A boy from China in his first year of junior high school had a blank maths notebook: he could not understand the Japanese wording of the problems. When a support volunteer explained in Chinese, he understood what the questions meant and could solve them.
Li, a multicultural coordinator at Yokohama’s Minami Lounge, reported this classroom observation at a MEXT meeting on 28 August 2025. The account gives the support organisation’s perspective, rather than the boy’s or his family’s. It gives a parent something concrete to look for in unfinished work: a page can show how far a child got without showing what stopped them. MEXT: Minami Lounge’s classroom case
What changed when the explanation changed
The useful comparison is the boy’s work before and after the Chinese explanation. The blank notebook became evidence of a task he had not understood; his answers then showed that he could work with the maths once the question was accessible.
For a parent, that suggests asking about the wording before drawing a conclusion about subject ability. The observation shows what helped with these questions; it does not establish the boy’s overall mathematical ability or later progress.
Bring one piece of work to the school conversation
If your child brings home blank or unfinished work, choose one assignment to discuss with the teacher. Ask what the task required and how the instructions were explained. If the child can describe where they got stuck, include that account in a language or form they are comfortable using.
Ask whether the teacher has seen the child try a comparable question with an explanation they understand. Keep the question open: the difficulty may involve the instructions, the subject itself, or something else. The aim is to find a useful next step together.
Agree on one thing to observe next, such as whether the child can begin the task or explain an answer. Decide when to compare notes with the teacher, and ask whether language assistance can be arranged for that conversation.
Useful questions for this conversation
| Japanese | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| このノートは何のためのものですか？ | Kono nōto wa nan no tame no mono desu ka? | What is this notebook for? |
| 家で何を準備すればいいですか？ | Ie de nani o junbi sureba ii desu ka? | What should we prepare at home? |
| 子どもは授業の内容を理解できていますか？ | Kodomo wa jugyō no naiyō o rikai dekite imasu ka? | Is my child understanding the class content? |
These are ordinary questions to raise in the same conversation described above -- not a substitute for it.
Check what support is available locally
Separately from that classroom account, Yokohama City’s current guide to support in its municipal schools offers one local example. It lists Japanese-language instruction, mother-tongue volunteers and interpreting for parents. It says parents who need interpreting for school meetings should consult the school. These are Yokohama arrangements; the guide also notes that international-classroom provision varies by school and year. Yokohama City: school language-support options
Ask your school or local board of education which support applies to your child, which languages can be arranged and who coordinates the request. If the requested support is unavailable, ask what alternatives can be tried. A local example gives you questions to ask, not a promise that the same provision is available everywhere.
For the visit itself, see arranging a visit to a Japanese school. Bring the assignment and the questions you want to discuss, then use the next piece of work to continue the conversation.