UD Trucks holds Language Café in Ageo City

On August 29, UD Trucks Corporation invited local junior high school students from Ageo City to take part in the Language Café, a community outreach initiative, at its Ageo headquarters. The event was aimed at encouraging students to proactively communicate in English.

Launched in 2019, the Language Cafe started as an internal event for UD Trucks employees to help improve their English conversation skills, gradually expanding in scope and managed by the company’s Human Resources Department. For the first time, the initiative was held for people outside the company, inviting junior high school students from Ageo City to participate. Additionally, Mayor Minoru Hatakeyama and Superintendent of Board of Education Tsuyoshi Nishikura, representing Ageo City which places strong emphasis on English education, visited to observe the event.

The 19 junior high school students who participated also took part in homestays in Lockyer Valley, Australia—Ageo City's sister city—from July to August this year. At the Language Cafe, they enthusiastically discussed topics like hobbies using the English skills they had recently acquired.

One participant said, “I was nervous at first, but I soon relaxed and conversing in English became fun”. Another participant added, “Even though I felt a little rusty since returning from the homestay program, it was great to use English again. I hope I have the chance to join another event in the future.”

After the event, the students toured the UD Trucks office and workspaces – an eye-opening experience to see how employees go about their work.