Ottawa (VNA) – An online Vietnamese-language learning platform, recently launched in Canada, is helping young overseas Vietnamese (OVs) maintain their mother tongue while deepening their connection with the culture, history, customs and traditions of their homeland.
The online Vietnamese-language school was launched by the Canada–Vietnam Culture and Education Council (CVCEC) - a Canada-based non-profit organisation that targets culture as a foundation for integration, and education and technology as tools to empower young people, at a ceremony in Toronto. The event was attended by representatives of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, as well as Vietnamese associations and community members in Canada.
The initiative comes as the Vietnamese community in Canada continues to grow, while many second- and third-generation children face difficulties maintaining their mother tongue. Geographical distance, a shortage of teachers and a lack of suitable learning materials have made regular Vietnamese-language education difficult for many families.
Phan Thi Quynh Trang, CVCEC founder and project coordinator, said the project aims to provide a fundamental and sustainable solution to the lack of standardised, systematic Vietnamese-language education models and the fragmented, spontaneous nature of existing teaching activities.
It seeks to create a professional learning environment that helps young OVs strengthen their connection with their cultural roots, she noted.
Unlike multilingual language-learning applications, the model is designed specifically for Vietnamese children born and raised in overseas, helping them better understand their heritage. It offers structured learning pathways based on materials from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Publishing House, supplemented with content on Vietnamese landscapes, customs, folk verses, music and folk tales.
Tran Thanh Phuc, a founding member of BambooTech in Finland, which developed the platform, said the programme follows a clear learning pathway instead of providing isolated vocabulary, giving parents greater confidence in their children's learning.
Culture is also an important component of the platform, he said, as students learn not only the language but also about Vietnamese culture, helping them better understand their roots.
The project plans to add online classes, tools to track students' progress in listening, speaking, reading and writing, and a system recommending exercises suited to each student's ability.
The school is part of a series of CVCEC initiatives selected to participate in the “Leading Urban Change” programme of the University of Toronto's School of Cities. The project will be piloted in Toronto before expanding to Vietnamese communities in other provinces and cities across Canada.
By combining educational technology with traditional cultural values, the initiative is expected to broaden opportunities for OV children to learn their mother tongue and create stronger bridges connecting young generations with their families, communities and homeland./.
