Mai, 26, a lecturer in the faculty of Japanese Language at Hanoi University, came to work at the school after graduating from Waseda University in Japan, majoring in social sciences and humanities.

Just after two years of working, the lecturer has shown impressive capability. In 2023-2024, she helped a student obtain a Japanese government scholarship (MEXT Scholarship). 

“With my experience, I can help the student not only answer questions well, but also show her knowledge about culture,” Mai said.

She also gave guidance to students who won first prize at a competition in Japanese Essay Writing Contest for Vietnamese. This was a large competition organized in many countries, but only for the first time in Vietnam.

The essay written by a student with her support was given an award by the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki, who commented that the essay described experiences that demonstrate understanding, cultural exchange and connections among the younger generation.

Most recently, the young lecturer was invited by Nihon Fukushi University to act as one of two major speakers at a workshop on Japanese language teaching held in Aichi province.

The opportunity came after the lecturer left a strong impression on a colleague when raising a lot of questions and exchanging information with speakers at an international workshop organized by Hanoi University.

“After that workshop, the lecturer came to see me and invited me to be the major speaker at the upcoming workshop. I feel happy as I have left good impressions on Japanese colleagues,” she said.

“The participation in such workshops gives me opportunities to learn and extend my knowledge,” she added.

The topic of her presentation at the workshop was teaching the Japanese language to Vietnamese children.

Because many Vietnamese work as guest workers or study in Japan, or get married with locals  prompted Mai to think about teaching Japanese and creating solutions to improve teaching.

After working hours at the school, Mai participates in many events as an MC. She attends international workshops and works with partners to conduct research.

“I want to convey to young people a positive message about the opportunities that open up to them when they know a new language,” she said.

Thanh Hung