Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Laos share close cultural ties, with the Vietnamese language serving as a key bridge connecting the two nations.
The 2024 "Search for Vietnamese Language Ambassadors Abroad" competition highlighted these bonds as Lanny Phetnion, a Lao university lecturer, became the first foreigner to be named among the five winner.
Lanny, from northern Huaphanh province of Laos, received a scholarship to study Vietnamese at the Laos National University. After five years, she became fluent in Vietnamese, confidently sharing her knowledge with friends and family.
Lanny now creates contents on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, teaching Vietnamese and Lao in accessible ways. She has also authored textbooks for learners at various levels. She sees herself as fortunate, given the strong Vietnam-Laos relations, and hopes to contribute to teaching Vietnamese in Laos, further strengthening the two countries' bonds.
The competition, organised by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to promote the Vietnamese language abroad. This effort coincides with the Vietnamese Language Day (September 8), a new cultural milestone for the Vietnamese community worldwide.
Phan Minh Chien, Chargé d'affaires at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, noted that the event and the growing movement to promote Vietnamese in Laos underscore the importance of the language as a tool for strengthening the Vietnam-Laos ties. This initiative is also seen as a step toward broader cultural cooperation between the two nations./.
