With the rise of a new generation of young writers proficient in foreign languages, Vietnam has also seen an increasing number of young people passionate about and eager to explore the field of translation. This growing interest highlights the need for more platforms and opportunities to support aspiring translators, helping to nurture future talent and strengthen the country's translation industry.
In 2022, Van Lang University's Faculty of Korean Language and Culture in HCMC hosted a workshop titled "Translating Korean Literature". The course is designed to develop Korean-to-English translation skills for students, graduates, and professionals in Korean studies. It aims to inspire a passion for literature and cultivate a new generation of literary translators.
Each course spans a duration of four months and is conducted under the expert guidance of seasoned lecturers and translators, including Head Nguyen Thi Hien of the Korean Language and Culture Department at Van Lang University and is the Chairman of the Translation Literature Council of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, Le Dang Hoan - a translator and member of the Vietnam Writers Association; and Professor Phan Thi Thu Hien.
Notably, at the conclusion of 2024, Van Lang University collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association to host the inaugural Vietnamese-Korean and Korean-Vietnamese Literature Translation Competition, aimed at fostering and supporting emerging translators.
For younger audiences, Crabit Kidbooks Company organizes the “Touch the Words” contest, which seeks young translators aged 7–15 from across Vietnam. Launched in 2023, the competition has since recognized four outstanding young translators for their exceptional work. Notably, the youngest winner, Tran Quan, a third-grade student at Vinschool Metropolis School in Hanoi, was honored for translating Kafka and the Doll. All four winning translations were later published as books through a collaboration between Crabit Kidbooks and Thanh Nien Publishing House.
Tran Tien Cao Dang, a translator and one of three jurors for the 2nd "Touch the Words" contest, noted that the competition revealed exceptions to the common perception that translation skills and clear Vietnamese usage among youth remain problematic.
Translator Cao Dang noted that some young contest participants have demonstrated impressive translation skills, with certain translations surpassing the work of experienced adult translators. Though the proportion of such talented youth is not high, he expressed optimism that this solid foundation will lead to a future filled with excellent translators who will elevate the quality of translation overall.
Recently, Kim Dong Publishing House published the book series The First Humans with 2 volumes including Lucy - The First Woman and Ötzi - The Iceman. Although the subject is quite complicated related to archaeology, the group of eleventh graders from the second Italian Foreign Language Class of Foreign Language Specialized High School, Hanoi National University, were in charge of translating the book series.
Explaining the decision to entrust the translation to a group of students, Hoang Thanh Thuy, an editor at Kim Dong Publishing House, shared that the students had previously demonstrated exceptional translation skills. Additionally, she noted that their use of youthful and dynamic language made the translation more engaging and suitable for young readers.
According to Ms. Hoang Thanh Thuy, translation requires multiple key elements: proficiency in a foreign language, strong background knowledge, and, most importantly, excellent Vietnamese skills. She emphasized that since the ultimate goal is to create books for Vietnamese readers, a translation lacking fluency in Vietnamese would result in an ineffective and awkward final product.
Crabit Kidbooks' writing competitions deserve support and encouragement, as they provide publishers with a valuable pool of collaborators and translators for future projects.
As an experienced translator, who received the A prize at the 2021 National Book Award for his translation of Guns, Germs and Steel, organizing courses is also a practical way for translator Tran Tien Cao Dang to contribute to improving the capacity of young people with a passion for translation.
According to him, many young people, even very young ones, have a clear awareness of the translation profession and the standards of language.
