Within the framework of the seminar: “Current Situation and Development Directions of Teaching Vietnamese Language and Culture in the Vietnamese Community in Taiwan,” Lecturer Nguyen Lien Huong shared an overview of the situation of teaching Vietnamese language and culture in Taiwan, based on statistical data and practical observations from the Vietnamese community and educational institutions.
1. General introduction to the Vietnamese community in Taiwan
Taiwan is a multicultural society with a population of approximately 23 million people, equivalent to nearly a quarter of Vietnam's population. Within this population, the Vietnamese community has grown significantly, estimated at nearly 300,000 people, accounting for over 11% of the total population.
This community was formed through three main stages:
- After 1975, a number of ethnic Chinese of Vietnamese descent emigrated to Taiwan to live.
- Since the 1990s, and especially after 2000, there has been an increase in international labor and marriage flows.
- Over the past 10 years or so, an increasing number of Vietnamese students who study abroad have chosen to stay and work after graduation.
These three waves have created a multi-generational community, with the need to both preserve Vietnamese as a heritage language and serve as a cultural bridge between Vietnam and Taiwan.
2. The current state of Vietnamese language teaching in Taiwan
2.1. Policies and Legal Framework
Over the past two decades, Taiwan's Southeast Asia-oriented policies have contributed to the promotion of Vietnamese language teaching:
- The previous Southward Policy focused on economics and trade.
- The "New Southbound Policy," implemented since 2016, has expanded its scope beyond economics and trade to include education, culture, and human resource development. In this context, Vietnamese has been included in the "Language of New Immigrants" program within the 12-year education system. Primary school students can choose to learn it as their mother tongue and are encouraged to continue at the secondary level.
This marks a significant shift: the Vietnamese language is no longer confined to the family, but has become an official part of the education system.
2.2. At the primary school level
Since 2019, Vietnamese has been widely implemented in this program, taught at the primary level as a mother tongue and at the secondary level as a second foreign language.
According to data from the 2024–2025 school year:
- There are 1,257 primary schools offering language classes for new residents.
- With nearly 7,000 classrooms and over 18,000 students.
- Of those, more than 12,000 students chose Vietnamese – the highest number among their mother tongues.
These figures reflect the significant spread of the Vietnamese language within Taiwan's public education system.
2.3. At the university level
Vietnamese language instruction began in Taiwanese universities about 20 years ago.
Currently:
- According to incomplete statistics, approximately one-third of universities in Taiwan offer Vietnamese language courses.
- They are mainly offered as elective courses or within Southeast Asian Studies departments.
- Several universities have specialized training programs in Vietnamese Studies, such as National Chengchi University, Kaohsiung University, and Jinan University.
This lays an important foundation for training future human resources with a deep understanding of Vietnam.
2.4. The Status of the Vietnamese Language
It can be observed that:
- Vietnamese is the most widely taught Southeast Asian language in Taiwan.
- In the Ministry of Education's support programs, the Vietnamese language consistently accounts for a high percentage.
Therefore, Vietnamese in Taiwan today is not just:
- The language is a heritage of the community.
- It is also a language of education.
- And it is a language that connects the region.
3. The role of the second generation
The second generation – especially children from families with a Vietnamese mother or father – plays a crucial role.
According to data from the 2024–2025 school year:
- There are over 100,000 students among the new residents.
- Of these, more than 33,000 children have a father or mother who is Vietnamese.
With the right support, the second generation can not only develop proficiency in Vietnamese but also become a bilingual and bicultural workforce, acting as a bridge in the exchange between the two societies.
4. International students and societal needs
One notable point is the increasing number of Vietnamese students studying in Taiwan:
- According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, there will be nearly 53,000 Vietnamese students in the 2026-2027 academic year.
- Leading the list of countries participating in the New Southbound Policy.
This presence not only increases the demand for learning Mandarin but also creates a natural environment for Taiwanese people to interact with and learn Vietnamese.
