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Robin2657
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 13
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 Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:04 am Post subject: Language House |
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Hello, does anyone know anything about Language House in Shikoku?
Sorry if this is a repeat question...almost sure it is...couldn't find anything in when I did a search on that school.
Thanks so much. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:54 am Post subject: |
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It has a good reputation, I haven't heard anything bad about the place. Paul worked for them, but that was back when the Berlin Wall was still up (sorry, couldn't resist)  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| It has a good reputation, I haven't heard anything bad about the place. Paul worked for them, but that was back when the Berlin Wall was still up (sorry, couldn't resist) |
Cute.....
I worked there in 1987 so my take on the company is not that reliable. I did hear from one girl who got a job with them last year and she seems to be doing OK.
I think a lot depends on where you are sent and what you are doing and how far away from the head school you are. LH sends teachers to work all over Shikoku (Matsuyama Kochi and Niihama) and had teachers live in those cities. mainly they were teaching at big companies. I taught at Otsuka Seiyaku which makes "pocari Sweato".
I was in takamatsu and also went to Tokushima on occasion for one nighters. Got to see a bit of the country side that way.
I cant really tell you what the school is like now but i can tell you about Graham page.
He will set you up in an apartment, lend you money for key money and introduce you to an agent. Takamatsu is fairly small so he wont leave you stranded. There were some posts on the Asian journal that said the office admin can be disorganised so be prepared for that. Graham i found was OK- 25 years or more in Japan, fluent Japanese and big in Rotary in Takamatsu. Quite a well known guy. Can be very temperamental and moody so its best to stay out of his way. Other times he can be great, depends on how he is on the day. he can be quite mean with money but i think thats the way he is, as he has to run a tight ship. he was fairly strict on dress code. Dont know what its like know but some of the women there wore jeans though that was in HO, Guys usually wear business wear to the companies.
Avoid GPs wife Sumie if you get hired. The only Japanese woman i can say I have met I didnt like. Rather stuck up and had a rather haughty attitude to teachers.
If you are living out in the boonies of Kochi or teaching companies a car is a good idea. Some places are hard to get by train and buses are infrequent. Get a small K-car and you are in business. GP will tell you what you will need. When I was there he was exporting cars to New Zealand and he knows all the dealers.
No idea what pay is like there now but i was on a base-level salary and then paid according to how many company contracts i had with companies. I think GP may have teachers on some kind of retainer. If you are good or popular you will get a lot of work. I just lasted one year there and then went to NOVA. During summer it was a lot but i was paying Graham back for my key money etc and travelling around and didnt save much money. Winter the salary plummeted to 100,000 yen a month. You may be on a fixed salary but you have to ask about that. I had more free time during the day so i studied Japanese. Living in Shikoku is a great opportunity to enjoy the culture, learn the language than be stuck inside working at NOVA.
On the whole I enjoyed it, was a great first experience and into to Japan (my first job here in fact) , pay wasnt great but then I was a green newbie, it was 1987 and was not so poilt and indulged like kids are nowadays. I learnt a lot of Japanese then and saw quite a bit of the countryside.
A lot depends on what kind of person you are- there are not many foreigners in Takamatsu and you will stand out like dogs b-lls and its easy to make friends. Im sure Gordon will agree too. Students will take you out and wine and dine you and none of this anti-fraternisation BS.
You really have to be a selfreliant independent person who doesnt need too much handholding and can amuse yourself. there is a alot to do in Shikoku but i think you have to make your own fun, as there are not many foreigners there compared to osaka. Gordon can tell you about the expat crowd but he has a family and maybe doesnt get out as much.
Takamatsu is small and pretty, you may find you have a lot of time on your hands or GP could get you working in the main school in Takamatsu teaching kids, i have no idea. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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| I ran into a lady a month ago who worked at Language House. She said she liked it and thought it was a good job. One great thing about Takamatsu is that there are fewer foreigners and more opportunites to teach privately at higher than average rates. |
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Akula the shark
Joined: 06 Oct 2004
Posts: 103
Location: NZ
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Language house isn't too bad, but it can be pretty disorganised at times. When I was there, teachers were located in Matsuyama, Niihama, Takamatsu and Tokushima, and there may have been a guy in Osaka as well. There may be in house work, particularly if you are in Takamatsu, but if you aren't there, then mostly you will go to companies to teach. With a bit of patience and flexibility it's not a bad place to work. I enjoyed teaching company students (when they actually turned up, they can be often busy with other things, ie business trips, drinking parties, heavy work commitments to come), as they tend to be engineers, scientific researchers, chemists and so on, and they often have interesting things to say about their work, and their fields in general. You may spend a bit of time on the train, or in a car going here and there. Schedules can vary, and sometimes work can be very busy, say if you have a company student soon to go overseas who is taking intensive courses on top of your regular schedule, and sometimes very quiet if a company is taking a break between contracts. I sometimes had days where I had NO classes to teach at all, and I've also had days where I taught about eight hours worth of classes. There is an incentive system, so I did make a little extra sometimes. Shikoku is not a bad place to live, but some people may find it a little boring. PM me if you want more info. |
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Robin2657
Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:04 am Post subject: You guys are great! |
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Thanks so much for all the info...very informative, and helpful.
My best to you all. |
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