Vila Xaynhavong from the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school in her Vietnamese storytelling performance at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)  

The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, in coordination with the Vietnamese People Association in Vientiane, held a ceremony at the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school on September 16 to honour the Vietnamese language.

At the event, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam underscored that language is not only a tool of communications but also the soul of culture and national identity, stating preserving the Vietnamese language is preserving the nation’s roots and reinforcing the bonds between the overseas Vietnamese and their homeland.

He hailed the Vietnamese community’s efforts in sustaining and promoting Vietnamese language learning through free classes, cultural exchanges, community libraries, and storytelling contests. These efforts, he said, have helped the language spread widely, serving as a vital bridge in the two countries' cooperation, particularly in education and people-to-people links.

Notably, Laos has, for three consecutive years (from 2023 to 2025), had students honoured as Vietnamese language messengers abroad, reflecting the community’s commitment to upholding the mother tongue.

Tam thanked the Lao sides, including central agencies, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the Vientiane administration, for facilitating Vietnamese language initiatives. He suggested several measures for promoting the Vietnamese learning in the country, including designing suitable curricula, fostering bilingual Vietnamese–Lao environments, applying technology to teaching, and organising more competitions and cultural activities to nurture a love for Vietnamese among younger generations.

On the occasion, the embassy donated 30 million LAK (nearly 1,400 USD) to the Vietnamese language development fund to support initiatives in promoting Vietnamese teaching and learning within the community in Laos./.