Hanoi (VNA) – A free Vietnamese language class has been launched for children from the Vietnamese community in New York and neighbouring areas, with teachers from Columbia University participating in the initiative.
The class is jointly organised by the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Vietnamese Language Programme at Columbia University. The learners are children aged 6 to 14, most of whom were born in the US.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on March 22, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN, highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting the Vietnamese language abroad, particularly in the US. He expressed his belief that such classes would be engaging and filled with laughter, following a "learning through play" approach. Beyond improving their Vietnamese language skills, the children will also have the opportunity to explore Vietnam’s cultural traditions and history, fostering a stronger connection to their homeland, he added.
On this occasion, Ambassador Giang expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the enthusiastic support and collaboration of the Vietnamese Language Programme at Columbia University. He extended special thanks to close friends of the mission, including Professor Nguyen Lien Hang, Director of the Weatherhead East Asia Institute, and Lecturer Nguyen Phuong Chung from Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures of Columbia University.
Professor Hang shared her honour in working alongside Vietnam’s diplomatic mission to preserve Vietnamese language and culture in the US. She expressed hope that the joint initiatives would be successful, inspiring further efforts to teach and learn Vietnamese in New York.
In addition to this Vietnamese language programme, the spouses of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN continue to organise regular Vietnamese language and cultural classes for the children of Vietnamese diplomats in New York. These activities serve as meaningful contributions to the celebration of "Day for honouring Vietnamese language abroad" (September 8) and align with the contest "Searching for Ambassadors of Vietnamese abroad 2025", launched by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs./.
