Job Discussion Forums

[jo3box3r]

Hi - just have a couple questions. I am just looking mostly to teach under the table or how ever. just go be able to live somewhat comfortaly in japan. I am not realy looking to become rich just live comfortly. I main focus right now is martial arts and my training career. I would love to become part of Japans fighting organization. Any ideas on how i can make this happen? I have TESOL and lots of other CERTs. but no University degree..

[Glenski]

Get a proper visa to study, and you can slip in any teaching you want on the side. Try doing it without a visa, and you risk fines, jail, deportation, and being blacklisted from returning fro 5-10 years.

Getting private lessons is not as easy as it sounds, tho. You need contacts. Keeping them depends on your teaching skills and business plan.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I usually don't attack people's spelling or grammar on forums, but if you are seriously serious in teaching English, the first thing you should try and do is at least learn how to write properly.

Glenski wrote:

[JimDunlop2]

Great Wall: I'm sure your alias is indicative of your reply, but I really don't know if you have something against jo3box3r or something. To point out that his grammar and spelling were poor is one thing, but to belabor the point the way you did? I'm sure he was looking for a reply to a legitimate question, not to face the wrath of a Grammar Nazi.

I don't wish to start a flame war.... I'm sorry, but I just saw that reply as rather harsh considering the question was a legitimate one.

P.S. As I have nothing to contribute in the way of advise to jo3box3r, let me just say that Glenski's response was a very a good one.

Cheers.

[Synne]

Dear jo3box3r

Going to Japan and finding people who are willing to pay you to teach them is not as easy as I think you believe it to be.

As Glenski said it will largely depend on your skills as an English teacher. I would suggest you get a degree or look into companies that will hire you on a working holiday visa.

Do you have any teaching experience with your martial arts?

[Dr.J]

You need only minimal teaching abilities and to be a native speaker of English to land a teaching job in Japan. A visa is essential, and having blue eyes and blond hair also helps.

I'm worried many Japanese will not be willing to learn English from someone who doesn't look the 'native speaker' part.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

JimDunlop2:

Yeah it was pretty rotten of me to pick his post to pieces like that. But I did what I did and I stand by it.

Why?

There are too many uneducated "teachers" coming to Asia who cannot spell, cannot use proper use of the English vernacular, and then making a mockery of something that I take very seriously: Education.

Do you have any idea how many times I have had to "re-teach" students on their spelling and grammar?

One student was adamant that "dawg" is a proper word used in replace of "friend".

And when Asian countries further pull in their belts when it comes to allowing us westerners to come and teach English, who gets the slack end of it?

"We have so many bad, non-educated teachers coming and teaching English. We must stop it. We are taking away the working holiday visa program."

When this day happens, I will point my finger directly at jo3box3r
and say, "Thank-you for taking an opportunity away from my daughter."

Imagine a someone who knows a great deal about fixing cars suddenly saying "I want to work for Boeing for a year because I want to check out Seattle!"

Or, "I want to be a doctor in the bushes of Africa for a year because I grew up watching General Hospital and ER!"

It's the same thing.

It's nothing personal, jo3box3r. It's business. And education is my business. And so is raising my daughter.

Bye bye.

[Timuli]

jo3box3r - Although a degree is a basic requirement, I've heard people say that it isn't needed if you have TESOL qualifications and have already been teaching EFL for about 3 years. Can somebody back me up on this? I'm not positive of the details.

As for the martial arts, what you looking for? What kind of "fighting"? Tthe main reason I came to Japan(apart from teaching) is to become a pro fighter. So if you're looking into MMA(Pride/Shooto/Pancrase/...)/Shootboxing/Muay Thai or related, let me know. If you're looking for traditional styles then can't help you there. sorry.

What you can maybe try is come over on a "cultural" visa. Have a few friends who are training in martial arts on that. They teach during the day and train in the evenings. Main thing is to get yourself here.

Great wall - the guy said he does have teaching qualifications. So at least he went out and got something in the relevant field, not like most who come on a degree totally unrelated to teaching. So he made some miostakes on an internet forum. Big whoop. He isn't writing a thesis on english grammar.

[canuck]

Under the table is sketchy. Get a working holiday visa, a cultural visa to study or something like that. A working holiday is your best bet.