The Vietnamese language camp is held by the Vietnamese Association in Stuttgart and the “Reading with Children” Club (Hanoi) (Photo: DUONG MY)   

NDO – At the summer camp “"Fun with Vietnamese" held in Warsaw, Poland, Dr. Nguyen Thuy Anh, who is specialised in pedagogy, saw a boy, about 7-8 years old, in front of the door, singing the songs that other students were learning.

When she asked him, she said in Polish: “I am also Vietnamese!”. She felt moved when hearing the boy’s singing. It was like a bell ringing in the heart, from the subconscious of a child born and raised in a foreign country.

Philip (ten years old) was another Norwegian-Vietnamese boy, who also attended the summer camp. He listened to the Vietnamese, but answered in English. When the summer camp ended, he talked with his father, expressing his wish to visit his grandmother more frequently, to study Vietnamese. He said: “I am Vietnamese!”.

Needless to say, that his father was very happy. He was very surprised because the inspiration of Vietnamese came to his son, thanks to the summer camp.

The story of Philip and his father reminded Dr. Thuy Anh, of the longing of another Vietnamese father in Russia. He wished his daughter, Alixa, can confide in her grandmother. During a visit to their homeland, the granddaughter could only hug her grandmother, without talking to her. Following a period of studying Vietnamese, the little girl could stand up on a chair and loudly introduced herself in Vietnamese: “I am Alixa, I am Vietnamese, I would like to read a poem…”. At that time, her father burst into tears. He thought of the satisfaction of his mother, the family love and warm affection that was connected by Vietnamese.

The remuneration policies and attractive rewards were discussed. “Vietnamese Ambassador” will be like a noble title for the overseas Vietnamese to strive for, as well as an excuse for wide and deep communications and encouragement of the love for the Vietnamese language and culture. However, thinking about the lovely stories of the children during the process of teaching, while nurturing the love for Vietnamese over the past years, Thuy Anh realised that the “achievements” can never be a sustainable motivation for love.

Love of a native language and culture is available in every human being. It is like a warm ember that just needs to be blown by the wind. There have been many people who have persistently kept the fire alive. They are teachers at Lac Long Quan Vietnamese Language School (in Warsaw), who still prepare many poems, puzzles and games in Vietnamese, to share with their students. In addition, members of the “Canh dieu” (Kite) Group in Paris (France) have taught Vietnamese language and culture through arts, over the past ten years. Meanwhile, Vietnamese Association in Stuttgart (Germany) have always paid great attention to organising community activities to breathe the Vietnamese soul into the lives of younger generations.

Besides Vietnamese classes, that are still maintained in many countries around the world, many Vietnamese parents have persistently talked to their children and helped them learn Vietnamese, thereby inspiring a love for Vietnamese cultural values and the pride of the Vietnamese people.

In late November 2021, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, held a conference to collect opinions for the project of “Day for honouring Vietnamese” among the overseas Vietnamese community. Many interesting proposals were made, including the project "Vietnamese Ambassador" to seek and honour individuals, who gained outstanding achievements, in preserving and promoting Vietnamese abroad.