Honouring Vietnamese: Spreading love for Vietnamese language among the Vietnamese community in Czech
WVR - Poems, songs, and drawings about Vietnam were brought to the stage by Vietnamese children in the Czech Republic during the final night of the "Honouring Vietnamese" competition held at the Sapa Trade Centre, Prague, on the afternoon of September 12, 2026.
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| Spreading Love for Vietnamese Language among the Vietnamese Community in the Czech Republic. (Source: State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese) |
Through diverse performances, contestants demonstrated that the Vietnamese language is still cherished and nurtured among the younger Vietnamese generation living far from their homeland.
This competition, organized by the Education Committee of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Czech, aims to create a platform for Vietnamese children to use their mother tongue, showcase their talents, and learn more about their cultural and national traditions.
A noteworthy aspect of the competition is the variety in how the children chose to express the Vietnamese language. Beyond reciting poems or singing, many contestants used art to tell stories about Vietnam's homeland, land, and people.
Pham Ngoc Han, 12, from Tachov, chose to draw a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh and a map of Vietnam. Han shared that she often speaks Vietnamese with her parents at home, while using Czech at school. She participated in the competition to express her affection for Uncle Ho and her homeland, Vietnam.
For Than Ha Mi, 10, also from Tachov, Vietnam was depicted through a painting themed “Homeland of Vietnam”. Ha Mi stated that Vietnam is her mother's homeland and a place she always remembers. Using Vietnamese at home helps her maintain a connection to her homeland, even while living and studying in the Czech Republic.
Pham Thi Hien, Ha Mi's mother, shared that the family wanted their child to participate in the competition to gain more experience and understand more about their cultural heritage. According to her, although the children study in a Czech-speaking environment, the family maintains communication in Vietnamese at home. She believes activities like the “Honoring Vietnamese” competition provide a practical platform that motivates Vietnamese-origin children to learn and use their mother tongue.
Among the finalists, Nguyen Viet Thai, 14, from Liberec, chose a poem about national pride. To prepare for the competition, he practiced daily to present the poem confidently. Viet Thai mentioned that he often speaks Vietnamese with his grandparents and parents, thereby maintaining a connection with his family and homeland.
Another message was conveyed through the performance of Vu Dai Phuc, 13, from Litvinov. He chose the poem “Peace” and wished to share his thoughts with other children, especially those who haven't had many opportunities to use Vietnamese. Dai Phuc shared that he speaks Vietnamese with his parents but uses Czech when communicating with siblings.
According to Nguyen Thi Lien, Dai Phuc's mother, the family always emphasizes teaching Vietnamese to their children from a young age, not only to read, write, and communicate but also to understand traditional cultural values. The family often explains to the children about national holidays and Tet. She believes that community platforms are opportunities for children to gain confidence and a greater awareness of their roots.
The atmosphere of the final night became more vibrant with artistic performances.
Vu Nguyet Nhi, 10, from Litvinov, chose two songs “Ly Bac Bo” and “Day xe bo”. She shared that these are her favorite songs and she wanted to dedicate her performance to express her love for her grandparents and parents.
The performances, though varied in form, all aimed at creating opportunities for Vietnamese children to use their mother tongue in a community space. For many Vietnamese families in Czech, this is also a way to help their children maintain Vietnamese in their daily lives, while they are studying and growing up in a predominantly Czech-speaking environment.
| The “Honouring Vietnamese” competition is not just a cultural activity for children. Through the Vietnamese language, the program helps connect generations within families, strengthens the bond between young people and the community, and helps them understand more about the culture and traditions of their nation. From poems and songs to paintings about Vietnam, contestants expressed their love for their homeland in their own unique ways. Such activities are expected to continue motivating the younger Vietnamese generation abroad to use Vietnamese more frequently, thereby contributing to preserving the language and cultural identity of Vietnam within the overseas Vietnamese community. |
