Postby zakojanai » August 10th, 2009 2:24 am
I was not a CIR, but I was a JET so I knew a few CIRs. JLPT level 2 is probably the starting point, although I don't think you need to have actually passed the test if you can show some kind of equivalent knowledge. Every CIR I knew had studied abroad in Japan or had lived in Japan previously (one was a former Mormon missionary, another born and raised in Japan to foreign parents). Many were Japanese majors and others had taken several years of Japanese in college. The interview for CIRs, as I understand it, is entirely in Japanese and also requires some translation (from a newspaper or some other sort of similar material). If your Japanese is good enough to get through that, then you're probably ok. However, CIR positions are limited, so they may ask you if you would be willing to take an ALT position if you're on the lower end. In that case, I'd recommend saying yes because you can always spend a year as an ALT improving your Japanese and apply to switch to a CIR position.
