamese Language inVietnamese Communities Abroad. Chairman of the State Committee for OverseasVietnamese Affairs (COVA) and Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu talked tothe press about the goals of the project and reasons to choose the date.   

According to the deputy minister, for over 5.3million overseas Vietnamese living in more than 130 countries and territoriesworldwide, the Vietnamese language is the means for them to preserve their traditionalculture, establish themselves while integrating in the local community. The languageis also a bridge to connect overseas Vietnamese all over the world with themotherland.

However, the language is facing a risk of falling into oblivionin overseas Vietnamese communities due to both objective and subjectivereasons. Young generations of OVs, who are born and grow up abroad, are notaware of the significance of their mother tongue, while the teaching andlearning of the language abroad are hindered by many difficulties.

For those reasons, the idea of establishing a day for honouringthe Vietnamese language to encourage the learning and conservation of thelanguage was made a specific task in Conclusion 12/KL-TW dated August 12, 2021of the Politburo and Resolution 169/NQ-CP dated December 31, 2021 of theGovernment.   

“Through the project, we hope the Day for Honouring Vietnamese Languagein Vietnamese Communities Abroad will become an important occasion in thecultural and spiritual life of overseas Vietnamese communities, with practical activitiesto highlight the beauty and richness of the Vietnamese language, spread thelove of the mother tongue among overseas Vietnamese, especially young people,as well as foreign friends,” the deputy minister said.  

Through the honoring of the mother tongue, the project also aimsto contribute to building stable, close-knit and strong overseas Vietnamesecommunities who always think of and actively contribute to their motherland. Atthe same time, it will help spread the policies of the Vietnamese Party andState as well as the Vietnamese culture to international friends, he said.  

Hieu cited several reasons for the choice of September 8 as the Dayfor Honouring Vietnamese Language in Vietnamese Communities Abroad.

First of all, September 8, 1945 was the date the provisional Government of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam launched a campaign on illiteracy eradication.

On September 8, 1962, President Ho Chi Minh underlined the needto preserve, respect and popularize the mother tongue in his remarks at thethird congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association.
 
Furthermore, September 8 every year is the International Literacy Day.

Hieu said activities in response to the Day Day for Honouring VietnameseLanguage in Vietnamese Communities Abroad will be held all the year round andcan be integrated into festivals and celebrations for overseas Vietnamesecommunities.

The activities will be organized by Vietnamese representativemissions abroad and in combination with events sponsored by the COVA such assummer camps or training courses on Vietnamese teaching./.