Celebrating language, strengthening roots
It is far more than a formal ceremony. It forms part of a deliberate national effort to nurture patriotism, strengthen cultural identity, and keep the mother tongue alive in the hearts of its people—both at home and among Vietnamese communities abroad.
The date itself carries historical weight, linked to the early post-independence literacy campaigns of 1945 and to President Ho Chi Minh’s enduring emphasis on preserving and popularizing the Vietnamese language.
In a fast-moving world that often pulls people toward more private and individualistic lives, this day serves as a quiet but firm reminder that language carries the soul of a nation.
Indonesia faces a parallel reality. Each October is observed as Language Month, centered on the historic Sumpah Pemuda of 28 October 1928.
On that day, young representatives from across the archipelago declared one homeland, one nation, and one unifying language, Bahasa Indonesia.
Through a wide range of activities, Language Month seeks to promote, nurture, and develop both the Indonesian language and its literature.
The focus is especially strong on the younger generation, encouraging them to deepen their love and pride in the language that binds a vast and diverse country together.
Both nations recognize the same modern pressures. Rapid modernization, the spread of cosmopolitan lifestyles, and the constant flow of individualistic messages through social media and the internet can slowly weaken emotional attachment to one’s homeland and mother tongue.
When daily life becomes increasingly global, digital, and self-centered, the shared words that once held us together can begin to feel distant or optional.
Young people navigate a world where global entertainment, online trends, and international career paths often take priority over local linguistic and cultural roots.
Language days and language months are therefore not exercises in nostalgia. They are practical, forward-looking responses to a real cultural risk that both Vietnam and Indonesia take seriously.
Despite belonging to entirely different language families, Vietnamese to the Austroasiatic family and Indonesian to the Austronesian family, Indonesia and Vietnam share deeper cultural patterns that make mutual understanding natural.
Both societies grew from strong agrarian roots and rice-based traditions that shaped their social values over centuries. In both countries, the well-being of the community has long been placed above the narrow interests of the individual.
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Village life, mutual assistance, and collective responsibility remain living parts of the social fabric. The Vietnamese saying one tree alone can’t make a mountain, but three trees joining together can form a high peak.
We call it Gotong Royong. These shared orientations create a foundation of familiarity even when the languages themselves differ significantly in structure, sound, and writing systems.
History has woven additional threads between the two nations. In the 12th century, the marriage of a Champa princess to a Javanese prince created an early cultural and political connection across the region.
This link, though distant in time, forms part of a longer story of interaction between the peoples of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia.
Even certain basic number words reveal faint phonetic echoes if one listens carefully, offering small linguistic reminders of past contact.
In the modern era, formal diplomatic relations established in 1955 were strengthened by the personal friendship between President Sukarno and President Ho Chi Minh.
Both leaders were driven by fierce nationalism and a vision of Asian dignity and independence. Their ideas helped inspire anti-colonial and independence movements across Asia and Africa.
Against this background, the teaching of Indonesian to foreign speakers carries special significance. Since 1993, the Indonesian government has systematically supported this effort through the Bahasa Indonesia bagi Penutur Asing, or BIPA program.
The program was designed to promote the Indonesian language and culture in a structured way to learners around the world.
Today, BIPA operates through universities, cultural centers, embassies, and partner institutions in dozens of countries, involving hundreds of teaching centers.
It combines practical language instruction with cultural understanding, offering courses that range from basic everyday communication to advanced academic and professional proficiency.
In Southeast Asia, the value of BIPA is especially clear. Indonesian belongs to the same broader linguistic family as Malay, the language widely used in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore.
For students in Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, learning Indonesian is not only an academic pursuit but a practical bridge to a large regional community of 330 million speakers.
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It opens doors for further study, research collaboration, professional opportunities, tourism, and deeper people-to-people ties.
At the same time, it supports Indonesia’s broader goals of cultural diplomacy and soft power, allowing the language to travel and gain recognition while remaining firmly rooted at home.
In the context of growing ASEAN integration, multilingual communication is becoming an increasingly valuable skill.
Language not only connects cultures but also creates opportunities in education, business, creative industries, and regional collaboration.
Indonesian’s growing international profile, including its recognition as one of UNESCO’s official languages, further enhances its value for both regional and global engagement.
Equally important, it strengthens the quieter but essential work of keeping national languages vibrant and valued amid powerful global currents.
When young people choose to study Indonesian through programs such as BIPA, or when Vietnamese communities pa