For the last 10 years the OVs community in Lewisham County there has been gathering at a language school every Saturday to practice speaking their native language and learn about Vietnamese arts, history, geography, culture, and customs.

In addition, the school frequently hosts festivals and other important events on special occasions like Vietnamese Tet to remind the students of their origin and cultivate in them a feeling of attachment to their homeland.

Teachers of the school have worked hard and overcome numerous difficulties to turn the place into a reliable address for the OVs community in the UK since its founding and have faced many financial difficulties.

As a result the school has been forced to relocate on numerous occasions, but in spite of the impediments has always been considered a good nurturing environment for the OVs to learn of their mother tongue and traditional culture.

Students at a Vietnamese school in UK.

Nguyen Quynh Giao, a teacher at the school, says it offers three classes for differing age groups, with the first for under-7 kids who know little if anything about their native language. These children are taught by volunteers to start their ABC level.

The second class is designed for those who are advancing to the ‘Tieng Viet Vui’ (Funny Vietnamese) textbook published by the Ministry of Education and Training. The third begins with level 1 of Funny Vietnamese textbook.

Joint efforts in teaching Vietnamese

Much of the school’s success is attributable to the great efforts of volunteers, including many Vietnamese students who want to preserve and uphold their traditional culture.

After graduating, Pham Minh Tung now spends his free time helping little kids learn the alphabet. He is keen on teaching them about letters and numbers, as well as Vietnamese people’s daily conversation.

Many parents also cook lunches for students and introduce traditional Vietnamese dishes to them. Teacher Quynh Giao says OVs younger generations will understand more about traditional cuisine via the dishes prepared by their parents.

Eager to speak in mother tongue

Nhung Adams, an expat in London, says her son enjoys studying at the school where he has a chance to talk to friends in his native language and delight in the tasty food his mom prepares.

“I want to keep my national identity and wish my children to speak Vietnamese,” she confides. Her husband - a British citizen, also encourages his children to study more about their mother’s homeland.

“My son is fond of speaking Vietnamese. He loves the warm atmosphere of the Vietnamese community here,” Nhung shares. That’s the reason why every Saturday morning, Nhung gets up early and takes her son to the school.

Teacher Quynh Giao speaks highly of the Funny Vietnamese textbook, noting the book is very useful for OVs children as it provides them with all four language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing.

She says she hopes to receive more teaching documents, particularly videos and other kinds of teaching materials from the Ministry of Education and Training, to help Vietnamese younger generations in the UK learn their mother tongue more efficiently.