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taikibansei
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Vince wrote: |
| After a year and a half back in the US, I too am about to start looking for a teaching job in Japan so my J-wife can go back. I'm still working on the MA and am far from fluent in Japanese, so my search will take longer. But with six years of solid teaching experience, I expect to find something worthwhile that will at least hold me over until I finish the MA and improve my Japanese. |
Vince, a few suggestions from someone who has now made this move three times. Also, these suggestions assume you'll want a university position, which would be my recommendation.
First, finish that degree before going back. If you concentrate, you should be able to finish an MA in two years--and you're what, already at least a year into it? For the better jobs, an MA is the minimum qualification now...so just get it done.
Second, are you currently teaching at the university-level in the States? The "wonderful" things about US graduate programs are the many part-time "teaching opportunities" (read "slave exploitation") you can find there. Yes, you'll not be paid very much, but trust me, that experience on your CV is absolutely critical to getting a university job in Japan nowadays. You already have six years of general teaching experience, but to be able to write, "I'm currently teaching at **** University" is a huge plus.
Third, try to get at least 1 significant publication and 2-3 presentations under your belt. Most university jobs ask for more (usually 3) publications, but as long as you have at least 1 good one (not to mention the required degrees and teaching experience), your lack of publications won't hurt you too much.
Fourth, you'll be applying to different positions than me, so don't worry too much about your Japanese ability. However, more than general speaking prowess, the ability to read with fluency and use the polite registers correctly should be your ultimate goals. I.e., there are many foreign faculty with impressive oral fluency but who can neither read nor use keigo--learn to do the latter, and you'll become eligible for a greater variety of jobs..
Fifth, when you're ready to send out applications, use the Chronicle and THES websites.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/100/
http://www.thes.co.uk/
Most of the Japan-related jobs are posted from April to September.
While also quite good, the TLT and JREC-IN job lists really just target those already in Japan, which won't help if you are not. You may also want to check and see if either your undergraduate or graduate university has an active exchange program running with a university in Japan. A lot of times, you can by-pass the normal hiring process if such relationships are already in place.
Hope some of this both makes sense and is helpful. Oh, and good luck!  |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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I was just re-reading this thread and came across this post which I had missed before.
| taikibansei wrote: |
That said, the "prima donna" factor at the places I've worked/will work has been huge, the resentments very real.
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I experienced this resentment at the Mexican universities I worked at as well. And I have to say that there are some very real reasons behind it. At my current job I don't feel that there is any overt prejudice against foreigners but there are occasaionally some feelings of resentment since it is simply a fact that the foreign members of staff do not put in the same kind of insane hours as the Japanese members of staff.
For example, none of my Japanese colleagues would consider taking a trip of longer than about 10 days even during the long "winter break" between the end of Jan. and the beginning of April. Meetings are regularly scheduled throughout this entire time and if one attended every schedules meeting, no matter how pointless, it would be difficult to find even a single week free. Foreign teachers tend to view non-teaching time as "vacation."
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| Indeed, I had to fight to get the contract foreign staff invited to the darn meetings (where their teaching schedules and even fates were often decided) in the first place |
I can understand a resistence to having contract staff attend department meetings. We have frequently had to make very hard decisions, and had to be able to speak very frankly about contract positions and I think this would have been impossible if they had been at the meetings. Since there really is no "higher authority" responsible for hiring at our university, we are essentially making the live or die decisions ourselves. I also have to say that our experience with contract staff has been very hit and miss. Some people we would have liked to have kept on forever, others have been nightmares from the very beginning and we were very glad to have an official pretext to get rid of them. I remember one guy having a temper tandrum in my office claiming that he had a right to continue in the job because he had a J-wife and "paid taxes" that the rest of "you foreigners" didn't and that he planned to "bring this university down." I'll also just throw out here the a greater percentage of the "problem people" were local (gaijin) hires.
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| the feeling among Japanese staff was that if you could not contribute in Japanese, you were not contributing--moreover, had nothing to contribute at all. |
I do occasionally get the feeling that people just stop listening as soon as someone starts speaking in English. But then there often seems to be that same feeling even when people are speaking in Japanese. I'm endlessly amazed that people will just stand up in the middle of someone's talk and wander off to the other side of the room for coffee and even conversation.
