What is it like to teach English in Japan?

Question:

I'm considering entering the J.E.T. program when I'm out of college (where I'm majoring in Secondary Education [teaching high school] and minoring in English or Literature). I would love some first hand accounts of what I could expect from the J.E.T. program. How are the living conditions? How much freedom are you given in your teaching? What is teaching in Japan like? I'm taking a few basic spoken Japanese courses, and although it's fun, I'm afraid that I'm not picking it up very well. Did you find picking up Japanese to be easier in Japan?

I'd highly appreciate any and all information you could give me! Thank you, and God bless!

Answer:

I highly recommend it. I lived and taught in Japan for over 10 years and it was a great experience. I started out in the eikaiwa field (conversation schools). Eikaiwa mostly teach conversational English but we were also required to explain grammar and teach grammar to higher level students. The students usually range in age from about 2 years old in kids classes to 90 years old. Typical working hours will fall somewhere in between 10am to 9pm and the classes are usually around 45-50 mins long. The most famous eikaiwa schools are NOVA, ECC, GEOS and AEON.

After that I moved on to become an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). ALTs mostly work in Elementary and Junior High School as an assistant to the main JTE (Japanese Teacher of English). I recommend teaching in Elementary or JHS with an ALT company as this was the most rewarding experience for me and you get the chance to participate in real school life with real students.

In most cases in order to work full time in Japan you need to have a University degree and you also require the backing of a company in Japan to sponsor your visa.

Most recruiters for English jobs in Japan will require the following:

1. Native English Speaker
2. Full Bachelor Degree (in any field)
3. Basic Japanese Ability

The market is really competitive now so they also prefer teaching experience and qualifications such as ESL, TEFL or CELTA.

Salary is usually around 240,000 - 255,000 yen per month depending on experience and qualifications.

Working in Japan
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…