Job Discussion Forums

[still_lookin]

Does anyone know if there are opportunities to teach other subjects in english in Japan? Personally I have a math background, but if anyone has advice on other subjects I would welcome the info.

Are there any companies that hire english speaking math teachers? I have talked with a friend that taught in Korea and he only knew of one guy that taught math but he was fluent in their language. He said that that was a rare case and it would probably be impossible to set that up without being in the country.

Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks.

[Glenski]

Very few places like high schools teach other subjects in English. Some SELHis do, but they are very rare.

International schools would be the way to go, but you may actually need more than just a "background" in the field to be hired there to teach it.

[PAULH]

You need a Japanese teaching licence as well as a degree if you want to teach any subject other than English in a Japanese school, and I think language would be your biggest hurdle. International schools require a teaching certificate from your home country, certifiable experience teaching the subject and a degree.

I know one school in Shizuoka that is a Japanese public elementary school and high school that has an immersion program- most of the school subjects follow the Monbusho curriculum and textbooks (translated) but are taught in English by English native speakers. Take a look at katoh Gakuken in Numazu, Shizuoka. All the foreign teachers are Monbusho licenced though.

[ntropy]

What PAULH said.

At a JHS I taught at in Japan the Principal gave me an entire class for a full month when the Japanese teacher had a nervous breakdown. Without a J. teaching licence it was highly illegal and he was taking a big risk if anything ever went wrong.

He also had me go in and do Social Studies classes about my country (conducted in Japanese) which was a nice change.

[denise]

There's a Japanese-run American high school out here (Niigata-ken)--native English speaking teachers and Japanese teachers teach "normal" academic subjects.

d

[Nagoyaguy]

Hello;

Any idea how to actually get a Japanese teaching licence?

I live here now and am finishing my M.Ed by distance education, but would love to add a quote unquote real teaching certification to my arsenal as well.

Any experience and advice would be appreciated. IF it matters, my original B.A. is in History. My Japanese level is pretty good, but I am a slacker about reading kanji. Daily life and school affairs are no problem, though.

Thanks in advance all!

[Celeste]

As far as I know, there are no non-traditional routes to a teaching certificate in Japan. I think one reason for this is there is currently a lot of competition among new education graduates for fewer and fewer full time teaching positions. (Just like everywhere else in the industrialised world, the birthrate is low and the babyboomers are not ready to retire.)

[PAULH]

[Glenski]