Vietnam is our second home

Following the success of the 2019 competition for Lao students, this is the first time the competition demonstrates the ability to speak eloquently in Vietnamese and understand the culture and country of Vietnam for students from all countries in the world studying and researching in Vietnam. After just over a month of launching, the Organizing Committee has received a large response and participation from foreign students at universities across the country. There were a total of 65 teams from 65 educational institutions across the country, 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 participating in the Northern Regional Preliminary Round brought the judges and the audience admiration, surprise and emotion not only in their ability to pronounce correctly and speak fluently in Vietnamese but also in their deep understanding of the culture, country and people of Vietnam. The contest is not only a competition but also a festival for international students from all over the world to exchange, chat with each other, and show off their outstanding talents: presenting, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, and most of all, speaking from the bottom of their hearts: I love Vietnam. Proverbs, metaphors, folk songs, historical stories, and revolutionary songs of Vietnam were performed by the foreign students very skillfully, emotionally, deeply and emotionally like the children of Vietnam when talking about their country and homeland. Phetsamone Iorphengsi (a student from Laos, studying at the Academy of Finance) shared: “Storms are not as bad as Vietnamese grammar” is true to the above proverb, we encountered many difficulties when we started learning Vietnamese. But with the help of teachers and Vietnamese students, the more we study, the more we find Vietnamese rich, diverse and interesting. And for us now, learning Vietnamese is not just learning a foreign language but has truly become the language of our homeland, because Vietnam is our second homeland, attached and close. From the love and passion for discovering the beauty of the Vietnamese language, we have learned many interesting things about traditional culture, famous landscapes and Vietnamese people”. “This is a contest we have longed for, because by participating in the contest, we get to meet and interact with many international students from many countries around the world, to share and make new friends. At the same time, the contest is also an opportunity for us to express our love, respect, and understanding of the culture and country of Vietnam, and our deep gratitude to our Vietnamese teachers and friends who have helped us throughout our time studying and living here. And at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, our team as well as our other teams have received enthusiastic, thoughtful, and friendly support from the teachers and students of the University, making us completely confident and assured to complete our performance well,” Phetsamone Iorphengsi emphasized.

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

Thai Leng (Cambodian student studying at the Military Medical Academy) shared: Many people ask: Why did you choose Vietnam as your destination for your study abroad journey? I can only answer that: it is truly a predestined fate, a luck that not everyone has. Because here we not only study and improve our professional knowledge but also receive sharing, love, and help from Vietnamese teachers and friends, helping us overcome many difficulties and fulfill our dreams. From the bottom of our hearts and souls, we would like to thank the country and people of Vietnam. We are proud and sacred to wear the blue and white shirt and uniform of the Vietnam People's Army. Here we have been trained in virtue and talent to realize our dream of becoming good military doctors and vow to do our best to contribute to building our homeland and Vietnam - our second homeland".
 
When asked about the secret that helped him confidently speak on stage and, together with his friends, excelled over 16 teams, winning the First Prize of Group A, the Northern Regional Preliminary Round, Hongsavan Boliban (a 10th grade student at Friendship School 80) happily shared: "We have no secret other than our love for the Vietnamese language and hard work studying and learning about Vietnamese culture and people. I came to this competition, when standing on stage, I expressed my feelings and thoughts from my heart, very naturally and intimately. I am very grateful to Vietnam, the Vietnamese people, especially my teachers and friends at Friendship School 80 who always show me the warmth and closeness like family members, ready to help me in both studying and life.
OKABE CHIKARA (Japanese, studying at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language, VNU-USSH) could not hide his joy when his team won First Prize and was one of four teams representing the Northern region competing in the National Finals. He emotionally shared: “I am extremely proud to wear the traditional Vietnamese ao dai today and stand on stage to express my love, understanding and gratitude to the country and people of Vietnam. For me, Vietnamese is not only a tool to complete my studies, but also helps me discover more interesting things about history, culture, cuisine and to become a true Vietnamese person. I am grateful to the teachers at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language, University of Social Sciences and Humanities for helping me realize my dream.”