It is far more than a formal ceremony. It forms part of a deliberate\nnational effort to nurture patriotism, strengthen cultural identity, and\nkeep the mother tongue alive in the hearts of its people\u2014both at home\nand among Vietnamese communities abroad.<\/p>\n
The date itself carries historical weight, linked to the early\npost-independence literacy campaigns of 1945 and to President Ho Chi\nMinh\u2019s enduring emphasis on preserving and popularizing the Vietnamese\nlanguage.<\/p>\n
In a fast-moving world that often pulls people toward more private\nand individualistic lives, this day serves as a quiet but firm reminder\nthat language carries the soul of a nation.<\/p>\n
Indonesia faces a parallel reality. Each October is observed as\nLanguage Month, centered on the historic Sumpah Pemuda of 28 October\n1928.<\/p>\n
On that day, young representatives from across the archipelago\ndeclared one homeland, one nation, and one unifying language, Bahasa\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Through a wide range of activities, Language Month seeks to promote,\nnurture, and develop both the Indonesian language and its\nliterature.<\/p>\n
The focus is especially strong on the younger generation, encouraging\nthem to deepen their love and pride in the language that binds a vast\nand diverse country together.<\/p>\n
Both nations recognize the same modern pressures. Rapid\nmodernization, the spread of cosmopolitan lifestyles, and the constant\nflow of individualistic messages through social media and the internet\ncan slowly weaken emotional attachment to one\u2019s homeland and mother\ntongue.<\/p>\n
When daily life becomes increasingly global, digital, and\nself-centered, the shared words that once held us together can begin to\nfeel distant or optional.<\/p>\n
Young people navigate a world where global entertainment, online\ntrends, and international career paths often take priority over local\nlinguistic and cultural roots.<\/p>\n
Language days and language months are therefore not exercises in\nnostalgia. They are practical, forward-looking responses to a real\ncultural risk that both Vietnam and Indonesia take seriously.<\/p>\n
Despite belonging to entirely different language families, Vietnamese\nto the Austroasiatic family and Indonesian to the Austronesian family,\nIndonesia and Vietnam share deeper cultural patterns that make mutual\nunderstanding natural.<\/p>\n
Both societies grew from strong agrarian roots and rice-based\ntraditions that shaped their social values over centuries. In both\ncountries, the well-being of the community has long been placed above\nthe narrow interests of the individual.<\/p>\n
Related news: Deputy minister urges stronger vocational, language\nskills for jobs<\/p>\n
Village life, mutual assistance, and collective responsibility remain\nliving parts of the social fabric. The Vietnamese saying one tree alone\ncan\u2019t make a mountain, but three trees joining together can form a high\npeak.<\/p>\n
We call it Gotong Royong. These shared orientations create a\nfoundation of familiarity even when the languages themselves differ\nsignificantly in structure, sound, and writing systems.<\/p>\n
History has woven additional threads between the two nations. In the\n12th century, the marriage of a Champa princess to a Javanese prince\ncreated an early cultural and political connection across the\nregion.<\/p>\n
This link, though distant in time, forms part of a longer story of\ninteraction between the peoples of mainland and maritime Southeast\nAsia.<\/p>\n
Even certain basic number words reveal faint phonetic echoes if one\nlistens carefully, offering small linguistic reminders of past\ncontact.<\/p>\n
In the modern era, formal diplomatic relations established in 1955\nwere strengthened by the personal friendship between President Sukarno\nand President Ho Chi Minh.<\/p>\n
Both leaders were driven by fierce nationalism and a vision of Asian\ndignity and independence. Their ideas helped inspire anti-colonial and\nindependence movements across Asia and Africa.<\/p>\n
Against this background, the teaching of Indonesian to foreign\nspeakers carries special significance. Since 1993, the Indonesian\ngovernment has systematically supported this effort through the Bahasa\nIndonesia bagi Penutur Asing, or BIPA program.<\/p>\n
The program was designed to promote the Indonesian language and\nculture in a structured way to learners around the world.<\/p>\n
Today, BIPA operates through universities, cultural centers,\nembassies, and partner institutions in dozens of countries, involving\nhundreds of teaching centers.<\/p>\n
It combines practical language instruction with cultural\nunderstanding, offering courses that range from basic everyday\ncommunication to advanced academic and professional proficiency.<\/p>\n
In Southeast Asia, the value of BIPA is especially clear. Indonesian\nbelongs to the same broader linguistic family as Malay, the language\nwidely used in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore.<\/p>\n
For students in Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, learning\nIndonesian is not only an academic pursuit but a practical bridge to a\nlarge regional community of 330 million speakers.<\/p>\n
Related news: Three Simeulue languages declared national cultural\nheritage<\/p>\n
It opens doors for further study, research collaboration,\nprofessional opportunities, tourism, and deeper people-to-people\nties.<\/p>\n
At the same time, it supports Indonesia\u2019s broader goals of cultural\ndiplomacy and soft power, allowing the language to travel and gain\nrecognition while remaining firmly rooted at home.<\/p>\n
In the context of growing ASEAN integration, multilingual\ncommunication is becoming an increasingly valuable skill.<\/p>\n
Language not only connects cultures but also creates opportunities in\neducation, business, creative industries, and regional\ncollaboration.<\/p>\n
Indonesian\u2019s growing international profile, including its recognition\nas one of UNESCO\u2019s official languages, further enhances its value for\nboth regional and global engagement.<\/p>\n
Equally important, it strengthens the quieter but essential work of\nkeeping national languages vibrant and valued amid powerful global\ncurrents.<\/p>\n
When young people choose to study Indonesian through programs such as\nBIPA, or when Vietnamese communities pa<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/celebrating-language-strengthening-roots-1788868368", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }