Aichi ― A union of Hekinan City government workers held learning sessions of Portuguese language for daycare workers on July 5 and 12 with a total of 44 participants, including union members from the central office of the city government.

Daycare facilities in Hekinan take care of children of foreign nationalities, many of whom speak Portuguese. The union organized the workshop in response to childcare workers’ wish to communicate better with these children.

At the sessions, Emi Tokujo, a Portuguese and Spanish interpreter working at the city hall, taught union members plain Portuguese words and phrases they could use in daily conversations with children. She also explained about differences in culture between Japan and other countries.