Japanese-language classes have grown in popularity at HCM City schools since they were piloted nationally six years ago at junior high schools.
The current number of students learning Japanese in the city has increased to nearly 700 from 89 in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Nguyen Hoai Chuong, deputy head of the city Department of Education and Training, said Japanese had been a compulsory subject at Le Quy Don Secondary School in district 3 since the 2005-2006 school year.
He said it was also a compulsory foreign language along with English at Vo Truong Toan Secondary School in district 1.
Ho Thi Tuyet To, principal of Le Quy Don Secondary School , said students' parents weren't interested at first because they didn't understand the benefit of their children learning Japanese.
She said they had feared the stress and pressure of learning a second foreign language would be too much for their kids.
The school authorities did their best to reassure them, she said
Vo Thi Thu Ha, principal of Vo Truong Toan Secondary School, also said it was difficult to convince parents to enrol their kids in Japanese-language classes.
Ha said teachers gradually won over the parents by making the classes interesting and now some parents encouraged their kids to take the classes.
"Studying both English and Japanese doesn't stress students out," she said.
Nguyen Thien Nhat Ha, a sixth grade student at Le Quy Don Secondary School, said that she liked learning Japanese because she was interested in Japan's culture, people and its traditional dress, the kimono.
She had played games, sung songs in Japanese and learnt how to play the Japanese string game called Ayatori or Cat's Cradle.
Ha's mother said that she did not prevent her daughter from learning the language but respected her daughter's hobby because it was good to know another foreign language besides English.
Some international schools in the city also teach it as an optional foreign language.
Chuong said that the department would eventually expand Japanese as a compulsory foreign language in most secondary schools in the city to meet the demand.
"Currently, there are not enough teachers, textbooks and facilities to expand Japanese to more schools, although the city has received help from Ministry of Education and Training, the National Institute for Education Strategy and the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City", he said./.
The current number of students learning Japanese in the city has increased to nearly 700 from 89 in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Nguyen Hoai Chuong, deputy head of the city Department of Education and Training, said Japanese had been a compulsory subject at Le Quy Don Secondary School in district 3 since the 2005-2006 school year.
He said it was also a compulsory foreign language along with English at Vo Truong Toan Secondary School in district 1.
Ho Thi Tuyet To, principal of Le Quy Don Secondary School , said students' parents weren't interested at first because they didn't understand the benefit of their children learning Japanese.
She said they had feared the stress and pressure of learning a second foreign language would be too much for their kids.
The school authorities did their best to reassure them, she said
Vo Thi Thu Ha, principal of Vo Truong Toan Secondary School, also said it was difficult to convince parents to enrol their kids in Japanese-language classes.
Ha said teachers gradually won over the parents by making the classes interesting and now some parents encouraged their kids to take the classes.
"Studying both English and Japanese doesn't stress students out," she said.
Nguyen Thien Nhat Ha, a sixth grade student at Le Quy Don Secondary School, said that she liked learning Japanese because she was interested in Japan's culture, people and its traditional dress, the kimono.
She had played games, sung songs in Japanese and learnt how to play the Japanese string game called Ayatori or Cat's Cradle.
Ha's mother said that she did not prevent her daughter from learning the language but respected her daughter's hobby because it was good to know another foreign language besides English.
Some international schools in the city also teach it as an optional foreign language.
Chuong said that the department would eventually expand Japanese as a compulsory foreign language in most secondary schools in the city to meet the demand.
"Currently, there are not enough teachers, textbooks and facilities to expand Japanese to more schools, although the city has received help from Ministry of Education and Training, the National Institute for Education Strategy and the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City", he said./.