But even more than the feeling that contributions in English are unwelcome is the feeling that the SORTS of contributions that non-Japanese staff members end up making are irrelevant. For example, I'll want to talk about putting in place a formal monitoring system for guiding graduate students through the difficult process of writing a thesis in English and the Japanese members of staff only want to talk about how a particular student who has extremely limited English skills should be advised on how to complete his thesis which is due in a month and which is currently only 70% complete in Japanese. What I hear again and again is "This is not the right time to talk about that." And of course the "right time" never comes.
Or the non-Japanese members of staff want to talk about curriculum issues such as the sequencing of courses, course syllabi, the need for a pre-requisite system (you know, "logical stuff"), and the Japanese staff are only interested in lengthy discussions about the "spirit" of the new curriculum ("putting the eyes on the dragon").
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Of course, one unfortunate result of acquiring greater fluency is that you actually understand the sheer banality of most discussion in those meetings. E.g., I vividly remember a kyoujukai where, for four long hours, we debated the proper color of the new parking decals....  |
Long ago I realized that my sense of frustration at meetings would not be decreased on iota by the ability of fully comprehend what people were saying. The important matters routinely get dealt with in the most cursory, superficial way while petty matters can become the subject of prolonged and bitterly contested battles of will.
Add to this that the language of meetings is often larded with bizarre Japanese edu-speak and linked to inscrutable university politics (and long-standing personal vendettas) and you have a situation where just knowing Japanese is virtually useless.
I have developed the art of sitting in stoic stony (sumo-like) silence during most meetings to a high level. There was a time where I thought I was going to die of bordom during a three hour meeting. Now I can zen meditate through 4 or 5 hours no problem. I also no longer think of meetings as places where anything significant will be decided. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:12 am Post subject: |
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At my university, foreign teachers are only on contracts, never tenure and contracts are renewable. So in essence, you could be here 30 years if you wanted, as long as you didn't rock the boat. Of course, it is a stick to keep you inline and they could dismiss you at any time (which has happened).
We (FT) do not attend meetings nor do we have any say on what types of courses are taught. Very surreal. There is a huge division between the Japanese and foreign teachers, as they resent the fact we are not part of the team, but then they won't let us either. We resent the fact we have no say and no bonus  I would like to be more involved, but have been refused every time I make any suggestions. I have given up after 4 years. Fortunately, we can teach the courses any way we like, any book and any test. There is no standardization. I don't know if other unis are like this, I suspect not many from those I have talked to, but not so different either, in repsect to the us and them division that goes on. |
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guest of Japan
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 1601
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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This is in response to Taiki and Abu from the bottom of page two. Thank you both for some additional food for thought. Of course there is a logical basis for my negativity, and that's what forms part of the foundation for my desire to return to America. However, the negativity has gone beyond that. Suddenly I find myself constantly saying "There is another example!" What's worse is that my temper seems to be constantly boiling near the surface and insignificant things bring out pent up viciousness at times. Most of it I hold in my head, though some of it manages its way to my wifes ears.
Perhaps I am suffering from "short-timers syndrome".
I harbor no romantic expectations for the US either. There are a lot of challenges in front of me. It seems to me that the level of success one can have in a foreign country is analogous to the level of success one reaches in his native land. (With Exceptions) Therefore, it is in my best interest to endure any hardships and letdowns that may occur in the US as a speedy return to Japan will not pay extra dividends. |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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| guest of Japan wrote: |
| Suddenly I find myself constantly saying "There is another example!" What's worse is that my temper seems to be constantly boiling near the surface and insignificant things bring out pent up viciousness at times. Most of it I hold in my head, though some of it manages its way to my wifes ears. |
Sure sounds like "short timer's" to me! I used to hang out with a guy who had such an extreme case of short timer's syndrome that he actually ended up robbing a Japanese convenience store with an antique Civil War pistol that he had smuggled through customs in pieces. He fired a shot from this ball and cartridge antique into the ceiling -- all in full view of the security cameras. He is now serving a 13 year sentence for armed robbery in a Japanese prison. Talk about tailored hells!
He just got more and more negative and short tempered every time I spoke with him and I had been suggesting for months that he just needed to pack his bags and go home immediately. Granted this is an extreme case but it does highlight a known problem of expat life. |
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