Keeping the Vietnamese language alive

Abstract

There is a need for Vietnamese language education for the Vietnamese American community in the United States, and the Vietnamese Language Program at Westminster High School (WHS) in Orange County, California, has been able to preserve the Vietnamese language. Students in the program also learn about their heritage and culture to stay connected to their families and community. Author Pauline Phi Nguyên Đồng, a Vietnamese language teacher at the high school, suggests that the WHS Vietnamese Language Program is a model for how heritage language programs can be sustained in schools and communities.