“Geopark Ambassador” Club of Thach An High School continues implemting activities on preserving the Tay ethnic language in schools.

The Tay language is not only a means of communication but also the soul of the Tay people, the melodies of the mountains and forests, and the ancestors’ memories through every lullaby and song. Moreover, it is a tool to convey the rich cultural values of Cao Bang. Facing the risk of the gradual disappearance of minority languages, in the 2025–2026 school year, with the school’s support, the club has been actively carrying out a series of activities aimed at preserving the Tay language. The goal is to foster the pride of indigenous language and create a learning environment full of cultural identity. The school weekly assembly session with the theme “The beauty of the Tay culture and language in schools.” marked the opening of this series of activities.

The session was attended by the school’s teachers, staff, and students. Many engaging activities were organized in a vibrant atmosphere featuring rich cultural identity. The activities included traditional indigo costume show combined with the Tay language commentary, highlighting the simple yet culturally rich beauty of the Tay people; exploring Tay cultural etiquette through folk proverbs, and sayings, students translated proverbs or sayings in Tay into Vietnamese and explaining their meanings. Other activities were the Tay language quiz with quick-fire fun questions related to school life and daily life; Tay-Vietnamese bilingual learning where students translated sentences, poems, theorems, or historical statements into Tay.

The program also featured two special cultural performances of Then singing and Tinh lute.

Through these experiences, each student not only gained knowledge and pride of their language and cultural heritage but also developed a deep understanding of preserving the Tay language as a way of preserving the soul and identity of the Tay people in their beloved homeland. However, the progam also highlighted a current issue: many students, though from the Tay ethnic group, have become distanced from their native language. They have limited vocabulary and understanding of their mother tongue. One reason is that besides basic everyday communication at home, the school has not offered many opportunities for students to actively engage, experience, and learn their language.

The successful extracurricular event affirmed the contribution of the “Geopark Ambassador” club of Thach An High School in promoting and educating young generations to appreciate, preserve, and spread traditional cultural values in the context of modern life.