While teaching Vietnamese in Laos and acting as an interpreter for high-ranking delegations from Central Viet Nam during their working visits to the neighbouring country, Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, a resident of Ha Tinh Province, become an "expert" in promoting Vietnamese culture to Laos and acts as a bridge for relations between Vietnamese and Lao localities.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duc (right) accompanied a high-ranking delegation of Da Nang led by its Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang, and acted as an interpreter during their working visits to south central provinces of Laos in July 2022. Photo: NGOC PHU

Devoted to teaching Vietnamese in Laos

In early July, 2022, while accompanying a delegation consisting of senior leaders of Da Nang to pay working visits to south central provinces of Laos, the Da Nang reporter had the opportunity to visit the Vietnamese Language Centre in Savannakhet Province. He was really impressed with the talent of  Nguyen Van Duc who is one of the Vietnamese teachers to be sent to Laos to teach Vietnamese for Lao students before coming to Da Nang to study under the city-funded scholarship program. He takes charge of teaching Vietnamese for 20 Lao people in each class, including college students and officials of departments and agencies in Savannakhet Province.

Talking about his bond with Laos, the 47 year-old teacher said that the Da Nang International Cooperation Development Centre invited him to work at the Vietnamese Language Centre in Savannakhet Province after it had been built and put into operation by the Da Nang government under the cooperation program between the two localities. With his desire to devote himself to the Fatherland, he accepted the invitation from the Da Nang International Cooperation Development Centre to go on a mission trip internationally due to his love for Laos and its people. Despite living far away from his hometown, family, and friends while going to on a mission trip internationally, he was encouraged and supported by his wife and children. Therefore, he could confidently fulfill his ambition.

Mr. Duc said that in his efforts to help Lao students to learn Vietnamese well and not be bored while learning Vietnamese, he must prepare the lessons carefully as foreigners find it very hard to learn Vietnamese, especially the grammatical and semantics aspects of Vietnamese classifiers.

Each Vietnamese language course lasts 6 months, and trainees will be granted a certification from the center after passing an assessment at the end of their courses. He has taught Vietnamese language for hundreds of students in Savannakhet Province for more than 10 years.

Many students have gone to Da Nang to study under the city- funded scholarship program after receiving a certification from the center.

“Having good understanding of Lao language, teacher Duc makes it easy for Lao students to learn Vietnamese. He also has a great sense of humour to find best way to improve a boring lesson so that students stay interested and engaged in the learning environment” commented Vongviengsay, a student of the Vietnamese Language Centre in Savannakhet Province.

Desire and devotion

In his efforts to strengthen his bond with Lao students and local people, apart from teaching Vietnamese in Laos, Mr. Duc is also dedicated to helping local disadvantaged students in addition to meeting and interacting with locals, teaching Lao students to sing songs about Viet Nam - Laos friendship, as well as attending engagement and wedding ceremonies of his students. His integration into local communities has helped build a close relationship with local residents, contributing to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship, and special solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos.

Apart from teaching Vietnamese in Laos, Mr. Duc is assigned to act as an interpreter for high-ranking delegations of Da Nang and elsewhere in Central Viet Nam during their working visits to Lao localities. He has been honored to accompany many high-ranking delegations of Da Nang after working in Laos for more than 10 years.

More specifically, he has returned to his country many times as an interpreter for the high-level delegation from Savannakhet Province during their working visits to Da Nang and other localities in Central Vietnam.

“It is difficult for accurate translation from Lao into Vietnamese language and vice versa as some words of the two languages can easily be misunderstood. Hence, it is important for me to do deep research into Lao language in order to gain a more profound understanding of this foreign language to ensure that translations convey the same message as the original text and meet their purpose. Due to my experience and hard work, I have been entrusted with the duty to act as an interpreter for high-level delegations from Central Viet Nam and Savannakhet Province for many years, thereby acting as a bridge for Viet Nam – Laos relations, contributing to bringing the people of the two countries closer together”, Duc confided.

"Please bring my nostalgia and love back to Da Nang, and Viet Nam as a whole, but the Lao people need Vietnamese teachers like me to help them learn Vietnamese. Most of all, I still want to dedicate myself to spreading Vietnamese language and culture to Laos,” Mr. Duc said cheerfully when saying goodbye to a delegation of senior leaders from Da Nang at the end of their working visits to 5 provinces of South Central Laos.

Despite living far away from his family and hometown for more than 10 years, teacher Duc has made significant contribution to deepening strong and long- lasting friendships between Viet Nam and Laos.

Reporting by NGOC PHU – translating by H.L