*Thinking* of teaching in Japan...

[WalterWills]

..I haven't really looked into it much as of yet, but I thought I'd come here and ask for people's opinions and experiences.

I have to admit it does seem VERY daunting to me.

I've looked on the JET and Interac websites..Has anyone here worked in Japan as an ALT under one of those companies?

What's it like to teach English over there?

Is it hard to get selected for this? I mean, I'll have the required degree, I've always had an interest in Japan and have been teaching myself the language for almost a year..cheerful, enthusiastic, good English ability (which sadly these days isn't a given, even for university students)...What are the chances for people like me?

If I apply under the JET scheme, I read that I'll need to take a test before my interview..What kind of test is this? A test on how much you've bothered to learn about the JET programme?

Will I be poor?

Will I be able to choose where in Japan I want to go, and what level to teach at?

Also, what happens if I go there for a while, come to the end of my contract, and decide I want to stay for longer? Will I have that option?




Please write back! Thanks

[kc8ufv]

I haven't been to　Japan at all, nor been a JET, but I have met a couple former JETs. They didn't mention anything about a test to get the job, but I do understand that competition for the slots is quite fierce. Also, I understand that you can list preferred locations, but don't count on getting them, unless they are the "middle of nowhere" type places that few people are going to request. (IE don't bother saying Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto..., as they will have a lot of people requesting these areas, with relatively few openings. Also, these areas will have higher gaijin populations, reducing the need for JETs.)

[annie]

It sounds like a simple internet search will answer most of your questions.

Almost none of the teaching jobs you can apply for overseas require Japanese ability. (You'll find that a few primary school teaching positions require Japanese, but just enough so that you're able to communicate with the other teachers.)

The JET programme has a lot of applicants. and the application process takes about 5-6 months. You don't even find out if you've been granted an interview till about 2.5 months after you submit the application. That sort of time line is only suitable for students in their last year of University. The pay on JET is better than average (but not great), but it's impossible to know if you're going to end up with a good situation, or a mediocre one, or one that makes you decide to go home early.

Your only choice about who you teach will be children vs. adults, and not a lot of places even give you that choice. JET and Interac are both school-based jobs, and they don't do much primary school, so that would be students aged 12-18. AEON has a childrens division, I'm not sure about the other big eikaiwa. There are a few schools that are business English oriented, but not a lot. The only way you'll be likely to teach only adults is if you're in a big city, at a school that doesnt do many kids classes.

The only way you can choose where you are is applying to individual schools directly. Some of the dispatch companies and the bigger eikaiwa will let you voice a preference, and if you're willing to wait around for an opening then you're likely to end up close to where you want to be.

And you can stay here for as long as you want as long as you find a company to sponsor your visa, or you have enough work to sponsor your own.

[WalterWills]

Thanks for your replies everyone.


Annie, how are you getting on in Japan? How long have you been there?

[adam]

Just adding my two cents...

Expect to make between 250,000 and 300,000 yen per month with a 40 hour work week.

A good site for job postings is www.ohayosensei.com

Good luck!

[untmdsprt]

Update to anyone who's interested:

I've been in Japan since March 2008 and have mixed feelings about living here. Still haven't made a lot of friends, but at least I'm getting better in Japanese.

Interac isn't a bad company, on the contrary, they've been helpful even though they are short-staffed. The people at the schools are a mixed bag, but overall I enjoy working with them. (Isn't that everywhere though?) I still get a few people who assume I live in an English only bubble, but most have been encouraging me to learn Japanese, and have started speaking more to me in the language. I do appreciate these people and try to say something new to them. Most are happy if I can get something of a sentence out.

I've met a few teachers who are hung up about grammar and everything being perfect. I'll get out my grammar books for them, and have stressed just because I haven't heard of it it doesn't mean it's wrong. I've never heard of a zebra crossing. It's a British term for a crosswalk. I've also had to stress the fact that katakana words are not always English, and all languages will adopt words from other languages and make it their own.

You'll learn to develop a thick skin when dealing with ignorant questions.