What got you interested in Japanese learning guidance?

Annually, the Yokohama Association for International communication and Exchange (aka YOKE) is holding a lecture (4 times in total) in various places in Yokohama. The theme of the lecture is "The current situation of international children, and the way Japanese language support should be and the know-hows". Four years ago, starting from the six members who were taking the lecture, we formed this current Dandelion Association. Our association is formed by the members such as who have interest in international interaction, who have experience working overseas, who have interest in Japanese language support, and those who are doing volunteering work.

What kind of approach is it carried out in this organization?

As for the consultation, there is no particular question from the students since they are still in elementary school. However, there is some consultation from the parents since they can hardly speak Japanese. The consultation is about whether their children can continue to participate in the project. For these consultations, with the teachers and members who can speak foreign languages, we are doing our best to respond with some ingenuity.

Although we did not have any students who got some support from the school, we have heard that since there are many foreign students at elementary schools in Minami ward in Yokohama city, many of them are provided with some kind of special learning support.

Children acquire conversational skills very quickly, so if you could just play with them or be a conversation partner and get along with other Japanese friends, you will be able to communicate with them within a few months. Then, it will help them enhance their motivation to learn and overcome the problem.

Do you get any support requests from school and local governments?

There is no active approach contacting for assistance requests. At large seminars, even though local governments and school officials attend and state the need for cooperation, it is not yet linked to action. For many years, the situation hasn’t changed, and so it is continuing even now.

Are you cooperating/having connection with the school?

About once a year, there are times when school official staff attend the meeting as a guest in the Information exchange meetings between the support organizations. Even though our association is wanting to cooperate and provide information, the school is not facing very forward to do so. We feel there is a considerable distance between the motivation of the support organizations and the response of the school. The government (including schools) thinks that by the good use of the power and motivation of the private sector, it could greatly contribute to solving this problem, but we think it is coming from the decisive difference between advanced Western countries' countermeasures and the Japanese government’s structural constitution.