Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Mạnh Cường (sixth from left) pictured with the VietNEST project team and several representatives of the Vietnamese community in Sydney. — VNA/VNS Photo

SYDNEY — In Australia, home to over 320,000 Vietnamese, fewer than 14 per cent of Vietnamese-origin children have a strong command of their mother tongue. Only 36 per cent of families create a Vietnamese-speaking environment at home, a challenge for preserving both language and culture.

To address this, backed by funding from the ASIF Foundation - a charity operating in both Australia and Việt Nam, the Vietnam-Australia Scholars and Experts Association (VASEA) has partnered with VietSchool, a Vietnamese language school in Sydney, to launch VietNEST.

VietNEST (Vietnamese Nurturing Education for Science & Traditions) is a mobile app and digital platform for Vietnamese language learning among overseas children.

Launched in Sydney on August 7, VietNEST offers interactive, AI-powered lessons for children aged 5–15, integrating speech recognition, adaptive learning, and game-based exercises. The pilot is running at VietSchool and is set for official release in November 2025, free to Vietnamese families and community schools in Australia.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Mạnh Cường welcomed the initiative, saying technology-based e-learning for overseas Vietnamese children was an innovative approach worth expanding.

Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney Nguyễn Thanh Tùng also acknowledged the contribution of VASEA, VietSchool, and the ASIF Foundation to preserving language and culture.

ASIF Foundation representatives noted that maintaining Vietnamese overseas required community-wide effort and expressed hope VietNEST would create a modern, engaging learning ecosystem to help the language thrive.

According to VASEA, the curriculum is built by experienced Vietnamese teachers in Sydney and features themed modules on cultural topics such as Tết feasts, dishes, folk songs, and iconic landmarks. AI tools assist teachers in lesson planning, progress tracking, pronunciation analysis, and writing evaluation. A Funbox feature allows students to record responses, receive AI feedback, and even transform their voices into character voices to make practice enjoyable.

VASEA leaders said the platform was developed in response to both community needs and personal commitment, aiming to strengthen language skills, promote cultural exchange, and instil pride in Vietnamese heritage among younger generations in Australia and beyond. — VNA/VNS