Chăm language classes in Khánh Hòa help youth preserve cultural identity

KHÁNH HÒA: Across Khánh Hòa Province, efforts to bring the Chăm language back into classrooms have been gaining momentum. At Tân Đức Primary School in Phước Hữu, Chăm language classes are conducted two times a week. Younger students begin with simple strokes and the alphabet, while older pupils move on to reading and writing short passages. The lessons are gentle but purposeful, laying foundations that go far beyond the page.

For fifth-grader Quảng Nữ Huyền My, learning Chăm is something she carries home with her.

“To write beautifully, I have to spend a lot of time practising by myself,” she said, flipping through a notebook filled with carefully written characters. “I really love my script and my mother tongue.”

Her teachers see that love is growing in many of their students. They say their goal is not just to teach children how to read and write but to help them feel proud of where they come from. They hope students will grow up valuing the language of their ancestors and carrying it confidently into the future.

Many educators also dream of more creative spaces—clubs, playground activities, and cultural events—where children can express that pride freely, especially during traditional festivals.

When letters take centre stage

That dream became reality in October last year, when the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organised a Chăm handwriting contest titled “Bright Strokes – Keeping the Cham Spirit Alive” during the Katê Festival.

Set against the historic backdrop of the Pô Klong Garai Towers in Đô Vinh Ward, the contest drew dozens of primary and secondary students from schools offering Chăm language classes. For many, it was their first chance to showcase their writing beyond the classroom.

Nguyễn Khắc Duy, deputy director of the Khánh Hòa Cultural Centre, said the enthusiasm of the students made the event especially meaningful.

“It is not just a playground for them but also a way to awaken their love for their ethnic script and raise their awareness of the responsibility to preserve cultural identity,” he said.

Being able to read and write Chăm fluently, he added, gives students confidence—not only in school, but in everyday life.

“In the future, these children will be the ones who carry the torch—preserving their mother tongue and even reading and translating ancient Chăm manuscripts,” Duy said.

A language that lives beyond the classroom

In the 2025–2026 school year, Chăm language classes are being taught in 32 primary schools across nine communes and wards in Khánh Hòa. The programme now includes 317 classes, reaching nearly 9,000 students with the support of 38 dedicated teachers.

Lê Thái Trường Thi, deputy director of the provincial Department of Education and Training, described the initiative as both necessary and deeply human.

“When students learn their ethnic language, they develop pride in their roots and traditions,” she said. “At the same time, it helps students from other backgrounds learn to respect and appreciate cultural diversity.”

To make the most of limited classroom time—currently two periods a week—schools are bringing Chăm into extracurricular activities. Youth clubs, art performances, folk games, and ethnic culture days give students natural opportunities to speak, listen and use their mother tongue in real-life settings.

Together, these initiatives help young Chăm students in Khánh Hòa hold onto something valuable. With each watchful stroke of a pencil, they are marking more than words—they are bringing their values and ethos forward, one generation at a time.