Freelensia is pleased to present one of the most comprehensive videos of President Ho Chi Minh speaking foreign languages, including English, French, and Russian. You will also get the chance to hear his native Vietnamese accent. Subtitles are available in several languages, please click [CC] to turn them on.
President Ho Chi Minh (original name Nguyen Sinh Cung, also called Nguyen Tat Thanh, Nguyen Ai Quoc or Uncle Ho) is one of the most respected leaders of Vietnam. His outstanding diplomatic skills are largely attributed to his language skills, which will be demonstrated in this article.
In the bio of delegates to the 7th World Congress of the Communist International, Ho Chi Minh wrote: 'Knowing French, English, Chinese, Italian, German, Russian.' Based on the times he visited other countries, as well as the times he welcomed diplomatic missions in Vietnam, we know that he was also fluent in many other foreign languages, such as Thai, Spanish, Arabic, languages of many ethnic minorities in Vietnam, etc. That language ability is attributed to his admirable determination and will.
In 1911, Ho Chi Minh worked as a kitchen helper on the Amiral de Latouche-Tréville, finding a way to go to France. After every day of hard work, he learned to read and write French late at night. Not long after that, in Marseille, he was hired to work on a cargo ship and had the chance to travel to French colonies and continue improving his French language. From 1917 to 1923, he returned to France and started writing newspapers. He also went to the library to read books, attended meetings, established close relationships with high-profile people, ordinary people in France as well as in colonial countries. He wrote two major works in French, namely Dong Duong (1923-1924) and French Colonialism on Trial (1925).