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Get the complete guide to teaching English in Japan Teaching English for a year or two after graduating from university has become as popular as backpacking around Asia or Europe.
There are several programs availabe for new graduates including the JET program and a whole industry of language schools that make it relatively easy for native English speakers with at least a university education to move to Japan for at least a year of work and travel. Requirements Most schools require at least a university degree from a recognized university. This is also a requirement for people to obtain a Working Visa, so in general no deqree equals no visa which means no job. There are some exceptions to this. Some countries have a working holiday visa for young people to visit Japan and find part-time employment while traveling around Japan. It is possible to teach English, but jobs are more of a part-time nature and salary levels are often lower than full-time jobs. It is also possible to work on a spouse visa, but some companies still ask for a university degree. Since there are no specific education or experience requirements to teach English in Japan, most Japanese companies tend to think that people who hold a university degree at least they will, or should have some knowledge of the English language. US and UK citizens are probably in highest demand followed by Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. Japanese have a fairly strong feeling that these country's citizens are the only ones that can teach English. For people from other English speaking countries like India and Phillipines, no matter how good their qualifications are or teaching experience they will always have trouble finding working teaching English in Japan. It is illegal to work in Japan without a proper visa and impossible to find a job from a proper school. Fines are hefty both for the individual and employer. It is possible to come to Japan on a tourist visa, look for work and if you can find a job and your employer is willing to sponser you, you can then switch to a working visa fairly easy. A few years ago it was necessary to leave the country to switch visas but now it is not necessary. Types of Teaching Jobs There are several different types of schools that employ foreigners. They include the following: - Eikaiwa: English conversation schools which are privately run. Size and conditions vary tremondously between schools. - JET: This is a government run program which employs university graduates to work at Japanese high schools as assistant language teachers. See here for more information on the JET program. - Juku: Cram schools: Privately run schools to help junior and senior high school students to pass the difficult university entrance exams. - Company classess: Many companies offer language classes for their employees. These positions are usually part-time. - College and University: University and colleges usually require a higher level of education with at least a masters in ESL or linguistics. - Private Lessons: For people where their schedule doesn't work with Eikaiwa schools or prefer to have one on one lessons, private lessons are popular. There are many agencies which help organize teachers with students or teachers can advertise their services. Lanaguage Schools Here are some links to eikaiwa language schools in Japan: Berlitz - teach.berlitz.co.jp Shane - www.saxoncourt.com GABA - www.gaba1to1english.com |
