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Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 08:48
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Dear visitors, I am Dao, i am a new comer in this site. I have a question and would like to consult you guys. I would be grateful if someone has experience and willing to share with me. I am a PhD of Engineering and have got a job here in Japan. I intend to work here for more 3-5 years. I have a 7 years old kid who is living in my country. Because i and my husband both work in Japan, i want to bring my kid to Japan to live with us. My concern at the moment is education for my child. If she come to japan, she will attend a 2 grade class. She has never studied Japanese or English before. I have been wondering how difficult it would be for my child, at that age, to integrate into the public school in Japan. Will it causes troubles and stress for my kid? Can you guess how long she can adapt with new language and environment? If you have or know such experiences, would you kindly share them with me, please? Thank you very much.
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by Dao (guest)
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 10:56
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I used to teach in Japan and have extensive experience in teaching students who are learning another secondary language. As such - there are some things I'll know more than most in this forum while other things which I am very limited in knowledge.
Learning another language can be challenging for all of us - but learning another language which uses another alphabet is even more challenging. This is often a part of what Japanese elementary school is - learning the alphabet which allows for the student to write academically. In general it takes 3-5 years for most students middle school age or lower to build up a strong academic language.
The Japanese education system is very different than the western system - but I also don't know where you come from. If I had kids in Japan - I'd consider sending my kids to the right elementary school if they were lower elementary or earlier. Middle school tends to become quite competitive and I'd say it's not fair on the teacher and the class if a student goes in without any language - specifically the ability to read and write.
Some areas which I'd like to raise is parental involvement and expectations which others in this forum will be able to confirm, build upon or correct me on. Many elementary schools have higher expectations of parental involvement than most countries - specifically towards the mother. International schools may also be outside of your price range apart from some Indian schools in some of the major cities if you are living on a PHD stipend
I would not send my child with no Japanese to a middle school due to language and bullying - but I would consider it in lower elementary at the right school. Some schools provide programs to help language learners learn the basics. Others in the forum will know more about this. Having someone work with you who speaks Japanese is really needed when it comes to communication with the school if you don't speak, read and write the language yourself.
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by mfedley
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 11:55
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You can't "select" a private school you send you child to. If you want to, a private school is your right choice. Which school to go to is defined by where you live. So-called "international schools" are not counted as an official school to let your child go to get higher education obviously because they don't follow the curriculum the government set. Thus, their tuitions are very expensive even compared to official private schools.
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by .. (guest)
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 12:06
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Hi Dao, Whilst I have no knowledge of schooling, I can talk about the impact of living in Japan, and through the eyes of my grandchildren. My husband and I lived in Tokyo and my grandchildren spent a considerable time with us, whilst their parents worked for our company. They were only very young kids. To be able to take children to a safe foreign country is indeed an experience that I consider a privilege. Your 7 yr old will never forget this opportunity, and the chance to learn maybe two new languages, and experience a new culture. Does your country have correspondence schooling? Would you be able to home school until you feel your daughter has a reasonable command of Japanese or organise for a tutor in your language. Kids do pick up language very quickly. She is only young. My granddaughter is now 13 yrs old, in her first year of High School, taking Japanese and cannot wait to get back to Japan, hopefully for her University degree and has her Japanese friends from that time, and my grandson is 20, in his third year of B.Com/ B Global Studies, and is planning to attend a Japanese University second half of next year. Those early years in Japan have played a big part in forming their adult future plans.
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by Kersy
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 13:31
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Thank you very much for all your kind replies.
To Kersy, donft you mind if i ask you more questions? How old were your grandchildren when they first came to Japan? I just understand that your grandchildren now are 13 and 20 years old, but i donft know the point they came to Japan. And, did they study Japanese before arriving Japan? In my opinion, i also consider bring kid to another country is a good chance for her to be more adaptive and know other culture, even though it will be really tough and challenge at first. I also think that i can accompany with her by studying at home after school. But I really afraid that she will feel it hard and become depressed. She also may be bullied at school due to language problem. Actually, I could not manage for my child to study Japanese before coming here, because we are being in Japan and she is still in my country. No one can help me to take her to language school, or keep eyes on her while studying online.
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by Dao (guest)
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 16:23
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get more relax. if you encounter troubles, you can get your child back to your country at any time.
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by ken (guest)
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/27 16:49
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Hi Dao, My grandson first came at around 5 years. We got a private tutor for him to just familiarise him with everyday words in Japanese. He picked it up very quickly then, and was able to read simple things in stores.. he wasnft writing it. My daughters family came and went back and forth until he was 8/9. Over the last few years he has travelled there again several times. This brought it back to him... but hefs studying it at Uni now, so its both written and spoken. My grand daughter was introduced to Japan very young, but no language instruction until she was 4 . Their mother speaks Japanese, she did 6 yrs at high school and 2 at tertiary so she keeps it forefront.
I agree with Ken, try not to over think it. Your daughter might have a little anxiety to start but kids make friends easily, even ones that donft speak their language. Good Luck
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by Kersy
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/28 04:18
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Dao: Where is your country? If you are from China/Taiwan, you have an option to send your child to private Chinese school. I think there is one in Yokohama, and Tokyo (Yotsuya). Most students there were born in Japan of Chinese ancestry, but there are few who came from China/HK/Taiwan. They also teach Japanese language, too.
Learning a new language is easier when you are very young. True, it can be stressful at the beginning (I personally experienced it), but that is part of learning and life.
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by O92 (guest)
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Re: Bring 7 years old kid to Japan
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2020/8/28 15:58
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It really depends on the child. I know a pair of siblings who were about that age when they tried the same Japanese school for a few weeks. One loved it and the other didn't.
I also find that it depends on how the whole family's values suit that of the school's head master. According to my personal experiences and friends' experiences, I feel that it has less to do with the school being public, private or international. Why not talk to the school you have in mind, then ask your child what (s)he wants to do, and if (s)he wants to try school, try sending your child there for a few weeks, and see how it goes.
For the record, I myself moved abroad when I was 7, and I found that it was relatively an easy age to adapt to foreign environment (as opposed to maybe ages 10 to 18 when kids become sensitive and studies become difficult). What I mean is that bad things did happen at school, but I was able to overcome them very easily, and it was a happy experience overall.
It's not really a great idea to move your child back and forth so often, but it's worth one try.
O92 wrote: I think there is one in Yokohama
Here in Yokohama, there is one Taiwanese school and one China Republic each. They both teach Chinese and Japanese, and they're both located in China Town.
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by Uco
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