Yi Fang speaks at the graduation ceremony and receives the certificate of merit for being the valedictorian of Vietnamese Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Talking to a reporter from the Vietnamese Student Page of Tien Phong Newspaper, Fang introduced himself: “My Vietnamese name is Luong Dich Phuong, I was born in 2002, I am 23 years old this year. I am very honored and proud to receive the certificate of valedictorian and excellence in the field of Vietnamese Studies.
I am a person who always loves myself, whatever I do must satisfy myself. Therefore, I have many hobbies to enrich my life and spirit such as watching movies, traveling, listening to music, singing, listening to stories and talking with friends.
Fang grew up in Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, which borders Cao Bang Province, Vietnam. Since childhood, she had heard stories about the country and people of Vietnam, so she always felt interested and wanted to learn more. After graduating from high school in 2020, she expressed her desire to study abroad in Vietnam and received support from her family.
Yi Fang at home in China.
The female student spent a year getting acquainted and learning basic Vietnamese before enrolling in September 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fang's university journey began with cross-border online lectures. This is the stage of learning pronunciation, which requires a lot of interaction, so learning is affected by the quality of the Internet, computer equipment, and time zone differences.
“When the Internet connection is poor, I can’t hear what the teacher is saying, and the teacher doesn’t know if my pronunciation is correct. Or when the teacher teaches pronunciation, I can’t distinguish sounds like d/t, e/ê due to the influence of the device or the Internet,” Fang recalled.
Because she studied online, she did not have an environment to “bathe” in the language, so her Vietnamese ability was still poor. But in the midst of difficulties, Fang learned to be patient, adaptable and stronger. By 2022, despite many strict regulations, she was very happy and excited to be able to go to Vietnam to study in person.
Yi Fang wears traditional clothes on his university graduation day.
Fang's years studying abroad were associated with B7 Bis House on Tran Dai Nghia Street, where the Vietnamese Studies and Language Departments were located, and which is also a familiar place for foreigners who want to learn Vietnamese in Hanoi. B7 Bis House is also where many diverse activities of the department take place, especially the International Cultural Festival held annually. This is one of Fang's most memorable memories, when she had the opportunity to introduce Chinese culture to Vietnamese and international friends, enjoy special dishes and learn more about the cultures of different countries.
“The dormitory I live in is very convenient and close to the faculty. My roommates and the managers are all friendly, I feel at home. Everyone in the dormitory is an international student, everyone is equally supported, so I don’t have any significant difficulties. My friends are also curious and ask me about Chinese culture,” Fang shared.
Apart from the Lunar New Year, Fang often returns home to visit her family during long school breaks such as winter and summer holidays. The road trip takes about 8 hours. The convenient travel time also made her want to invite her family to Vietnam to travel and attend her graduation ceremony, but due to work arrangements, she had to miss the appointment.
Yi Fang writes calligraphy for friends at the International Cultural Festival held at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities on Tet 2024.
Besides language subjects, Fang is very interested in Vietnamese culture subjects. These subjects help her understand more deeply about Vietnam and the application of Vietnamese in many fields. Fang's university graduation thesis is titled Politeness Strategies in Complimenting and Reprimanding Behaviors Between Mothers and Children: A Comparison of the Programs 'Super Mom' (China) and 'Super Mom' (Vietnam), under the guidance of Dr. Vu Lan Huong at the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language.
Fang said that, outside of her studies, she enjoys watching movies and reality shows. She observed that there are some differences in the concept of education and training of children in Vietnamese and Chinese family cultures, and she was very curious about this. During the process of completing her thesis, Fang learned some similarities and differences in the politeness strategies used in the process of praising and blaming children between Chinese and Vietnamese mothers.
Speaking fluently in Vietnamese at the graduation ceremony, Feng said that four years of studying abroad in Vietnam had given her invaluable knowledge: from mastering a new language - Vietnamese, to deep understanding of the unique traditional culture of the S-shaped country.
Experiencing the local lifestyle every day, from mornings with steaming pho to late-night stories over a cup of beer on the sidewalk, has helped her truly absorb the Vietnamese spirit. Especially the international friends who have shared this journey with Feng - each one brings a fresh perspective, enriching her worldview.
Feng has now returned to China to rest after a period of studying abroad. Her plan is to continue her studies to serve her work as a Vietnamese language teacher or translator.
“I hope more Chinese people understand Vietnam as well as the traditional friendship between the two countries,” Feng expressed.
