For Americans living permanatly in Japan would you teach your child Japanese or English. If both which first?

Answer 1

My cousin lives in Tokyo because his wife could not part with her homeland. His daughter (now 8 yrs) was born and raised in Japan, and she knows Japanese perfectly, and is learning English. Since she is young she can pick up on the native accents for each language making it easier.

And if it were me, I would do the same. Japanese first since the child lives there, then English since that also comes in handy.

Answer 2

Teach them both. If living in Japan and especially if planning on staying. Teach them Japanese. and to less extent English for home use.

Japanese and many others do the same thing when coming to the US. Its just common courtesy to speak the language of the county you reside in.

Answer 3

Well I'm a Canadian living in Switzerland, and I always speak English to my kids. They are doing just fine in German (and French, which is my husband's first language), and unless the Americans in Japan send their kids to English schools, they'll do fine in Japanese.

Answer 4

Teach them both but it would be best to know Japanese so they can communicate in the country they live.

Answer 5

I personally would teach my children English first.
The Amish teach their kids Dutch first, and the only time they speak English is when they are talking to us.

Answer 6

Teach them both at the same time.