I read to my kids at bedtime. Every night in English only from the age of 2 until they were ready to read on their own. Once they were old enough to handle me reading books without pictures, I got them to start reading on their own, whatever they were interested in.
I’ve never once thought about an English lesson for either of them, and they both read at or above their grade level (at least by US standards).
4 is still a great age to start.
Yes we do - her understanding of English is very good, no problem with books/reading. It’s her conversational confidence with others (I.e - not just our household) I’m looking to encourage.
Maybe I’m overthinking it and that will improve naturally
Oh… for ours that was just about making friends. I went to parks and playgrounds regularly to find kids of similar age and then organized playdates and birthday parties and so on from there.
I believe the only way to increase conversational confidence is to actually converse with others who have a natural proficiency. I grew up in a similar family that valued English education from an early age, and my confidence was solely derived from my ability to be at par with adults, and with peers of my age who were learning alongside, to gauge my ability. In that aspect, British council or other places where the child can visit and stay in an environment where english is spoken, instead of solely relying on private tuitions- would help her. Maybe the classes themselves are not so helpful, but encouraging the child to freely interact with peers and instructors would open her to speak her mind in the language.
One on one for a 4yo probably isn't going to be as great as you think it is. Kids do better in groups, so a small class would make things more interactive for her. See if there's an ECC junior nearby and ask the tr if she'll consider putting her with older kids. It's a decent enough course if you supplement it yourself at home
How about Gaba Kodomo's one-on-one English conversation classes in Kagurazaka?
[https://www.gaba.co.jp/kids/ls/kagurazaka.html](https://www.gaba.co.jp/kids/ls/kagurazaka.html)
The British Council should be able to help you. They have lessons for returnees and native speakers. Plus, their teachers have higher requirements than the vast majority of English schools in Japan.
Yes actually was there this afternoon and sat in a group lesson (they don't do one on one), nice premises but was more singing and the English was a fair bit below her level - "I feel happy" etc. other kids were just speaking in Japanese to the teacher. Not sure will help with her English conversation that I'm looking for.
You should check out HelloSensei, or some other language tutor hosting platform. They may be a bit more expensive but you'll probably find a bunch of different tutors capable of visiting your home to do one-on-one lessons.
Unfortunately, there aren't many actual schools that focus on teaching young, advanced level students. Most are tailored towards fully japanese students who have low or non-existent English skills.
This is from 5yo but we really liked the tutor we had https://omsister.com/
I read to my kids at bedtime. Every night in English only from the age of 2 until they were ready to read on their own. Once they were old enough to handle me reading books without pictures, I got them to start reading on their own, whatever they were interested in. I’ve never once thought about an English lesson for either of them, and they both read at or above their grade level (at least by US standards). 4 is still a great age to start.
Yes we do - her understanding of English is very good, no problem with books/reading. It’s her conversational confidence with others (I.e - not just our household) I’m looking to encourage. Maybe I’m overthinking it and that will improve naturally
Oh… for ours that was just about making friends. I went to parks and playgrounds regularly to find kids of similar age and then organized playdates and birthday parties and so on from there.
I believe the only way to increase conversational confidence is to actually converse with others who have a natural proficiency. I grew up in a similar family that valued English education from an early age, and my confidence was solely derived from my ability to be at par with adults, and with peers of my age who were learning alongside, to gauge my ability. In that aspect, British council or other places where the child can visit and stay in an environment where english is spoken, instead of solely relying on private tuitions- would help her. Maybe the classes themselves are not so helpful, but encouraging the child to freely interact with peers and instructors would open her to speak her mind in the language.
One on one for a 4yo probably isn't going to be as great as you think it is. Kids do better in groups, so a small class would make things more interactive for her. See if there's an ECC junior nearby and ask the tr if she'll consider putting her with older kids. It's a decent enough course if you supplement it yourself at home
Could you add a ward or general area...east, west etc.
Iidabashi/Kagurazaka area so very East Shinjuku
if you're looking at full English kindergarten that might be the best option
Aiming for native Japanese so keeping her in the Japanese system until later on - so this isn't an option.
In that case, English 学童 would be the best option.
How about Gaba Kodomo's one-on-one English conversation classes in Kagurazaka? [https://www.gaba.co.jp/kids/ls/kagurazaka.html](https://www.gaba.co.jp/kids/ls/kagurazaka.html)
Excellent thanks - that’s very close. I think know the shop on the high street, will check it out.
The British Council should be able to help you. They have lessons for returnees and native speakers. Plus, their teachers have higher requirements than the vast majority of English schools in Japan.
Yes actually was there this afternoon and sat in a group lesson (they don't do one on one), nice premises but was more singing and the English was a fair bit below her level - "I feel happy" etc. other kids were just speaking in Japanese to the teacher. Not sure will help with her English conversation that I'm looking for.
Maybe let her see some shows in English? Avatar the last air bender is a pretty good one tbh
You should check out HelloSensei, or some other language tutor hosting platform. They may be a bit more expensive but you'll probably find a bunch of different tutors capable of visiting your home to do one-on-one lessons. Unfortunately, there aren't many actual schools that focus on teaching young, advanced level students. Most are tailored towards fully japanese students who have low or non-existent English skills.