Over recent years, Vietnamese teachers at the Vietnamese Language Centre in Savannakhet Province in Laos have made great efforts to strengthen the special solidarity and friendship between Laos and Viet Nam.

The centre, which provides Laotian pupils, students and government staff members with Vietnamese language courses, now has 5 classrooms.  It has 7 teachers with around 150 trainees, and 2 of the teachers are Vietnamese.  They are 58-year-old Nguyen Thi Hong Minh from Da Nang and 40-year-old Nguyen Van Duc from Ha Tinh Province.

In 2012, Mrs Minh volunteered to teach the Vietnamese language in Laos after her retirement from the Huynh Ba Chanh Senior High School in Ngu Hanh Son District’s Hoa Hai Ward. 

She spent her first year in Laos teaching Vietnamese at the Vietnamese Language Centre in Champasak Province.   Since 2013, she has been teaching at the similar centre in Savannakhet Province.

She said that the studious nature of the local pupils, and their love for her, have helped her to overcome her homesickness.  This has all inspired her to continue trying to help her pupils practise and deepen their understanding of the new language.

Mr Duc (left), Mrs Minh (right) and the director of the centre

Teacher Nguyen Van Duc, who graduated from the National University of Laos, has been living and working in Laos for 10 years.  Mr Duc now considers this country his second home.

Over the past 3 years, Mr Duc has been offering Vietnamese language courses at the centre for Laotian trainees who are mainly local government employees.  He has always devoted himself to his teaching activities, and fostered good communication skills with his trainees in order to help them to develop a beautiful image of Vietnamese people.

He pointed out that Laotian pupils encounter difficulties in learning Vietnamese because of the distinct differences between the 2 languages.  As a result, he often uses teaching hints and tips to help the trainees understand their lessons easily. 

During their classes, both teachers often take the opportunity to introduce their trainees to Vietnamese culture and the long-lasting relationship between Viet Nam and Laos, as well as the fruitful results from the bilateral cooperation between Da Nang and the southern provinces of Laos over recent years.

The Vietnamese teachers always remind themselves to devote all of their efforts to cultivating a love for the Vietnamese language, and its culture as a whole, in the Laotian trainees.