Job Discussion Forums

[malcoml]

Oaklandzoo

Yes but remember that many of these directors have been together for years and years. Many went to the same school, wives run in the same social circles and children now attend the same schools. You dont get to the top in Japan by being an overachiever, more likely it is the yes man who agrees to everything and stays in the grey zone.
It sort of reminds me of the movie the Firm, once your there you expected to stay there.
As for the poor performance and then a quiet step down that goes with Japanese culture. They are big on groups so that if a company was to go badly they will rarely point out a particular individual that needs to be blamed, they do everything possible to save face, some of the excuses I have heard.
Very different in western culture where if a company goes bad everyone wants the head of the CEO, he is only partially responsible yet quite often gets the boot and a less qualified individual comes along to take his place.

[Vince]

Eikaiwa have a range of desirability because different groupings of people bring out different behavior patterns and social environments. Likewise, eikaiwa have certain tendencies because for-profit businesses often make rough decisions (some good, some not) in the pursuit of maintaining or increasing the bottom line.

I worked at two eikaiwa. I try not to think about the first (it's almost Twilight Zone weird) and have fond memories of the second.

Eikaiwa is often equated to fast food. You can find differences if you pick the comparison apart, but the general idea is valid. Unless you're using it as income while you do a sojourn in Japan or as a springboard for better teaching opportunities, there's not much reason to consider eikaiwa as a career option. Teachers generally don't have substantial promotion opportunities, and they aren't even expected to stay more than a year or two.

There's also student expectations. Many students want their gaijin as fresh as possible, and they'd rather be entertained than taught. On the other hand, I met students who insisted on chatting with me in Japanese outside of class and were genuinely enthusiastic about my progress in Japan.

It's hard to know what kind of atmosphere you'll walk into when looking at eikaiwa jobs. From overseas, the job ads look impressive (the drop from that expectation to the reality can have a lasting effect). You might have to roll the dice on the first eikaiwa job and be ready to look elsewhere once you get established if the eikaiwa turns out to be one of the horror stories. Once you're in the country, it's easier to network and find a more agreeable job -- which may very well be at another eikaiwa.

[nomadder]

What sort of school do you teach at now and how does it compare to your eikaiwa jobs Vince?

[cjuno]

Thanks Vince for bringing this thread back on topic.
I run a small eikaiwa (actually I hesitate to call it an eikaiwa, as that word carries negative connotations). There are definite differences between the big ones and the smaller run ones.
At my school the focus in on education not edutainment. The students who come expecting a clown gaijin quickly move on to other schools to find what they are looking for. However that doesn't mean we are lacking students. Believe me, there is a market for providing an educational and fun English class.
I have taught at the university level in Japan but I prefer what I am doing now. And I can't tell you how many times I've met university English teachers who couldn't believe that I would choose eikaiwa over university. But I find what I am doing now is more rewarding, even if my income is a bit lower and my vacations a little shorter.
Not all eikaiwas are created equal. There are ones out there that are serious about providing a quality education and that provide an excellent working environment for teachers who are caring and dedicated individuals.
For a list of eikaiwas check out ETJ Member Schools.
http://www.eltnews.com/ETJ/index.shtml
cjuno

[Mark]

cjuno,

I've been looking hard for a school like that for some time now, but I've been completely unable to find one. I know they must be out there, but they're few and far between. At least it seems that way.

There are 2 kinds of schools (like there are 2 kinds of any business). There are schools that have a particular vision of what they want to offer and try to make as much money as possible while maintaining their vision. And there are schools that will do whatever they think will make them the most money.

Most schools belong to the latter category.

There's nothing wrong with Edutainment. If Japanese people are willing to pay money to sit down with an entertaining foreigner and be entertained, then so be it. It's a lot like the host/hostess thing that goes on here. And there's value for the students in doing that. They interact with a native speaker and get valuable English pratice time.

My particular beef with the business here is that the schools basically lie to the students. They have all these charts and graphs showing how their particular method will fantastically improve the students' English and whatnot, but it's all baloney. They're just trying to separate students from their money.

Frankly, it seems like very few people in the business know anything about language acquisition.

The other thing to remember is that most people can do edutainment, but most people can't do education. At least not without training, knowledge and experience. So, I think it would be impossible for a large chain of schools to staff itself with qualified teachers.

[Mark]

Another thing comes to mind. I think it probably boils down to basic differences between large and small schools.

Large schools have a huge infrastructure to support and probably can't be too choosy about the students they accept. But, smaller schools are more able to specialize. Then again, a Japanese friend of mine went to an interview at Berlitz and was told that the school was only looking for serious students. Now, I've never taught at Berlitz so I don't know if it's good or bad (I assume they've updated the method since the 19th century although I don't know), but at least they said something like that which is kind of to their credit.

Look at all the different kinds of students:

1) People who are serious about learning English and have the time and energy to do so.
2) People who can speak English, but don't get any speaking practice outside of class, so they take classes to keep their ability (these people have often lived abroad)
3) People who want foreign friends
4) People who want foreign girlfriends/boyfriends
5) Old people who are bored and want to socialize
6) Housewives who are bored and want to socialize
7) People who have no social life and are essentially buying a friend
8 People who are forced to study by their company
9) People who would like to be able to speak English, but aren't able or willing to put in the required amount of effort.
10) And, of course, the completely insane who take lessons for reasons known only to themselves.

Most schools have all these kinds of students and put them all together in the same class.

So, you get a class with the sleepy salaryman who doesn't want to be there, the Roppongi-going foreigner-hunter, the old woman who finds English class fun and relaxing, and the university student who's serious and thinking about going abroad. It doesn't make for a very good mix.

[saloc]