On the morning of April 11, at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, the municipal Department of Education and Training, in coordination with the French Embassy in Vietnam, the French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, and the French Institute in Vietnam, held the 2026 Francophonie Day.
In addition to the French Consul General, the event was attended by the Consuls General of Switzerland and Canada, representatives of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF), as well as universities and international study-abroad organizations.
According to Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the event is part of ongoing efforts to honor the French language, culture, and the global Francophone community.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the teaching and learning of French have a long-standing tradition. French was first introduced at the lower secondary level in 1994, and by 2006, instruction had been expanded across the full school system, from Grade 1 through Grade 12.
The education sector has consistently organized teacher training programs, competitions, experiential learning activities, and cultural exchanges, contributing to the steady growth of French language education and helping to improve overall educational quality, the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training noted.
Etienne Ranaivoson, French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said this marks the first time Francophonie Day has been held on the campus of a high school in the city.
“In October 2024, Vietnam–France relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, reflecting deep and wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries, including in education. Over the past three years, the network of French-language education institutions has expanded from 11 to 32, creating greater opportunities for study and employment between the two nations,” Ranaivoson said.
Against this backdrop, the Francophonie Day featured a wide range of activities, including a public speaking competition, panel discussions on career opportunities, artistic and musical performances, photo exhibitions, and short film screenings.
According to statistics from the French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, French is currently the fourth most widely used language and the second most studied foreign language in Vietnam. Globally, around 400 million people are learning the language.
