Vietnamese for overseas Vietnamese: A bridge connecting the younger generation to their roots

In order to help the younger generation of overseas Vietnamese easily access knowledge, the Vietnam Education Publishing House has been actively expanding its Vietnamese-language book collections and promoting its digital transformation strategy. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Tung, member of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Publishing House, talks about this issue.

Why does the Vietnam Education Publishing House consider the establishment of a Vietnamese book collection as a core prerequisite for young overseas Vietnamese to access their national history and culture in an authentic way?

We believe that the Vietnamese is not a tool for communication, but also a repository of the nation's memories and soul. For younger generations born and raised abroad, the biggest gap between them and their homeland is often the language barrier. If they cannot read or understand Vietnamese, it will be very difficult for them to access knowledge about Vietnamese history, geography, culture, and people.

Therefore, the Vietnam Education Publishing House considers the Vietnamese Language Book Collection as a core foundation. This is not just a collection of individual books, but can be seen as a "miniature Vietnamese cultural space".

The content of the bookshelf is carefully selected: from textbooks, Vietnamese language teaching and learning materials, supplementary and reference books, to fairy tales, children's literature, and books on history, geography, famous people, and national traditions. These books are all designed to suit the age, level, and practical needs of each community.

Through relatable stories, vivid illustrations, and a gradually expanding vocabulary, children will approach the Vietnamese language naturally. From this foundation, they can then delve deeper into understanding, comparing, and accessing historical and cultural knowledge from authentic learning sources. We hope that children will not only learn about Vietnam, but also gain a deeper understanding, love, and pride in being Vietnamese, thereby building a lasting and strong connection with their homeland.

How has the program, implemented by the Vietnam Education Publishing House in collaboration with the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, spread to countries around the world in recent times?

Over the past few years, our Vietnamese Book Shelf program has gradually expanded to many countries around the world. Specifically, the bookshelf has reached Vietnamese communities in Japan, Hungary, France, the Czech Republic, Australia, Laos, Belarus, Thailand ... and recently continued to expand to the Russian Federation and Italy.

Specifically, each library is not implemented according to a pre-established template, but is built based on the actual needs of representative agencies, associations, schools, and local communities: In areas with many young children: Priority is given to providing picture books, storybooks, and engaging introductory materials; In areas where Vietnamese language classes are already available: More textbooks and specialized teaching materials for teachers are provided.

Thanks to this flexible approach, the bookshelf is not just a place for reading, but has become a familiar space for linguistic and cultural activities for the overseas Vietnamese community.

Besides traditional printed books, what digital transformation strategies has the Vietnam Education Publishing House implemented to make its libraries more accessible to overseas Vietnamese, especially the younger generation?

Printed books still face certain limitations regarding geographical distance, transportation costs, and the ability to quickly update information. Therefore, the long-term strategy of the Vietnam Education Publishing House is to develop both printed books and a mainstream, multi-platform digital learning resource ecosystem in parallel.

This digital ecosystem includes: Free e-textbooks; a digital learning resource library, video lectures, practice questions, and interactive content; and collaborative programs supporting Vietnamese language teaching and learning on VTV4 channel.

We place special emphasis on teacher training through the application of technology, because technology is only truly effective when teachers know how to select and organize appropriate learning materials.

Our long-term goal is to help teachers, parents, and students anywhere in the world access accurate and consistent knowledge, aligned with their home country's curriculum but flexible to the learning conditions in each country. Digital transformation will help the Vietnamese Language Library transcend geographical boundaries. When paper and e-books complement each other, the Vietnamese language will be more frequently present in the lives of young overseas Vietnamese, becoming a sustainable bridge connecting them to their homeland, Vietnam.

Thank you very much!