"Red address" in the heart of the Francophone community.

(Baonghean) - Located at 36 Nguyen Duc Canh Street, Vinh City, within the premises of the Provincial Continuing Education Center, there is an address that has long been very familiar to those who love the French language in the area: the Vinh French Language Center.

The center is quite modest in size, nestled in a simple room filled with books, French-language materials, winning paintings from a recent art competition, and even neatly packed boxes of books ready to be delivered to schools for an upcoming book donation event. Amélia and Morgane, two young French volunteers, are working diligently, with plans to enrich and bring the center's programs closer to everyone.

Students participate in an extracurricular lesson with volunteers from the French Language Center.

When asked why they chose Vietnam over other countries, Amélia, the center's operations manager, shared: "Although born and raised in France, I've always found an indescribable allure to Asia. Something seemed to compel me: 'Go, and challenge yourself in a different and unique culture.' Among many options, I came to Vietnam as if by predestined fate."

Among the practical activities organized by the center, the beneficial programs aimed at students in the province are particularly noteworthy. The most prominent of these is the French language teaching program, in collaboration with Cua Nam Primary School, Le Loi Primary School, Le Loi Secondary School, and Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School. Under this model, French volunteers visit classrooms, organize games, teach French songs, practice pronunciation, and improve students' French communication skills. Although only one volunteer directly teaches this program each year, to date, more than 800 students in the province have been exposed to fascinating and new aspects of French culture through these beneficial extracurricular activities.

Ms. Tran Thi An, a French teacher with nearly 20 years of teaching experience at Le Loi Primary School, highly praised the center's activities: "The center's French language activities, coordinated with the classroom, are very diverse and spark the children's interest in learning. Learning through play, and playing through learning, the games organized by volunteers always create a lively and exciting atmosphere in the classroom."

Alongside the French language teaching program in schools, the Vinh French Language Center also collaborates with the Provincial Women's Union to award scholarships to underprivileged students, supporting the dreams of future generations of the country to attend school. This scholarship fund is formed from contributions by French parents who also have children of school age. They understand the importance of education for the younger generation and wish to share some of the economic burden with families facing financial difficulties in Vietnam. To date, more than 30 students have received this scholarship.

Furthermore, the Vinh French Language Center is also a reliable and free counseling center for high school students who wish to study in France. Here, students not only receive help improving their French skills, but also benefit from volunteers who are willing to assist with writing scholarship application letters, offer advice on choosing schools, majors, and study locations, helping them have the most memorable experiences when they set foot in France.

The effective activities carried out by the Francophone Center in the school environment over the past period have served as a springboard for the development and community outreach plan that the volunteer group is about to implement. Through steady steps, the center has gradually affirmed its role as a bridge between European and Asian cultures, while further strengthening the long-standing friendship between France and Vietnam.

Thu Giang