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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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 Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: Perceptions of teachers in Japan |
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| wbil wrote: |
I'm looking into starting eikawa teaching in Tokyo and wanted to get some perspectives on how the interaction is between teachers and the locals, expats, etc.. Some of the past postings that relate to this seem to say that teachers are somewhat sterotyped as migrant workers, low-skilled workers and such. I'm wondering if this is generally correct and if so, if it hampers the ability to making new connections/friends or just networking in general.
What's the social life like for eikawa teachers? Do they hang out w/ other teachers, coworkers, students? |
Here is an article on teaching professionalism and what Japanese managers at an eikaiwa think of foreigners and vice-versa. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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Howdy Glenski,
How are you sir on this fine hump-day (Wed.)? How is it going at your new position? Don't know if I have had the oppurtunity but I would like to congratulate you on landing your new job? I'd be interested to hear more about it if you would like to pm me.
Regarding the road we have been down before, I think we got off on the wrong foot and I for one would very much like to patch things up between us. I believe I owe you an apology, or two, and I would like to take this oppurtunity to do so now: please accept my apologies for any indiscretions I may have committed in the past.
Having said that, would you care to elaborate on your previous post?
Enjoy,
s |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Sweetsee wrote: |
| I always use folks' names, greet them, thank them, compliment them and nary a nod. |
I think we've been down this road before, Sweetsee. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Like a Rolling Stone wrote: |
P.S  What is hump-day?  |
Wednesday....middle of the working week. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| See what I mean. |
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 4:45 am Post subject: |
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Relax Sweetsee, it's just another day  !
I would say the image of the eikaiwa teachers is low here. Even amongst foreigner teachers, it's low. To be honest, it takes some work to teach a language, often negotiating structures at a lower level of English (teacher talk) to help lower level students practice and understand their target language. A good teacher is always trying to help students to understand, and as PaulH was saying, having a conversation after work with a low level 'want a free lesson' partner is a teacher's idea of paradise.  |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:01 am Post subject: |
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| gaijinalways wrote: |
Relax Sweetsee, it's just another day !
I would say the image of the eikaiwa teachers is low here. Even amongst foreigner teachers, it's low. To be honest, it takes some work to teach a language, often negotiating structures at a lower level of English (teacher talk) to help lower level students practice and understand their target language. A good teacher is always trying to help students to understand, and as PaulH was saying, having a conversation after work with a low level 'want a free lesson' partner is a teacher's idea of paradise. |
I think it can be safely said that average newbie doesnt realise how much he doesnt know about his own language until he has tried to teach it to someone else. 6 months of a language school you have a different appreciation of what language teaching is all about. in most cases the book has done all the hard work for you and all you do is read a script and paint by numbers. Take the teachers book away and he will be completely lost.
teaching English is not rocket science but it takes incredible discipline and patience to sit through lesson after lesson of talking about hobbies, favorite foods, what you did in Golden week and lesson 12 in Level 7 of NOVA for the fiftieth time, as well as trying explain the difference between "at the weekend" and "on the weekend" to low level learners. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 5:52 am Post subject: |
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When I was in GEOS, the ONLY people to EVER refer to me as 'Sensei' were the head office staff, on the telephone.
The students called me by my first name, which was fine, but I don't think they thought of me as 'Sensei'.
Working in a Junior High School is a lot different.
When I would tell people I taught English when I was working at GEOS, they said 'Ahhhh Nova?'.....'No, Geos.....' 'Oh, I see'
Now when I tell people I teach English, and they say 'Ahhhh Nova?....' and I reply, 'No, Chugakou...' .....'Wow!..Really!?'
I don't think that people think of conversation school teachers as 'teachers'. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:13 am Post subject: |
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I can relate to that Willy, you hit the nail on the head. When someone sees my business card they also say, "oh-ahh...sensei desu!" and that is usually the end of it but it feels sort of good. I feel that what they mean is that you must have to take a lot of crap from unruly kids for a living.
P.S. Thanks GA, I hear you. Let me know if we can hit some balls sometime, still looking. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| Willy_In_Japan wrote: |
I don't think that people think of conversation school teachers as 'teachers'. |
I think you average NOVA student is well aware that his 'sensei' at a language school is lacking in the formal qualifications department, they know many 'teachers' are just out of university and are on working holidays and are simply riding on their native ability and "foreign-ness" to get work. Students do talk to each other and are well aware of the academic and educational backgrounds of the foreign teachers.
"Sensei" originally means "master" and was used by people in apprenticeships under people such as tea masters, swordsmiths or ikebana teachers. Nowadays my students at school just call me "Mr H.." (sometimes they drop the Mister part) or "teacher" instead of sensei. |
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kdynamic
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 6:25 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, but on the other hand when you're like me and they ask 'Engurishu teecha?' and I reply what I really do, they go 'Erai naaaa!!' and get sort of scared and run away...  One think eikaiwa teachers have going for them is they are not scary at all and a lot of people are used to meeting them and see them as approachable. When you don't appear Japanese but hit a little close to home, some Japanese people have a tendency to weird out on you.
I think that the question of how eikaiwa teachers are viewed by the Japanese and how they are viewed by other foriegners are two seperate questions. |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 11:19 am Post subject: |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| teaching English is not rocket science but it takes incredible discipline and patience to sit through lesson after lesson of talking about hobbies, favorite foods, what you did in Golden week and lesson 12 in Level 7 of NOVA for the fiftieth time, as well as trying explain the difference between "at the weekend" and "on the weekend" to low level learners. |
That's it in a nutshell. Teaching English for a couple hours a week is cake. I don't care what anyone else says. It is.
However, it's when you get to about hour 20 and yet another supposedly good student is telling you about how she has "ever been to Hawaii" or something equally mind-numbing ... now that's when the EFL teacher starts earning his money.
As kdynamic pointed out, it's often easier to avoid telling people what I do. I used to teach English and that's enough for most of them. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| As a generic answer, I tell people that I work for the city... If they ask more, I say I work for the board of ed. If they press the issue, I tell them I'm an elementary school teacher. Then, some may ask me if I'm an English teacher, which I will then confirm. It's not that I'm ashamed of it or anything, but it just seems like a slightly better resposne than: "I'm an English teacher!" Yeah, you and everyone else, buddy... |
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bornslippy1981
Joined: 02 Aug 2004
Posts: 271
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Paulh wrote:
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| You come here you will get people on the train asking to speak English with you because you are a foreigner. |
Tell me about it. At 4:40 this morning I was on the first train coming home. A younger Japanese fellow sat next to me, and started talking. I got the usual questions, "Can you using chopsticks," and "Do you like sushi?" I also got the same "Ehhh, rearry," when I told him I eat natto twice a day.
Anyway, as we approached his stop, he asked, "So, please tell me, how is my pronunciation?"
I just told him, "It's very good. Keep it up." |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| All-nighter on a Wednesday Slippery? |
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