Vietnamese Bookcases: Contributing to Preservation and Development of Vietnamese Language Around the World
	Dr. Hoang Thi Hong Ha: Vietnamese Language Ambassador from Paris

Creating Momentum for the Spread of Vietnamese

At the closing ceremony of the 2025 Vietnamese Language Appreciation Day on August 14, the Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese highly praised the strong response of media agencies in implementing the Vietnamese Language Appreciation Day Project. The units actively reported on the event, developed specialized columns, produced features and Vietnamese language teaching programs, contributing to raising awareness and spreading the movement among overseas Vietnamese communities and the domestic public.

In just over a year, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) produced more than 800 multilingual news articles, 400 current affairs photos, and nearly 80 videos reflecting the Vietnamese language movement across multiple continents. The news content closely followed community activities, support policies, overseas Vietnamese associations, language classes, teachers, and youth-led initiatives to preserve Vietnamese.

Vietnam Television (VTV) maintains a system of programs that help overseas Vietnamese and international friends learn Vietnamese in a visual and accessible way. Its rich source materials, combined with linguistic and cultural knowledge, allow Vietnamese to spread naturally through images, sound, and real-life interactions.

The "Chao tieng Viet" (“Hello Vietnamese”) program broadcast on VTV4 and digital platforms of Vietnam Television.

A standout initiative is the "Chao tieng Viet" (“Hello Vietnamese”) program, which teaches Vietnamese in an engaging format through skits, scenarios, songs, storytelling, poetry reading, games, and folk rhymes. The “Vietnamese Studies” segment introduces Vietnamese culture through thought-provoking stories. Creative settings, such as adventures or daily life scenes of Vietnamese families abroad, enhance imagination and learning interest. The program is broadcast weekly for 15 minutes on VTV4 and digital platforms starting from April 3, 2023, with a dense schedule that accommodates time zones around the world.

The "Vui cung tieng Viet" (“Fun with Vietnamese”) program leaves a strong impression through short, emotional conversations with foreigners who love the Vietnamese language. Each episode, roughly 15 minutes long, opens up sincere stories about their attachment to Vietnamese, whether sparked by a song, an interest in culture and history, a personal connection, or impressions from a trip. Alongside sharing their learning journeys, the program also features interesting Vietnamese language challenges, drawing viewers both at home and abroad.

VTV’s digital platforms, such as VTVgo and YouTube, also integrate a wide range of Vietnamese learning content, forming a diverse ecosystem, from structured programs to short talk shows, making it easier for overseas Vietnamese children and youth to access the language.

Meanwhile, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) leverages the strengths of audio to promote and guide Vietnamese teaching and learning. On VOV5, the "Day tieng Viet" (“Teaching Vietnamese”) segment and a multilingual news system have for many years been a reliable source of information, helping teachers, parents, and associations update teaching methods and materials, while also offering encouragement to the community.

Many other media agencies and communication platforms regularly disseminate information on the Party and State’s policies regarding great national unity, cultural preservation, and the Vietnamese language. Reports, interviews, and special features vividly reflect the activities of hundreds of Vietnamese classes, cultural events, festivals, and the learning efforts of Vietnamese communities worldwide.

Thoi Dai (VietnamTimes) magazine also contributes a rich and humanistic content stream through its “Learning Vietnamese” section and specialized features honoring the Vietnamese language. Recently, the “Beloved Vietnamese” series has introduced meaningful and diverse activities celebrating Vietnamese Language Appreciation Day; portrayed outstanding individuals and associations; promoted effective models and methods for learning Vietnamese; and encouraged the use of Vietnamese in families, schools, and communities, thereby strengthening bonds across generations of overseas Vietnamese.

Fostering Social Consensus for Policies Honoring the Vietnamese Language

By expanding coverage of Vietnamese language teaching and learning abroad, the press not only provides information but also helps build a shared societal awareness of the importance of maintaining the Vietnamese language. This, in turn, promotes consensus and support for relevant policies. Thanks to the continuous reporting of real people and real stories, the domestic public increasingly recognizes that preserving the Vietnamese language is a long-term endeavor requiring coordination among families, associations, schools, communities, and the State, not merely symbolic activities. This understanding nurtures empathy, encourages a sense of connection to one’s roots, and deepens the affection of Vietnamese people at home toward overseas Vietnamese.

The "Tieng Viet yeu thuong" (“Beloved Vietnamese”) feature series in Thoi Dai magazine.

The role of the press extends beyond simple description. By promptly reflecting the actual needs of the community, such as teacher shortages, the need for age-appropriate curricula, online learning demands, or the desire for greater connections among associations, the press serves as an important information channel that helps authorities shape policy. Based on these observations, many practical solutions have been implemented: sending Vietnamese textbooks abroad, providing online training for overseas teachers, supporting facilities, and connecting Vietnamese language learning models at home and within the diaspora. Through this, the press contributes to building a sustainable support ecosystem for the Vietnamese language.

In a context where younger generations of overseas Vietnamese receive information primarily through digital environments, the press has proactively adapted by producing short videos introducing the beauty of Vietnamese, clips guiding basic communication, cultural storytelling podcasts, and multilingual infographics. These products make Vietnamese more accessible, lively, and engaging, especially for children and young people, who are the key to the language’s future within the community. As a result, the Vietnamese Language Appreciation campaign is not only present in traditional media but has also spread deeply into the digital lives of Vietnamese communities worldwide.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Vietnamese Language Appreciation Day, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized the need to further strengthen communication efforts, raise awareness of the significance of the Vietnamese language for the community, and use both official media channels and social networks to spread the message that “Vietnamese is the bond that connects Vietnamese communities abroad.”

In the time ahead, with close coordination among the press and media, government ministries, and overseas Vietnamese communities, the Vietnamese language will continue to be preserved and passed on, becoming a sustainable cultural foundation for Vietnamese people around the world.

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