The top-scoring female student in the national academic competition had previously been accepted into a prestigious high school in Japan.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Nguyen Pham Bao Chau, a student from the Foreign Language Specialized High School, is the top scorer in Japanese at the 2026 National Excellent Student Competition. She had previously been admitted to a specialized school in Japan before returning to Vietnam.

Nguyen Pham Bao Chau is a student in class 11B1 at the High School for Gifted Students in Foreign Languages ​​(Vietnam National University, Hanoi). At the 2026 National High School Excellent Student Examination, she took the exam at a higher grade level and achieved the highest score nationwide, continuing her achievement of winning first prize in an advanced-level competition as early as grade 10.

This year's exam included a new question type, appearing for the first time: translating a text from Japanese to Vietnamese. For Chau, this was a challenge, as Vietnamese is not her strong point.

Nguyen Pham Bao Chau is a student in class 11B1 at the Foreign Language Specialized High School (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

Chau's parents work in Japan, so she moved there to live and study. Before returning to Vietnam, she passed the entrance exam to a high-quality high school in Japan (similar to specialized schools in Vietnam).

Since the school year in Japan starts in April, Chau enrolled in 10th grade there. In June 2024, following her family's wishes, she returned to Vietnam to take the entrance exam for the Foreign Language Specialized High School, then went back to Japan to continue her studies. After being accepted, in September 2024, Chau officially returned home, bidding farewell to Japan after nearly a decade of living there.

Bao Chau spent nine years studying and living in Japan (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

The female student recounted that she only had three months to prepare for the entrance exam to a specialized language school, with math problems that she considered far more advanced than the math taught in Japanese schools.

The biggest challenge for Bao Chau, both when she left Vietnam and when she returned home at the age of 16, revolved around language. When she first arrived in Japan, Chau knew absolutely no Japanese. The school arranged for private tutoring. It took her more than a year to catch up with the curriculum and integrate with her classmates.

Conversely, upon returning to Vietnam, the Vietnamese language became a barrier to her studies. Although her parents in Japan always maintained her Vietnamese language skills through daily communication, reading books, and watching Vietnamese programs, Chau believes that her Vietnamese was primarily used for everyday communication and academic purposes.

"Understanding subjects like Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Vietnamese is quite difficult," Chau said. However, thanks to the support of her teachers and friends at the Foreign Language Specialized High School, Chau gradually overcame her initial awkwardness.

Bao Chau was admitted to the Foreign Language Specialized High School after only 3 months of studying (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

Chau's experiences in both educational environments allowed her to make clear comparisons. According to her, mathematics in Japan is easier, while in Vietnam it's faster-paced and more advanced. Furthermore, Japanese education emphasizes extracurricular activities that are relaxing and entertaining, while in Vietnam, while extracurricular activities are also developed, they focus more on skill development and long-term career orientation.

Chau's inclusion in the national Japanese language competition team as early as 10th grade seemed almost inevitable, but she didn't allow herself to be complacent. While she had the advantage of living in Japan for many years and being proficient in listening and speaking skills, Chau admitted that she was weak in Kanji, and the national competition exam was highly academic.

During my preparation period, I dedicated almost all my time to Japanese, especially to the skills I wasn't good at, treating it as a serious training process rather than simply taking advantage of my existing strengths.

Ms. Tran Kieu Hung, homeroom teacher and teacher in charge of the Japanese language gifted student team at the Foreign Language Specialized High School, said that her student is very diligent. However, for a short period in 11th grade, Chau wasn't fully focused because she was simultaneously preparing for the SAT, IELTS, and the gifted student team selection exams. As a result, some of her practice tests didn't yield satisfactory results.

Bao Chau with her friends (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

Ms. Hung had to talk to Chau privately, advising her student on direction and when to focus on what. Although Chau had won first prize in 10th grade, if she became complacent, she could easily receive a lower result in 11th grade. Taking her teacher's advice, Chau immediately adjusted her approach and wholeheartedly dedicated herself to the national excellent student competition.

Before the exam, Ms. Hung told Chau that she was very confident that her student would be the top scorer. Therefore, Chau's result was within her expectations.

Ms. Hung assessed her student as an all-around excellent student, not just in Japanese. The girl was quiet, gentle, caring, helpful to her friends, and well-liked by many.

Chau's future plan is to return to Japan to study at university.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-sinh-thu-khoa-hoc-sinh-gioi-quoc-gia-tung-do-truong-cap-3-chuyen-o-nhat-20260207130142149.htm