What would be the things needed to become an English teacher in Japan?

Question:

I plan on joining the US Navy for four years as a linguist, and I'm shooting to be stationed in Japan, though of course that's not a guarantee. Either during service or after the Navy I plan on going to a college that offers a Bachelor's degree in Japanese Language and Literature.

While I would think the Bachelor's degree and the experience as a linguist in the navy might help my case considerably I know I can't just walk into a school, even with the experience under my belt and declare, "I am greatest teacher please hire me". What would I need specifically to be an English teacher in Japan? Would the experience listed really help my case any?

Answer:

Well, if you wanted to be an actual English teacher, you would need some kind of teacher qualifications. Even then I have no idea how willing schools would be to hire a foreigner to teach English. The exception would be at the university level, where you shouldn't need special qualifications (though a degree in English or TESOL rather than Japanese Language and Literature might be more useful for such a position) and foreigners are the typical teachers.

Now, if you want a position as an ALT or eikaiwa teacher, that's a whole different ball game. This is the path taken by the vast, vast majority of foreign English teachers in Japan. In that case your major doesn't matter and you don't need teaching certification -- you just need a Bachelor's degree. The experience might help. I can't imagine that it would hurt. But generally speaking what matters most is that you're a native English speaker with a Bachelor's degree. Be aware that some school and programs have a preference for applicants with no prior teaching experience or training (they think inexperienced applicants are more flexible and willing to learn the school's methods) and little or no Japanese ability (that way there is no chance they can speak Japanese in class). I think you're better off learning Japanese anyway, though, since your life in Japan will be much easier.

It sounds like you have plenty of time to make your decision, so take some time to research your teaching options and decide what you want to do.