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booty
Joined: 22 Aug 2004
Posts: 94
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 Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:58 am Post subject: What are the best schools to work for in Japan? |
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I am currently in Poland, but I am thinking of going to Japan next year. However, I have heard there are many 'cowboy' outfits which rip westerners off. What schools are a safe bet?
What places should I consider when teaching in Japan?
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: What are the best schools to work for in Japan? |
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| booty wrote: |
I am currently in Poland, but I am thinking of going to Japan next year. However, I have heard there are many 'cowboy' outfits which rip westerners off. What schools are a safe bet?
What places should I consider when teaching in Japan?
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Booty,
there are no schools that are a 'safe bet' though there are some that are better than others. Bigger isnt always better though the bigger schools it is easier to get jobs with if you are living out of the country. Do you want to get a job before or after you arrive here?
There are cowboy outfits, but they usually employ people who dont bother to read the contract, are desperate for a job or money, or too trusting of their employers. If you read the contract, ask veteran teachers what they know about the school, talk to current teachers, and know what you are getting into you wont have any problems. Employers here have to abide by the Labor Standards Law which means they have to offer minimum conditions, and they can not 'rip you off' unless you let them. Moreover, teacher unions are very strong here and even the big corporate schools have to toe the union line and obey the relevant statutes.
Some of the company rules you may not like much or be used to, but as long as they are within the law, the company can do what it likes, within reason.
No one can tell you which school is best without knowing your qualifications and experience, what you are looking for, who you want to teach, and where you want to live. Do you want to work at a conversation school? Teach kids or adults? Live in the city or country? What sort of employer or job are you looking for? Do you have a university degree and are you a native speaker? When do you want to arrive here? |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't think Japan has any more "cowboy outfits" than many other countries. Korea has its fair share, trust me. Generally, you are better off with a Japanese school than most other places in Asia. At least there are labour regulations here. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| I don't think Japan has any more "cowboy outfits" than many other countries. Korea has its fair share, trust me. Generally, you are better off with a Japanese school than most other places in Asia. At least there are labour regulations here. |
Places to avoid like the plague:
Smith's English school ('nuf said)
Lingo School in Takamatsu
Boehme Academy in Aichi. (violent owner)
Any dispatch company
Schools with dodgy reputations:
GABA
Interac
Zenken/Ziac]
Wisdom 21 in Osaka
NOVA
Westgate corporation
'Average' to middling schools (but not stain-free)
ECC
Berlitz
GEOS
'Better' schools
James English School (Tohoku)
AEON |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:47 am Post subject: |
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Hi Paul,
Why not dispatch companies? |
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spidey
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Web-slinging over Japan...
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:52 am Post subject: |
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AEON?? Better school??
Please explain.
S |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:12 am Post subject: |
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Hi Spidey,
I saw Spiderman 2 while riding on a bus from Kenting to Kaochung in Taiwan over the break. Pretty cool. I liked the villian!
In the FWIW file, I had a pretty decent lesson today with the gang. I just let them be and at the end of the lesson I slapped down 5 tokens each to the 2 girls who did the work.
Can't wait for the term to end and get started on the right foot next year.
Enjoy yourself,
s |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| spidey wrote: |
AEON?? Better school??
Please explain.
S |
Probably the same as most of the other language schools re salary etc but if I were asked to rank the big 4 from best to worst I would put AEON near the top. Seems to attract less brickbats and negative feedback than the other schools.
Agreed? |
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spidey
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Web-slinging over Japan...
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| spidey wrote: |
AEON?? Better school??
Please explain.
S |
Probably the same as most of the other language schools re salary etc but if I were asked to rank the big 4 from best to worst I would put AEON near the top. Seems to attract less brickbats and negative feedback than the other schools.
Agreed? |
Agreed.
However, with only 4, they would all tend to be near the top. You would probably get a different ranking with each person you ask.
Don't you think?
S |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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zorro (2)
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 47
Location: Newcastle, England
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| Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| not sure that westgate has a dodgy reputation but some people on this forum don't like it. |
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