Vietnamese is the mother tongue and official language of Vietnam, spoken by the vast majority of the population. Initially, Vietnamese was written using Han characters; later, Vietnamese ancestors developed their own writing system, known as Chữ Nôm. Vietnamese is not only used within Vietnam but also in regions around the world where Vietnamese communities reside.

In addition, English is increasingly widely used and is regarded as a second language in Vietnam, particularly in education, business, and international integration. A small proportion of the population also uses other languages such as French, Chinese, Khmer, Russian, Czech, German, and Polish.

The policy to make English the second language in Vietnam’s education system was officially approved by the Prime Minister on October 27, 2025, under Decision No. 2371/QD-TTg. The project, titled “Making English the Second Language in Schools for the Period 2025–2035, with a Vision to 2045” aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem for the widespread use of English in teaching, communication, and school administration.