5. Current Challenges
However, alongside these achievements, there are still some challenges:
- The quality of teaching is uneven.
- There is a lack of a standardized curriculum suitable for the Taiwanese context.
- There is a shortage of properly trained teachers.
- The competency assessment system is not yet complete.
Especially for students of Vietnamese descent:
- Most people use Chinese in their daily lives.
- Their Vietnamese language skills are usually limited to basic listening comprehension.
- Speaking, reading, and writing skills are limited.
Even at the university level, many second-generation students, when they enroll – taking the Vietnamese language classes at National Taiwan University as an example – mostly have very basic reading and writing skills, with almost no foundation at all.
Besides environmental factors and language choices within the family, a noteworthy socio-psychological cause is the lack of confidence in language proficiency among some Vietnamese parents. This can lead to limited use of Vietnamese within the family environment, especially in interactions with the paternal family or in the broader social context.
In some cases, not speaking Vietnamese to children isn't because they don't want to, but because they fear their children will be judged, or because the mother herself feels insecure using her own language.
If this mindset persists, it will lead to the gradual disappearance of the Vietnamese language from family life and deprive children of the opportunity for natural exposure to the language from their early years.
6. Proposals and prospects
Therefore, in order to sustainably develop the Vietnamese language and culture within the community, I believe clear guidelines are needed:
- Strengthening the connection between family, school, and community.
- Develop a roadmap for the development of the Vietnamese language at multiple levels.
In this context, the Vietnamese language needs to be clearly defined in three roles:
- It is a heritage language for the second generation.
- It is a strategic foreign language for Taiwanese students.
- And it is an important resource for regional cooperation.
From the Vietnamese side, I would like to offer some suggestions for support:
First and foremost, it is necessary to establish a common framework and enhance teacher training to ensure the quality of Vietnamese language teaching in a systematic and long-term manner.
Furthermore, a modern and standardized teaching materials system needs to be developed. Currently, Taiwan not only lacks a standardized textbook to ensure the systematic nature of Vietnamese language instruction, but also a clear hierarchical framework based on proficiency levels and learning objectives. This has resulted in ineffective implementation in both formal and community settings.
Simultaneously, localizing the content – from examples and vocabulary to communication situations – within the Taiwanese context is essential so that learners can access and use Vietnamese naturally and realistically.
Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen the organization of cultural activities, scholarship programs, and community initiatives to maintain and spread the Vietnamese language in social life.
This also requires closer coordination between Vietnamese educational institutions and schools and organizations in Taiwan to develop programs tailored to specific target groups, especially the second generation and international learners.
Furthermore, the application of technology in teaching – such as digital learning materials, online platforms, and flexible courses – needs to be promoted to diversify access methods and expand opportunities for learning Vietnamese.
Personally, I have had the opportunity to participate in the compilation and publication of dozens of books for teaching Vietnamese in Taiwan, both domestically and internationally. Through my teaching experience, I have observed that the demand for learning Vietnamese in Taiwan is not limited to the second generation or Taiwanese people, but is increasingly expanding to include international learners. However, the current challenge lies not only in the lack of teaching materials but also in the absence of a clear and flexible hierarchical system to accommodate diverse learning objectives.
With proper investment, the Vietnamese language can gradually establish itself as a regional language with practical significance in Taiwan.
In short, the Vietnamese language in Taiwan today has transcended the boundaries of a single immigrant community.
Vietnamese is gradually becoming:
• Part of multicultural education.
• A regional language proficiency.
• And it forms the foundation for a lasting connection between the two societies.
Therefore, investing in the Vietnamese language today is investing in a future generation capable of bridging two cultures. If we don't go in the right direction, we may end up with a generation that knows they are of Vietnamese origin, but no longer has the ability to use the Vietnamese language.
Nguyen Lien Huong – Lecturer, National Taiwan University; Associate Professor/Interviewer, News Department, Vietnam Television.
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