Can anyone explain to me how teaching in Japan is different from America? I'm still quite young, and am planning to become a teacher, so I was curious if that type of career would be viable in Japan. Not only that, does anyone know the requirements of becoming a teacher in Japan compared to becoming a teacher in America? Last, but most definitely not least, I would like to know how long you would estimate it would take for someone to learn the language as well as a general grasp on their culture. I'd prefer answering the first questions before this though, because if I cannot pursue teaching in Japan and be able to support a family, I don't think I'd want to move, and to be honest, I assume you get that type of question often anyways.
Get certified and teach at an international schools. Japanese traditional education system is archaic, built on memorizing formulas and facts, instead of abstract or critical thinking. The syllabus is decided on the Federal level, so there's not as much variance in the public system as you'd see in a place like the US, where some of the best and worst schools are public schools. I believe they tried to change something in 2011 or 2012 for one whole semester. Scores dropped and they readopted the post-war bullshit.
Slighty OT, but still related to teaching in Japan - What is it like for private English teachers in Japan? My wife and I both teach in Italy now and there's a staggering amount of work here for good private teachers - so much so that I'm surprised there aren't more native English speakers over here. We also work in two state schools from Dec - June (which helps to pay taxes, etc) but we could comfortably live off the private lessons alone. Is there much of a market for native English speakers who teach in people's homes? Whenever this discussion comes up it's almost always about working for established schools. Just curious, I have no intention of leaving Italy - but I'd like to know what's it's like over there?
There is to an extent, but the market is more or less flooded. Maybe it's picked up now that the market has had a slight up tick (it was miserable for a while) but the pay and demand are both far lower than it was 10 years ago... and 10 years before that... and 10 years before that. See a pattern?
I've never heard of someone going to someone's home to teach, all of my private lessons have been in a public location and organized by someone else.
I had student's come to me. Some teachers to go student's homes, but generally only for a high paying gig.
I also used to teach in Japan, and for the most part taught my students either individually or in small groups at a local cafe. There were one or two who eventually decided it'd be easier for me to go to them, but these were the exception rather than the rule. And as GaijinPunch already said, they tended to pay more per session too!
What's the deal with teaching English as a second language when you're not qualified to be a teacher/haven't trained to be a teacher? I know there is such a thing, I just don't know how much you can really do and how easy it is to get into. And I wish I was talking about the JET programme, but since I don't have a bachelor's degree (and might never get one, at this point), that's not an option any more.
I'm not sure about private organizations, but on JET it's not a requirement. They do ask is you have any teaching qualifications though, so maybe those who do get preferential treatment. But I think it's a reasonable assumption that if you've graduated university, you must have a strong command of the English language.
Most conversation schools (eikaiwa) don't care about teaching qualifications. In some ways they could be detrimental since it means you have higher expectations about teaching! If you get a job at an eikaiwa they probably give you some simple training, though, so you aren't completely lost. But the job is mostly just chatting to people so a friendly personality is more valuable to the school than teaching qualifications.
Just means you're not qualified to teach the way ESL teachers are. "Teacher" also runs the entire spectrum . For many of these jobs, you're no more than a mouthpiece. On the better end of the spectrum, the student's are so high level they're more or less self-teaching and you're there for practice and to clarify any glaring errors. The stuff in the middle is when it gets rough. I think as a student of a foreign language, you get at least some qualification to help someone learn your native one. Not all teachers in Japan are studying Japanese though.
This exactly. I have ten years experience teaching already, both High School and College. I have the highest possible band on TKT, and native level English since I was a kid. I am a published translator of poetry, academic text and technical text. I teach history of literature in English. I teach English/Spanish scientific research writing. Still, the JET program wouldn't even look at me sideways (and also didn't when I had less experience), because I am a Mexican citizen, and thus, there is just no way that I can somehow teach English. After all, we all speak Spanish, and only Spanish in Mexico, do we not?
Sounds about right, unfortunately. A lot of that is how the clients (in this case, quite likely the parents of kids, or maybe the principal of the school) would react to a citizen of a non-English speaking country be their English teacher. It's all about the bullshit in Japan.
Maybe it depends on the country? In my country there are quite some people working in Japan through the JET program. English is no primary language here (although we're more or less required to take English lessons starting in primary school)
When I was a non-JET ALT back in the day, I worked with quite a few ALTs whose native language was not English. There was a Russian, a few Mexicans, a Brazilian, several from African countries, and more I can't remember. Of course they all spoke English near-natively and were experienced teachers.
Yeaaaah, I don't know I'll be graduating from uni in the near future, unfortunately (long story short, I'm not at uni any more, although I may go back one day), although I plan to go to film school next year, but that's not a degree, sadly. I presume JET don't want me at all in that case. That actually sounds way more interesting, and more like something I could actually do (and get paid for, I assume). But how easy is it to get into, and where do I start looking considering that I'm not in Japan (nor anywhere near fluent in Japanese)? I CAN hold a basic conversation, if that counts. Not a particularly detailed one, but enough to kind of get around. There's only one thing that might be a problem: Is that the same as "cynical, pessimistic and anti-social"? If so, I'm perfect for the job! But seriously, I can be social when I need to be. If it gets me somewhere in life, then sure, that works. Anyway, thanks for the information, everyone. This stuff is really interesting and helpful. I'm just worried that being a foreigner wanting to get into the Japanese film and TV industry might still be very, very difficult but I can try.
