Students of the Khmer ethnic group in the Mekong Delta province of VinhLong have spent their two-month summer holidays in pagodas to learn theKhmer language, which is at risk of disappearing.
Withregular Khmer language classes, Ky Son pagoda in Loan My commune, TamBinh district has attracted the largest number of pupils.
Monk Thach Chanh Nhenh, who heads Ky Son pagoda, said he cannot rememberwhen the classes began. However, he maintains that the classes havebeen running for generations and generations.
Loan My commune is one of the localities with the largest population of Khmer ethnic people in Vinh Long province.
Presently, local children learn mostly in the Kinh language so theyoften make mistakes in pronunciation when speaking in their mothertongue Khmer language. Many use both languages at the same time in theirdaily conversations.
This summer, nearly 100 students atdifferent levels attended Khmer language classes at Ky Son pagoda. Thepagoda devotes two rooms for such classes which take place three times aday.
Under the instruction of teachers, who are made up ofmonks, nuns and Khmer Buddhist followers, children have learnt how toread, write and speak in their traditional language.
ThachThi Cha Re Da, a seventh grader at Loan My secondary school, has spentthree summer holidays in the pagoda. The student, who once could notspeak or write Khmer, is now fluent.
Like Ky Son pagoda, Moipagoda in Thon Ron village, Tra Con commune, Tra On district, is opento students who want to learn the language.
Thanks toefforts made by the pagoda’s monks and nuns to raise public awareness ofthe language, nearly 160 students have attended classes at the pagoda.
Monk Hia Rich, deputy head of the pagoda, said that themonks and nuns have encouraged Khmer Buddhist followers to bring theirchildren to the lessons.
Apart from teaching the Khmerlanguage, the pagoda also introduces culture and rites of the Khmerpeople to the children.
The pagodas also serve as adestination for children to entertain themselves and review what theylearnt at school after a hard academic year.
Monks and nunsat various pagodas shared the view that if Khmer students understand andhave a sense to protect their mother tongue, they can learn more abouttheir traditional customs and culture.
Vinh Long is home to 13 Khmer Nam Tong (Theravada) pagodas. Nine of which have organised language classes.
The move has contributed to protecting the traditional language andculture, while making it easier for Khmer people to read newspapers andother documents in their mother tongue.-VNA
Withregular Khmer language classes, Ky Son pagoda in Loan My commune, TamBinh district has attracted the largest number of pupils.
Monk Thach Chanh Nhenh, who heads Ky Son pagoda, said he cannot rememberwhen the classes began. However, he maintains that the classes havebeen running for generations and generations.
Loan My commune is one of the localities with the largest population of Khmer ethnic people in Vinh Long province.
Presently, local children learn mostly in the Kinh language so theyoften make mistakes in pronunciation when speaking in their mothertongue Khmer language. Many use both languages at the same time in theirdaily conversations.
This summer, nearly 100 students atdifferent levels attended Khmer language classes at Ky Son pagoda. Thepagoda devotes two rooms for such classes which take place three times aday.
Under the instruction of teachers, who are made up ofmonks, nuns and Khmer Buddhist followers, children have learnt how toread, write and speak in their traditional language.
ThachThi Cha Re Da, a seventh grader at Loan My secondary school, has spentthree summer holidays in the pagoda. The student, who once could notspeak or write Khmer, is now fluent.
Like Ky Son pagoda, Moipagoda in Thon Ron village, Tra Con commune, Tra On district, is opento students who want to learn the language.
Thanks toefforts made by the pagoda’s monks and nuns to raise public awareness ofthe language, nearly 160 students have attended classes at the pagoda.
Monk Hia Rich, deputy head of the pagoda, said that themonks and nuns have encouraged Khmer Buddhist followers to bring theirchildren to the lessons.
Apart from teaching the Khmerlanguage, the pagoda also introduces culture and rites of the Khmerpeople to the children.
The pagodas also serve as adestination for children to entertain themselves and review what theylearnt at school after a hard academic year.
Monks and nunsat various pagodas shared the view that if Khmer students understand andhave a sense to protect their mother tongue, they can learn more abouttheir traditional customs and culture.
Vinh Long is home to 13 Khmer Nam Tong (Theravada) pagodas. Nine of which have organised language classes.
The move has contributed to protecting the traditional language andculture, while making it easier for Khmer people to read newspapers andother documents in their mother tongue.-VNA
