FAQ
Both of us, mother and father, don’t speak English. Is it OK?
There is no problem for your child.
Your child will acquire English naturally and gradually at SOPHIA.
All forms of communication from SOPHIA are sent in English and/or Japanese as well.
My child doesn’t speak English at all. Is it OK?
If your child belongs to the Kinder class, she/he will have to be assessed during a trial lesson to check her/his English level.
There is no problem for the Nursery and Pre-kinder class age children.
Do parents have to speak English at home? Do children have to study English at home?
It is not necessary to be able to speak English at home or to do additional studying.
However, providing your child with some English language resources like books, music, TV program in English, etc. could help and motivate them.
I’m worried that my child will have some trouble with her/his Japanese if she/he is in an English environment all day.
There is no problem. Children have an amazing capacity to learn. They are able to learn several languages at the same time if they are in an environment which supports the languages in question.
There is a natural delay when children learn two or more languages, but they do catch up quickly.
The benefits of acquiring languages are numerous.
Will my child have any trouble when he/she goes to Japanese elementary school?
There is no problem. When your child enters elementary school, all children will start from the beginning. However, children do not learn Japanese at SOPHIA, so your child might need some additional support like every day Japanese, stories, and depending on the individual situation, the early basics of written Japanese.
After their graduation from SOPHIA, will students forget their English?
SOPHIA has an after school program for graduated students.
My child wears diapers. Is it OK?
There is no problem. We will assist you with your children’s toilet training at SOPHIA.
When you want to alert or warn children, should you do it in their native language to allow them to understand?
Children understand the meaning of a word by the content, the situation, the facial expression and the tone. They understand English words in English and Japanese words in Japanese, It is not necessary to say the words in their native language or translate.