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Qualification Advice TEFL, CELTA...
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Pitarou

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Qualification Advice TEFL, CELTA...

rtm wrote:

Pitarou wrote:

I believe that the "traditional" TEFL and CELTA are held in approximately equal esteem by most employers. I think a cheap on-line TEFL course might be considered a pretty good substitute when combined with your other teaching experience.

Just curious, but what do you mean by a '"traditional" TEFL'? To my knowledge, a TEFL (certificate) is any certificate that covers teaching English as a foreign language, including both the CELTA and cheapo online certs.

I kinda' assumed he was referring to a particular course that, very roughly speaking, is the American equivalent to a CELTA.

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly what it's called now.

rtm

Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Qualification Advice TEFL, CELTA...

Pitarou wrote:

I kinda' assumed he was referring to a particular course that, very roughly speaking, is the American equivalent to a CELTA.

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly what it's called now.

SIT TESOL (School for International Training)?

Pitarou

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Qualification Advice TEFL, CELTA...

rtm wrote:

Pitarou wrote:

I kinda' assumed he was referring to a particular course that, very roughly speaking, is the American equivalent to a CELTA.

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly what it's called now.

SIT TESOL (School for International Training)?

Yes. I believe it's the TESOL certificate. I think equivalent courses are offered by various institutions.

If memory serves, it's an eight week intensive course, with assessed teaching practice towards the end.

In comparison, the CELTA and equivalents are shorter, but they throw you into the classroom almost from day one.

Last edited by Pitarou on Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:59 am; edited 1 time in total

CPUESL

Joined: 22 Jan 2014
Posts: 14

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:59 am Post subject:

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Given that it could take up to 8 weeks to process a work visa, is even mid-late March too late to show up and look for jobs in order to get on the April start date train?

Big_H

Joined: 21 Dec 2013
Posts: 115

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:08 am Post subject:

CPUESL wrote:

FluffyHamster and Big_H, thank you both for your help! I visited Japan for two weeks six years ago and I absolutely loved it. Never lived there though. Besides a few pleasantries my Japanese is nonexistent, but I love learning languages so if I were to get an offer I'd start studying up right away.

I'm checking the job listings now on this site now and am considering applying to GABA, although without a TEFL I'm not sure if I'm just spinning my wheels given the (potentially certified) competition.

Fluency in Japanese is rarely requested for any entry level position, but it would help you immerse yourself in the culture and have less "misunderstandings". Two weeks wouldn't make you immune to culture shock but it's a good start. Though if you think that you'd be able to settle in on your own without much trouble and focus your efforts on finding schools, then your chances of finding one will increase. The alternative is to apply from abroad which would give you a lot less hassle to deal with before you arrive. Like I said, it is up to you in the end.

Since you mentioned Gaba, I'll paraphrase a section from the brochure that they send to applicants who pass their initial screening: "While Gaba appreciates applicants with teaching certifications, it also considers the ones without any, because Gaba offers training to all its new instructors to follow its own designed teaching methods". FluffyHamster put it best when they said that having one isn't a flaw, but not a big advantage either (for Gaba specifically). But if your priority is to find any eikaiwa to hire you, then certification is the way go.

Good Luck

Last edited by Big_H on Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:12 pm; edited 2 times in total

Pitarou

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:17 am Post subject:

CPUESL wrote:

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Given that it could take up to 8 weeks to process a work visa, is even mid-late March too late to show up and look for jobs in order to get on the April start date train?

Ah ... I thought you already understood this.

If you get a job just by showing up in Japan, it will almost certainly be with a school that desperately needs someone at short notice. That means they're going to expect you to work for a short time without a visa. Lots of people do it, but it's a huge legal risk. If your employer rapes* you, there's no-one you can complain to. The attitude of the authorities is: "deport first, ask questions later".

-----

* Sadly, my use of the word "rape" was not inappropriate. Japan has an appalling record on forced sexual-exploitation of illegal migrants.

rtm

Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:09 am Post subject:

CPUESL wrote:

Most likely, yes. Most ALT positions will start April 1(ish). If you arrive in mid to late March, that leaves hardly any time for interviewing, getting the job, and then processing all of the paperwork. Like Pitarou said, the only openings (for ALT positions) at that time will be situations where they need someone last-minute -- e.g., someone quit short-notice or the person who they had hired just didn't come (sometimes a sign that the place isn't a good one to work for anyway). That means that at that time, the vast majority of hiring will be finished, and only the outliers will be left. There might be more opportunities for eikaiwa positions (rather than ALT) to start a couple weeks later, as there often isn't as much of a need for them to start at the beginning of the school year.

Pitarou wrote:

* Sadly, my use of the word "rape" was not inappropriate. Japan has an appalling record on forced sexual-exploitation of illegal migrants.

Just to clarify, I don't think Pitarou means that you will risk sexual exploitation if you take an ALT or eikaiwa job while your paperwork is being processed. Those that suffer such exploitation generally aren't English teachers. That said, you would technically be working illegally, and would have no recourse for any breach of contract on your employer's part during that time.

Pitarou

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:34 am Post subject:

rtm wrote:

Thanks for clearing that up.

We've had some real sob stories on this forum. "He kept promising me a visa, but I never got it. And then, just before my tourist visa was about to expire, he suddenly ordered me go back to my country of origin. And he didn't pay me!" It's rare, and you have to be very naive to fall for it completely, but it does happen.

nightsintodreams

Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:17 am Post subject:

To counter this problem, just come over on a working holiday VISA.

Pitarou

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:49 am Post subject:

nightsintodreams wrote:

To counter this problem, just come over on a working holiday VISA.

Does the Immigration Bureau allow people to convert a Working Holiday Visa to a regular work visa?

I ask because, going by what they say on the website, it looks like they may well refuse. Of course, what they say and what they do can be completely different matters.

RM1983

Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:13 am Post subject:

Pitarou wrote:

nightsintodreams wrote:

To counter this problem, just come over on a working holiday VISA.

Yeah that's how I did it

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