9/23/2023 0 Comments Japan schooling system![]() ![]() Your child would probably learn more by studying (playing) at her own pace with an online English tool instead. Putting your child into English conversation classes can be difficult, not only because of the cost, but because native-speaking children can typically use much more English than other kids, but may not have sufficient reading and writing abilities to be able to take lessons with adults, making it extremely difficult to find an interesting class that will suitably advance their learning. Home schooling resources are available online too, and of course offer not just a stop-gap for English language study but a complete, alternative method of schooling, albeit only for the brave. More traditional educational resources, like flash cards and workbooks, are also available for purchase over the internet. Even my ten-year-old enjoyed the YouTube version of the Endless Reader app. A search for “learn to read English kids” threw up many sites and apps, some free, some not. Now however, as I watch my five-year-old copy katakana and English off the tissue box and then rejoice in being suddenly able to write the number five, I think kids are probably able to work it out even if everything gets thrown at them together.īeing older and somewhat wiser now with my second child, I will take the stress out of teaching phonics and reading by using some of the many programs offered for free on the internet. ![]() At the time though, I thought I should let her first grasp the basics of Japanese. I think I should have introduced the phonics sooner. When she entered elementary school and I tried to teach her phonics, though, she just didn’t care-and of course I cared too much and every session ended in shouting. So I thought that if I can teach her how to read English, the rest would take care of itself. Annual trips to see relatives back home will also help your child get into the habit of using English.Īfter my elder daughter learnt to read Japanese, she took to books like crazy. ![]() Encourage a love of books by reading to your child from an early age, in English. Help your children improve their English by exposing them to it as much as possible, of course in conversation at home and also with all media, including movies, music, game machines and the computer. Time spent using Japanese steals time that could be spent using English, or another alternative language, consequently hampering its development. Considering the high level of education in Japan and the people’s respect of intelligence and knowledge, however, the overall desire for one’s child to receive a “top” education will likely damper flow-on changes in the education structure. All this change seems to be loosening up traditional patterns in the job market and allowing some alternative routes to desirable jobs with Japanese firms. As the number of children in Japan continues to fall, and companies here become increasingly desperate for consumers and for employees, Japanese corporations are shifting their focus to foreign markets. Entering the best university has traditionally led to freedom of choice in the job market. This doesn’t necessarily equate to learning, which is broader study that will help children live their lives effectively. The aim of juku is to get your child admitted to the best university he can enter, meaning getting more entrance test questions correct than his rivals. The presence of the juku, or cram school, system here suggests if not an insufficiency in the Japanese education system, then at least a dislocation. Conversely, if your child wants to enter a foreign university, education via an international school is traditionally the easier approach, particularly in the junior high and high school years, as studies there are geared toward that goal. If she wishes to study at a Japanese university, entering via the Japanese school system will likely be the easiest route. If your child will be continuing her education at a Japanese school, she will require this knowledge. On top of Japanese-language immersion of about six hours each school day, daily Japanese ( kokugo) lessons will teach your child the Japanese alphabets (hiragana, katakana and romaji) and about 1,000 basic kanji (Chinese-style characters) over the six years of elementary school. One clear advantage of putting your child into a Japanese public school is the acquisition of the Japanese language. Let’s take a look at what the schools here are doing well and at what we can do to supplement our children’s learning to foster their non-Japanese skills. But as Japanese society changes, its schools are changing too. Japanese schools have long been criticized for excessive use of rote learning and cookie-cutter output of students. ![]()
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