Japanese language reaches the highlands
On the last morning of the year, the yard of the People's Committee of Son Tay Thuong commune, Quang Ngai province was not only bustling with the familiar motorbikes of commune officials but also resounded with strange melodies: "Ohayou gozaimasu", "Arigatou". In the small room behind the headquarters, 27 students - all of whom are Ca Dong people - are enthusiastically stealing books to attend the Japanese language class. For them, this is not only a foreign language class, but also a door opening a journey to change their lives.
For more than a month now, Japanese language classes for workers who want to work abroad have been held right at the People's Committee of Son Tay Thuong commune. If in the past, to learn a foreign language, many young people in mountainous areas had to travel nearly 80km to the center of Quang Ngai province, travel and accommodation costs became a major barrier - now, Japanese has "climbed the mountain", to the places where people live.
The class has 27 students, 100% of whom are Ca Dong. Some have just left the fields, some are in their twenties, and there are also young people who have married, carrying the aspiration to escape poverty by exporting labor.
Bringing foreign language classes to communes is a model to concretize support policies according to Resolution No. 88/2019/QH14 of the National Assembly on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021-2030. The goal is not only teaching, but also removing long-standing invisible barriers: costs, learning conditions and even the fear of mountainous workers when approaching the international labor market.
In class, the notebooks still have a strong smell of new paper and Chinese writing board. At recess, the students took the opportunity to ask each other how to pronounce and remind each other to remember their lessons. The learning atmosphere is serious but approachable, because everyone is familiar with their faces and voices, because they are neighbors, people in the same village.
The courses last more than 4 months, equipping students with basic knowledge of Japanese, communication skills, handling situations in the working environment, learning about corporate culture, practicing coaching, labor discipline; at the same time supporting interview skills, preparing documents before departure.
Mr. Dinh Van Hung, residing in Son Tay Thuong commune, shared honestly: Before, I thought it would be very difficult to work abroad. I have to go to the province to study, it is expensive, and I am far from home, so I am afraid. Now that I can learn Japanese right in the commune, I feel more secure, focusing on studying to prepare to register to work in Japan".
Mr. Hung's story is also a common sentiment of many young people in Son Tay Thuong. This is a mountainous commune of Quang Ngai province, where more than 90% of the population is ethnic minorities, mainly living by agriculture. acacia and cassava trees which are heavily dependent on the Chinese market, inherently have many potential risks. alone, growing acacia requires 4 years or more to harvest, so many households have to "sell young rice", paying traders since acacia is 1-2 years old. By harvest time, there was almost no surplus, life lacked before and after.
In that context, labor export is considered a new direction, but is not easy to access if there is a lack of foreign languages and learning conditions.
According to Mr. Pham Hong Khuyen - Chairman of Son Tay Thuong Commune People's Committee, foreign language classes are held very seriously, most of the students are very determined. This week, the commune will organize a health check-up for students in Da Nang to assess their ability to participate in labor export. Organizing foreign language classes locally is an important solution, helping young people in mountainous areas become more confident when approaching the international labor market, said Mr. Khuyen.
The commune proactively coordinates to open Japanese language classes for workers to learn both the trade and learn the language in a familiar environment. When eligible to participate in exports to Japan and Korea, the Social Policy Bank will support loans, reducing the initial financial burden.
Mr. Khuyen also frankly acknowledged: not just going abroad to work means getting rich quickly. success or failure depends largely on each person's will to rise up. But if they succeed in returning, they will become "nolences", creating motivation for other workers to boldly move forward.
Opening a way out of poverty by exporting labor
From the perspective of an enterprise, Mr. Le Minh - Director of Da Nang Asia Company - said that foreign language training right from the grassroots level is very important to help workers in mountainous areas have initial preparation. Workers studying near home will have a stable psychology and reduce costs; businesses will also be more convenient in selecting because they have a basic understanding of work, working style and working environment abroad.
Not only in Son Tay Thuong, the Quang Ngai Provincial Employment Service Center is organizing many foreign language training classes for workers across the locality, focusing on markets with high demand such as Japan and Korea. The classes not only teach language but also practice communication skills, behavior, working style...
Mr. Le Thai Son (An Phu commune) who is studying a Korean class shared: "I have an younger brother who went to work abroad in Korea, and seeing a stable income, I am determined to study. At first, it was very difficult, but the more I learned, the more confident I became.
Ms. Dinh Thi My Sen (Son Ha commune) said that learning a foreign language helps her boldly think about another future: "I work as a unstable farmer. Now that I understand the basic communication sentences, I am ready to participate in interviews.
The Provincial Employment Service Center also implemented the EPS program according to the agreement between Vietnam and Korea, and coordinated with the IHD Union (Japan) - targeting poor, near-poor workers and ethnic minorities.
According to Mr. Vo Duy Yen - Acting Director of the Provincial Employment Service Center, the consistent goal is to improve training quality, gradually building a "comprehensive language" environment, helping workers form a communication reflex and confidently integrate. In the coming time, the Center will continue to provide vocational training and foreign languages close to market demand; coordinate with training institutions to prepare quality labor resources; at the same time, strengthen inspection, supervision and full implementation of support policies.
The Resolution of the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term sets a basic goal of no more poor households by 2030. To achieve that, bringing foreign languages and careers to the highlands is considered a sustainable direction.
In 2025 alone, the whole province opened 12 Japanese and Korean language training classes for more than 550 workers; more than 1,100 people working in Japan, Korea and some European countries. The poverty rate of the whole province decreased by an average of 2.17%/year, in mountainous areas alone it decreased by 4.64%/year.
In the middle of Son Tay Thuong mountains and forests, foreign language words are quietly sowing seeds of hope. From simple classes at the People's Committee of the commune, the dream of young people in the highlands stepping out into the world is no longer too far away - when foreign languages have truly reached the mountain, bringing a chance to change the lives of the people here.
