Cultural and Linguistic Diversity at a Japanese International School

This semester in Japan, I am teaching at the Nishimachi International School located in Motoazubu,
Minoto, Tokyo. The Nishimachi International School is quite unique in Japan, as students and teachers
alike come from diverse backgrounds. 50% of the students hold Japanese citizenship, as well as 50% hold
dual or multiple citizenships. 45% of the students even hold U.S. citizenship (Nishimachi’s website:
https://www.nishimachi.ac.jp/page.cfm?p=507). It is well known that Japan is 98% ethnically Japanese, so
it is very special and encouraging to see Japanese and international students learning together. The school
is quite welcoming and students have freedom to collaborate with their peers during classwork. Unlike the
majority of Japanese students in the nation, Nishimachi students do not have to wear school uniforms.
Students’ freedom to have a choice in what they wear is just one example of how Nishimachi is unique in
terms of celebrating students’ diversity, differences, identities, ethnicities, and languages.

At Nishimachi, classes are taught in English. I teach in both a second grade and first grade class.
Particularly in my second-grade class, I have noticed that the native Japanese speakers switch between
English and Japanese with each other. Usually the native speakers will speak Japanese if they are excited
about something or if they need to ask one of their classmates a question. It is amazing how quickly the
students can switch between the two languages. Surely some of the main reasons are that some students
are biracial and speak both Japanese and English at their home. Also, English is a means of teaching
instructional content. In other words, English is the means by which students learn math, social studies,
science, and of course reading and writing. Students are learning and using English to learn about issue in
their world and as a tool for expressing themselves. Recently, students wrote poems based on a drawing
of a boy outside. I was overjoyed by how well the students developed their writing with descriptive
language, similes, and metaphors. In a nation where English is “learned” mostly through rote
memorization and grammar, it is spectacular that students at Nishimachi can learn English in creative and
expressive ways.

Nishimachi teaches students according to linguistic diversity by teaching Japanese to all students. In each grade, students attend a different Japanese class according to their ability level. For the most part, native speakers are in one class and students new to the language are in different classes. I think that it is great that international students learn Japanese at such an early age; they can use Japanese to meaningfully communicate with fellow Japanese students, as well as Japanese people in their communities. Learning Japanese surely offers more opportunities for children to become more linguistically responsive to their Japanese classmates. All students at Nishimachi are learning an additional language in one way or another, and, as a teacher, I have to consider the needs of both native Japanese speakers and native English speakers. I have to make sure that the content is accessible, yet also challenging.