Hanoi (VNA) – Solutions to improve the teachingand learning of Vietnamese language among overseas Vietnamese people wereproposed at a seminar in Hanoi on August 22.

The event was held by the State Commission onOverseas Vietnamese (SCOV) under the Foreign Ministry and the Department ofContinuing Education under the Ministry of Education and Training.

It drew officials, experts on Vietnameselanguage and 78 teachers from 12 countries and territories who are participatingin a training course on Vietnamese teaching.

SCOV Vice Chairman Luong Thanh Nghi said theteaching and learning of Vietnamese has long been a demand of overseasVietnamese people. However, most teaching centres are small, lack funding andnecessary infrastructure, and attract few learners.

Vietnamese language classes are mainly held atthe weekend and summer holidays or combined with trips to the homeland.

Some Vietnamese teachers have compiled textbooks,reference books and other teaching materials by themselves, but these booksgenerally don’t meet specialised standards. Most centres lack well-trainedteachers, most of whom are volunteers without salaries or allowances.

Director of the Continuing Education DepartmentNguyen Cong Hinh said the education ministry compiled and posted two books,“Tieng Viet vui” (Fun Vietnamese) for youth and children and “Que Viet”(Vietnamese Homeland) for adults, on its website //tiengvietonline.vn .

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The ministry has worked with the SCOV to holdannual training courses for overseas teachers of Vietnamese. It has also sentteachers to neighboring countries like Laos and Thailand to teach the languageto students, he noted.

At the discussion, participants said thatoverseas Vietnamese communities are making efforts to maintain the language.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Som, a teacher of Vietnamese inThailand, said the State should give more support in terms of textbooks andteaching equipment, open more training courses for overseas teachers, and grantscholarships for expatriate students to attract them to language courses.

Meanwhile, some teachers in Malaysia askedagencies to provide more practical assistance for teaching centres such as fundingfor teachers and teaching assistants.

Other participants said parents and studentsshould be aware of the importance of maintaining their mother tongue andpreserving national identity. Parents also need to help their children toengage in language classes and communicate with their children in Vietnamese athome.-VNA