I get rather a lot of questions from readers interested in working in Japan as a teacher, and I do my best to guide them to useful information, although I haven't been working in the field myself for more than a decade. Teaching ESL is a potentially fun option for people wanting to work for a few years in Japan, as long as you have realistic goals and know what you're getting into. Teaching English in Japan might not be the best long-term career choice, due to ongoing problems with the industry in general, which took a big hit when the large eikaiwa chain Nova imploded last year. One of the most popular choices for teaching in Japan is the Japan English Teacher (JET) program, operated by the government to get native English speakers into the country to teach and also facilitate "grass roots Internationalization" of Japan, and judging from the capacity crowd at the JET panel at Anime Expo, there is a lot of interest among anime fans. Unfortunately, getting accepted into the JET system can be a challenge since there are so many applicants each year, but I'll be happy to give the very few points of advice I can offer. First, there are two types of JET jobs, Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) who do the actual teaching, and Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs), who help guide the program and who need a minimum amount of Japanese. As a rule, I generally recommend people with a deeper interest in Japan to consider trying for the latter job, which will probably contribute more to your understanding of Japan overall, and could help you build kone (KOH-neh, or connections) for the future. There are plenty of alternatives to JET, too: for example, most cities have "sister cities" in Japan, for example our city of Isesaki is has a relationship with Springfield, Missouri, and often there are ALT jobs or exchange study opportunities open through these connections. Increasingly, Japanese school districts will rely on outside companies that take the teacher hiring responsibilities out of the hands of the city, so finding these companies is a good idea to consider for anyone seeking these jobs. Note that there are alternatives to full-fledged teaching in Japan -- for example, the Lion's Club has an International Camp and Youth Exchange Program, which (I hear) often don't have enough applicants. Bottom line, if you want to come to Japan, there is probably a way!
See my other advice for teaching ESL in Japan here.
5 comments:
Don't forget the visa requirements. for people who want to work in Japan. From most countries, you can get a work visa for Japan is you have a 4 year degree and a job offer.
Some countries, like Australia, have working holiday agreements with Japan, so young people without any degree can go visit Japan for a year or so and work while there.
And there are some exceptions to people who have Japanese ancestry that allow them to get visas without a degree.
Beyond that, about the only way would be to go study in Japan (under a student visa) and then work on the side (though you would be hard pressed to make a living out of this).
Yes, forgot to add that. It was getting too long though. I like the idea that young people who want to go to Japan will get serious about university for that reason (as I did ^_^).
Just a couple of minor corrections:
- the "JET" in "JET Program(me)" stands for "Japan Exchange and Teaching," reflecting that participants aren't just teachers. They're supposed to be as much cultural ambassadors as classroom teachers.
- CIRs don't typically help administer the JET Program(me); they usually set up various international relations activities at a local governmental office (like a city hall, say). They might be the person who sets up a sister city exchange, for example, or who meets a foreign dignitary from their home country. The amount of Japanese needed to become a CIR is usually more than "a little." I'd estimate it's JLPT 2.5 or so -- and that would be a pretty steep learning curve.
I lived and worked in Japan as an ALT on the JET Programme for three years, and I gotta say: J-List Side Blog is one of my very favourite blogs. Thanks!
I knew I'd get a bunch of stuff wrong on JET, sorry about that. I was never actually in the program at all, except for filling in for a CIR who bugged out early in his contract. Thanks for the corrections.
I'm pretty sure the visa requirements are only that you get a bachelor's degree of some kind. I certainly hope so anyway! UK bachelor courses are only three-years, so if that requirements are more than that, I'm screwed! (Or I'm on a short trip to a masters)
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