Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Lân Trung, Chairman of the Vietnam Linguistics Association, shares his experiences in teaching and learning Vietnamese at the opening ceremony. VNA/VNS Photo

LONDON — A free on-line Vietnamese language programme for children of Overseas Vietnamese in the UK was launched virtually on June 9 with the participation of lecturers from the University of Languages and International Studies (ILIS under the Vietnam National University, Hà Nội) and about 200 students across the European country.

The programme is jointly organised by the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK), the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese (ALOV) and ILIS, aiming to support the Vietnamese community in the UK in preserving and developing Vietnamese language and culture.

The first phase of the programme lasts 15 months with 16 classes, dividing into three levels with the attendance of 228 students. Classes are held virtually every Sunday and students are awarded a certificate from ILIS at the end of the course.

The programme also includes annual summer camps to give young generations of Vietnamese expatriates Vietnamese language and cultural experiences in the homeland.

Đào Thị Hồng, First Secretary in charge of education at the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, lauded the programme, saying it is a meaningful activity which opens an effective channel to preserve and develop the Vietnamese language and culture abroad. It also helps generations of Vietnamese people born and raised in the UK maintain their mother tongue and create connections between generations in Vietnamese families in the European country, she said.

Nguyễn Minh Tuyến, General Secretary of VAUK and head of the programme's organising board, expressed her delight as the programme received an enthusiastic response from overseas Vietnamese. Nearly 230 students have registered to take part in the programme within five days of the announcement, she added.

Tuyến emphasised that the Vietnamese language programme is one of the focuses of VAUK's activities and will be maintained in the long term. — VNA/VNS