Japanese-language classes have grown inpopularity at HCM City schools since they were piloted nationallysix years ago at junior high schools.
The current number of students learning Japanese in the city hasincreased to nearly 700 from 89 in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Nguyen Hoai Chuong, deputy head of the city Department of Educationand Training, said Japanese had been a compulsory subject at Le QuyDon Secondary School in district 3 since the 2005-2006 school year.
He said it was also a compulsory foreign language along with Englishat Vo Truong Toan Secondary School in district 1.
Ho Thi Tuyet To, principal of Le Quy Don Secondary School , saidstudents' parents weren't interested at first because they didn'tunderstand the benefit of their children learning Japanese.
She said they had feared the stress and pressure of learning a secondforeign 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 saidit was difficult to convince parents to enrol their kids inJapanese-language classes.
Ha said teachers gradually won over the parents by making the classesinteresting and now some parents encouraged their kids to take theclasses.
"Studying both English and Japanese doesn't stress students out," shesaid.
Nguyen Thien Nhat Ha, a sixth grade student at Le Quy Don SecondarySchool, said that she liked learning Japanese because she was interestedin Japan's culture, people and its traditional dress, the kimono.
She had played games, sung songs in Japanese and learnt how to playthe Japanese string game called Ayatori or Cat's Cradle.
Ha's mother said that she did not prevent her daughter from learningthe language but respected her daughter's hobby because it was good toknow another foreign language besides English.
Some international schools in the city also teach it as an optionalforeign language.
Chuong said that the department would eventually expand Japanese as acompulsory foreign language in most secondary schools in the city tomeet the demand.
"Currently, there are not enough teachers, textbooks and facilities toexpand Japanese to more schools, although the city has received helpfrom Ministry of Education and Training, the National Institute forEducation Strategy and the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City", hesaid./.
The current number of students learning Japanese in the city hasincreased to nearly 700 from 89 in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Nguyen Hoai Chuong, deputy head of the city Department of Educationand Training, said Japanese had been a compulsory subject at Le QuyDon Secondary School in district 3 since the 2005-2006 school year.
He said it was also a compulsory foreign language along with Englishat Vo Truong Toan Secondary School in district 1.
Ho Thi Tuyet To, principal of Le Quy Don Secondary School , saidstudents' parents weren't interested at first because they didn'tunderstand the benefit of their children learning Japanese.
She said they had feared the stress and pressure of learning a secondforeign 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 saidit was difficult to convince parents to enrol their kids inJapanese-language classes.
Ha said teachers gradually won over the parents by making the classesinteresting and now some parents encouraged their kids to take theclasses.
"Studying both English and Japanese doesn't stress students out," shesaid.
Nguyen Thien Nhat Ha, a sixth grade student at Le Quy Don SecondarySchool, said that she liked learning Japanese because she was interestedin Japan's culture, people and its traditional dress, the kimono.
She had played games, sung songs in Japanese and learnt how to playthe Japanese string game called Ayatori or Cat's Cradle.
Ha's mother said that she did not prevent her daughter from learningthe language but respected her daughter's hobby because it was good toknow another foreign language besides English.
Some international schools in the city also teach it as an optionalforeign language.
Chuong said that the department would eventually expand Japanese as acompulsory foreign language in most secondary schools in the city tomeet the demand.
"Currently, there are not enough teachers, textbooks and facilities toexpand Japanese to more schools, although the city has received helpfrom Ministry of Education and Training, the National Institute forEducation Strategy and the Consulate General of Japan in HCM City", hesaid./.
