ALTs advice

My child is at hoikuen and surrounded in Japanese. I'm concerned that she may get bullied in the future if she does not speak English. Any ALTs see or hear of this in elementary schools?

What do you consider to be "bullying"? Every single person on earth that goes to public school has someone else say or do something negative to them. I wouldn't worry about it as they will learn the language over time. In Japan, things are usually much easier when it comes to teasing or bullying. It's not like in other countries where people do terrible things to each other.

Most of the kids in the hoikuen dont know how to speak English. I dont see any problems with that. Dont worry too much! Everything will be just fine :)

Why should not being able to speak English be a reason for bullying in a Japanese school?

Also bullying doesnft work like that. There isnft an objective reason for bullying.

She will not get bullied now nor the future.

If you fear that in the future that she will get bullied for not knowing english maybe because of different facial features, you can use other excuses, like saying her parents can't speak english. But you should teach her english in just case. After all, good level english proficiency is needed for passing Japan's national center test and university exams and for other better future prospects.

Apologies, I should have noted, my daughter is mixed race. I'm worried that others may tease her because she is mixed race ('half' as it is often referred to) and doesn't speak English. Whether or not others do, it draws unwanted attention and therefore gives opportunities for others to tease.

I donft quite understand your question. So you are currently living in Japan, sending your child to a hoikuen (where itfs all Japanese language), and you are planning to send your child to an international school in Japan in a few years, so that you are worried that she might have difficulty adjusting, because she doesnft know English, the common language there?

When it comes to a child looking different, as far as I know, kids accept other kids (as you must have seen already at the hoikuen) far better and more naturally than grownups.

But if the above is your plan, then you might want to start off on some English language lessons before she starts in her English-medium school. Is this what you mean?