Fukuoka Increases Education of Vietnamese Language and Culture for Children

Vu Chi Mai, consul general of Vietnam in Fukuoka and Nguyen Duy Anh, president of Vietnamese People Association in Fukuoka at the workshop on June 3. Photo: Truong Quan

A workshop held in Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture on June 3 highlighted the importance of teaching the Vietnamese language and culture to Vietnamese children living in Kyushu, the third largest island of the Northeast Asian country, according to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on Sunday. The event was attended by experts and representatives from the local Vietnamese community, who discussed various topics related to the education of the Vietnamese language and culture in the region. The participants also exchanged ideas on how to improve the teaching of the language and culture to the younger generations of the Vietnamese community.

Addressing over 120 participants in the hybrid event, Vu Chi Mai, consul general of Vietnam in Fukuoka, highlighted that the workshop was part of activities the Consulate General had organized under the Prime Minister-approved plan to commemorate the Vietnamese language in overseas Vietnamese (OV) communities from 2023 to 2030.

The Consulate General is devoted to promoting the Vietnamese language and helping develop Overseas Vietnamese (OV) communities, as well as popularizing the culture, according to her. This is a key part of their efforts to preserve and strengthen the culture.

She declared that educating the Vietnamese language and culture to Overseas Vietnamese (OV) children would generate numerous meaningful gains, such as augmenting their patriotism, recognition of the homeland, and comprehension of the community, as well as reinforcing their ties with their families.

Participants in the workshop in Fukuoka prefecture on June 3. Photo: VNA

Encouraging the use of the Vietnamese language in second and third-generation Vietnamese families in Japan can help bolster the community’s development and create a valuable source of manpower for both countries, Mai noted.

Mai Phan Dung, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, highlighted the commitment and responsibility of the Vietnamese community in Japan and other countries in preserving and promoting their native language. This is evidenced by the organization of numerous activities, including the establishment of Vietnamese language schools, classes, and centers, such as the Vietnamese schools/classes in Tokyo, Osaka, and Saitama, as well as the Hoa Mai class in Kobe.

He lauded the commencement of a class that provides guidance on how to teach Vietnamese language and culture to Vietnamese children in Kyushu, expressing his wish that similar initiatives will be implemented not only in Northeast Asia but also around the globe.

Representatives of the State Committee for OV Affairs attend virtually from Hanoi. Photo: Truong Quan

At the workshop, renowned experts presented their insights into issues related to the maintenance and teaching of the Vietnamese language and culture in foreign nations.

Dr. Kondo Mika, a major in Vietnamese from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Osaka University, recently gave an insightful lecture on “Preserving Language and Culture for Children of Vietnamese Origin, particularly with regard to providing educational opportunities to learn Vietnamese and Vietnamese culture in Japanese schools.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Thi, of Osaka University, discussed a classroom model for two groups of students – those who are not fluent and those who are fluent in Vietnamese as their mother tongue. Hua Ngoc Tan from Dai Nam University then shared her insights from Taiwan on building and organizing a curriculum of Vietnamese language and culture for these two groups.

Meanwhile, Le Hoai Thu, Deputy Director in charge of the Center for Education Technology – Vietnam Education Publishing House, demonstrated some new points in the approach to teaching Vietnamese to Vietnamese children abroad in the Hello Vietnamese book and introduction of the Hello Vietnamese program on VTV4, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Trung analyzed guidelines for the Vietnamese language teaching curriculum and Vietnamese language teaching methods.

Participants in the workshop in Fukuoka prefecture on June 3. Photo: VNA

On this special occasion, the Vietnamese People Association in Fukuoka officially unveiled a board dedicated to the Vietnamese language in order to honor and preserve its culture within the local Overseas Vietnamese community. By doing so, they hope to keep the language alive for generations to come.

The Vietnamese expat community in Japan is the second largest, with over 489,000 members currently living in the country. This number is continuing to grow, highlighting the strength of the relationship between the two nations.

Hannah Nguyen

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