What Happens When Your Child Starts an International School With Limited English?
Updated: Oct 6
If you are unsure whether your child's English is strong enough for an international school in Tokyo, we can help you understand where they are now, what they may need to access the classroom, and what support may be appropriate before they start school.
A lot of parents worry about their child's English skills.
Your child does not need to arrive at school speaking perfect English to begin learning in an international school in Tokyo.
As part of the admissions process, your child may be assessed by the Head of School, Vice Principal, Head Teacher, or another member of the admissions team.
The school will want to understand how well your child understands and uses English and whether they can access the classroom environment.
Some schools use an assessment such as WIDA to look at areas including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The results can help the school decide what level of support your child may need.
For some children, this may mean entering the regular program without additional language support.
Other children may benefit from EAL support.
If the school believes your child needs more support than they can provide, they may also recommend that parents seek additional support outside the school.
Depending on the school, support might include small-group EAL instruction, support in the classroom, or additional help from a specialist.
This is something parents should ask about before enrolling.
Kinota Braithwaite Learning & Assessment Specialist More Than Just Tutoring Tokyo
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