Vietnam is our second home.

Following the success of the 2019 competition for Lao students, this is the first time the competition has showcased public speaking skills in Vietnamese and knowledge of Vietnamese culture and country for international students from all countries studying and researching in Vietnam. In just over a month since its launch, the Organizing Committee has received enthusiastic participation from foreign students at universities across the country. A total of 65 teams from 65 educational institutions nationwide have participated, with a diverse and multinational composition of contestants from Laos, Cambodia, South Korea, Mozambique, Japan, North Korea, China, Australia, France, and Russia.
The 36 entries in the Northern regional preliminary round impressed the judges and audience, surprising and moving them not only with their perfect pronunciation and fluent Vietnamese speaking skills but also with their deep understanding of Vietnamese culture, country, and people. The competition was more than just a contest; it was a festival for international students from around the world to interact, chat, and showcase their outstanding talents: presentations, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, and above all, expressing their heartfelt feelings: "I love Vietnam." Vietnamese proverbs, metaphors, folk songs, historical stories, and revolutionary songs were performed skillfully, emotionally, and profoundly by the foreign students, as if they were true Vietnamese people themselves, recounting their country and homeland. Em Phetsamone Iorphengsi (a student from Laos studying at the Academy of Finance) shared: “The storms and tempests are nothing compared to Vietnamese grammar.” The proverb is so true; we faced many difficulties when we started learning Vietnamese. But with the help of our teachers and fellow Vietnamese students, the more we learned, the more we found Vietnamese rich, diverse, and interesting. For us now, learning Vietnamese is not just about learning a foreign language, but it has truly become the language of our homeland, because Vietnam has become our second home, a place we are deeply attached to. From our love and passion for discovering the beauty and richness of the Vietnamese language, we have learned many interesting things about Vietnamese traditional culture, scenic spots, and people.” “This is a competition we’ve been looking forward to for a long time, because participating allows us to meet and interact with many international students from various countries around the world, to share experiences and make new friends. At the same time, the competition is also an opportunity for us to express our love, appreciation, and understanding of Vietnamese culture and country, and our deep gratitude to the Vietnamese teachers and friends who have helped us throughout our studies and life here. And at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, our team, as well as other teams, received very enthusiastic, thoughtful, and friendly support from the teachers and students, which made us completely confident and at ease to successfully complete our competition performance,” - Phetsamone Iorphengsi emphasized.

Park Sol Ju (a student from South Korea, currently a second-year student at Hanoi Pedagogical University) said: "I really love the Vietnamese language and want to learn about Vietnamese culture, so I decided to choose Vietnam to study abroad. When I came to Vietnam, I was truly captivated by the beautiful scenery, delicious and unique food, and the friendly and kind Vietnamese people. Today, my friend and I came to participate in the competition, and as soon as we entered the school gate, we were warmly welcomed and guided by the students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, which made us very happy." Sharing her future plans, Park Sol Ju said: "After graduating from university, I will continue my studies at a higher level and choose to work and live in Vietnam long-term. I hope there will be more competitions like this in the future so that we have the opportunity to improve our Vietnamese language skills and meet and interact with many Korean and international students studying at universities in Vietnam."

Thai Leng (a Cambodian student studying at the Military Medical Academy) shared: "Many people ask: Why did you choose Vietnam as your study abroad destination? I can only answer that it's truly a predestined fate, a stroke of luck that not everyone gets. Because here, we not only get to study and hone our professional knowledge, but we also receive love, support, and assistance from our Vietnamese teachers and friends, helping us overcome many difficulties and fulfill our dreams. From the bottom of our hearts, we express our gratitude to the country and people of Vietnam. We are proud and feel a profound sense of reverence to wear the white and blue uniform of the Vietnam People's Army. Here, we have been trained in virtue and talent to realize our dream of becoming excellent military doctors, and we pledge to dedicate ourselves to contributing to the development of our homeland and Vietnam – our second home."
 
When asked about the secret to her confident stage presence and her and her teammates' outstanding performance, winning first place in Group A of the Northern regional preliminary round against 16 other teams, Hongsavan Boliban (a 10th-grade student at Huu Nghi 80 School) happily shared: "We have no secret other than our love for the Vietnamese language and our diligent studies, learning about Vietnamese culture and people. When I came to this competition and stood on stage, I expressed my feelings and thoughts from the bottom of my heart, very naturally and intimately. I am very grateful to Vietnam, the Vietnamese people, especially my teachers and friends at Huu Nghi 80 School who always showed me warmth and closeness like family, ready to help me in both my studies and life."
Okabe Chikara (a Japanese student studying at the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, VNU-USSH) couldn't hide her joy when her team won first prize and was one of the four teams representing the Northern region in the national finals. She emotionally shared: “I am incredibly proud to wear the traditional Vietnamese ao dai today and stand on stage to express my love, understanding, and gratitude, along with that of my fellow international students, for Vietnam and its people. For me, Vietnamese is not just a tool to complete my studies, but also helps me discover more interesting things about history, culture, cuisine, and to become a true Vietnamese. I am grateful to the teachers at the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, VNU-USSH, for helping me realize my dream.”