Generations of Vietnamese in Britain
The first large group came as refugees after the Vietnam War, many by boat, and were resettled across the UK in the late 1970s and 1980s, later gathering in south and east London, Birmingham and Manchester. Vietnamese Catholic communities hold Mass in Vietnamese in a number of cities. The children and grandchildren of those first refugees speak English. Their elderly parents, who often worship in the local parish because it is close to home, may still find an English homily hard to follow after decades in the country.
Students and newer arrivals
More recently, Vietnamese students have come to British universities and a younger generation has arrived for work. Some arrived in very difficult circumstances, and churches that support survivors of exploitation sometimes meet Vietnamese young people who have been through a great deal. For them, a service they can follow privately, without anyone translating for them in person, can be a safe first step. Be gentle: let people listen quietly, never press the QR code on anyone, and connect them with specialist support where it is needed.
Vietnamese communities across Europe
Germany has a large Vietnamese community, partly descended from contract workers who came to East Germany, and there are Vietnamese communities in the Czech Republic, Poland and France. English-speaking international churches in Berlin, Prague or Paris meet Vietnamese members, spouses and students. Offering Vietnamese helps them, and their parents when they visit.
How listeners use it
- 01Scan
The QR code is on the screen, the newsletter or a card at the door. It opens in the browser, with no account.
- 02Choose Tiếng Việt
Listeners pick Vietnamese from the languages your church has switched on.
- 03Listen or read
The Vietnamese voice follows the priest or pastor a few seconds behind, with captions on screen. Older listeners can use the large-text mode.
What to expect
The translation is into standard Vietnamese. Listeners from the north, centre and south speak differently, and some words or the accent may sound unfamiliar to some of them. Vietnamese Catholics and Protestants also do not always use the same words for God and for biblical names, and the automatic translation will not always choose the one your listeners use. ChurchTranslate keeps a terminology list per language to correct known terms in the captions. Ask a Vietnamese parishioner to read along at first; see Bible names and terms.
Privacy
Listeners need no account and give no name. No audio recordings are stored, and an e-mail address given for the transcript is deleted after 30 days. The privacy guide explains the details, which is worth knowing if you work with vulnerable people.
Cost
A one-hour Mass into Vietnamese uses 60 credits, whatever the number of listeners. Four Sunday Masses a month come to 240 credits, within the Lite plan (€65 per month, 480 credits). See the pricing.