On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the UnitedNations in Vietnam has emphasised the significance of language inensuring quality education for all.
Educationin native languages is essential to facilitate learning and to bolsterskills in reading, writing and mathematics, UNESCO Director-GeneralIrina Bokova said in a statement, adding that taking this forward willrequire a sharper focus on teaching training, revisions to academicprogrammes and the creation of suitable learning environments.
The Ministry of Education and Training has successfully implementedthe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s initiative promotingmother tongue-based bilingual education in Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Tra Vinhprovinces since 2008.
Experience fromparticipating kindergartens and primary schools confirmed that ethnicminority children taught in their native languages have bettereducational outcomes than their peers learning in Vietnamese.
According to UNICEF Vietnam’s representative Abdel-Youssouf Jelil,the use of the mother tongue during the first few years of schoolencourages and supports learning of ethnic minority students,encouraging them to remain in school and improve their academicachievements in Vietnamese or international languages in later years.
Mother tongue-based bilingual education is aneffective approach to help ensure children have equal access to qualityeducation, empowering ethnic minority groups, assisting in theirsocietal integration and contributing to the country’s sustainabledevelopment.
Stronger national policies andpublic investments to facilitate wider application of initiatives foreducation in native languages have presented an opportunity for Vietnamto embrace its linguistic and cultural diversity.
International Mother Language Day on February 21 was declared by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) in November 1999. It has been celebrated annually sinceFebruary 2000, promoting linguistic and cultural diversity andmultilingualism.-VNA
Educationin native languages is essential to facilitate learning and to bolsterskills in reading, writing and mathematics, UNESCO Director-GeneralIrina Bokova said in a statement, adding that taking this forward willrequire a sharper focus on teaching training, revisions to academicprogrammes and the creation of suitable learning environments.
The Ministry of Education and Training has successfully implementedthe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s initiative promotingmother tongue-based bilingual education in Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Tra Vinhprovinces since 2008.
Experience fromparticipating kindergartens and primary schools confirmed that ethnicminority children taught in their native languages have bettereducational outcomes than their peers learning in Vietnamese.
According to UNICEF Vietnam’s representative Abdel-Youssouf Jelil,the use of the mother tongue during the first few years of schoolencourages and supports learning of ethnic minority students,encouraging them to remain in school and improve their academicachievements in Vietnamese or international languages in later years.
Mother tongue-based bilingual education is aneffective approach to help ensure children have equal access to qualityeducation, empowering ethnic minority groups, assisting in theirsocietal integration and contributing to the country’s sustainabledevelopment.
Stronger national policies andpublic investments to facilitate wider application of initiatives foreducation in native languages have presented an opportunity for Vietnamto embrace its linguistic and cultural diversity.
International Mother Language Day on February 21 was declared by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) in November 1999. It has been celebrated annually sinceFebruary 2000, promoting linguistic and cultural diversity andmultilingualism.-VNA
