The teaching and learning of spoken and written ethnic minority languages in Vietnam is facing a range of difficulties, heard a seminar held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee’s Advisory Council for Ethnic Affairs in Hanoi on October 18. 

Students of ethnic minority groups in Kien Giang province

Speaking at the event, Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Ha Thi Khiet, who is also Chairwoman of the council, said 27 out of 53 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam have their own scripts. 

As many as 20 cities and provinces nationwide have organised ethnic minority language courses, while many others have added ethnic minority languages in school curriculum. 

Tran Van Thuy, deputy head of the Education-Training Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, said Mong, Ede, Jrai, Bahnar, Cham and Khmer languages were first taught at school in the 2010-2011 academic year, with 740 schools, 4,789 classes and 110,862 students. 

The teaching was then expanded, with 782 schools, 5,515 classes and 121,020 students, he said. 

However, the number of ethnic minority language teachers has met demands of only 5 percent of ethnic minority students, Thuy said, stressing the need to train tens of thousands of ethnic minority language teachers. 

Besides, a number of localities have yet to pay due heed to the teaching and learning of ethnic minority languages, he added. 

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Hoanh from the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences said the protection of cultural and language diversity has become an urgent task in the context ofindustrialisation, modernisation and international integration. 

Many delegates at the seminar called on ministries, agencies and orgnisations to coordinate with each other in communications work in order to raise public awareness of preserving and upholding cultural values of ethnic minority groups.

VNA