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Meesh
Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:10 am Post subject: Life with Westgate? |
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I'd appreciate any reflections about life teaching academy / university for Westgate Corporation and living in their accomodation. I have already read as many threads as can be keyword searched at Dave's, but there are still many questions in my mind.
For example...What sort of teaching methods do they want us to use?What type of teaching materials should I bring (e.g. for adults)?
Do I have to pay rent to Westgate upon arrival in Japan, or once I have been paid for my teaching? When do I get my first paycheque?
If I happen to get sick, could I make up the time missed after my ordinary 3-month term finishes, or do I need to work double-time as soon as I get back from illness?
Thank-you so much for any information you would like to give. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:54 am Post subject: Re: Life with Westgate? |
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| Meesh wrote: |
| For example...What sort of teaching methods do they want us to use?What type of teaching materials should I bring (e.g. for adults)? |
Teaching methods tend to be communicative i.e where you are paid to get students talking during the lesson. Its essentially the same as if you were teaching at NOVA or GEOS where you have a textbook and you do practical speaking drills aimed at mastering a particular grammar point. Students mainly just need speaking practice more than anything else.
| Quote: |
| If I happen to get sick, could I make up the time missed after my ordinary 3-month term finishes, or do I need to work double-time as soon as I get back from illness? |
There are no official sick days in japan and you work even while sick. If you take the day off (if they let you) you wont get paid for it. Teachers work with colds, hangovers and unless you have an 80 degree temperature and vomiting you go to work. You can not make up classes as the school has to find a replacement and students still need a lesson. The secret is just DON'T get sick. |
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Ai
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
Posts: 154
Location: Chile
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 4:56 am Post subject: |
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Quote:
If I happen to get sick, could I make up the time missed after my ordinary 3-month term finishes, or do I need to work double-time as soon as I get back from illness?
There are no official sick days in japan and you work even while sick. If you take the day off (if they let you) you wont get paid for it. Teachers work with colds, hangovers and unless you have an 80 degree temperature and vomiting you go to work. You can not make up classes as the school has to find a replacement and students still need a lesson. The secret is just DON'T get sick. |
I'm not at Westgate but at my eikaiwa I do get a limited amount of paid sick days (5). But if we don't get sick we can use them as personal days. So I would agree with the 'don't get sick' idea. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| Ai wrote: |
| I'm not at Westgate but at my eikaiwa I do get a limited amount of paid sick days (5). But if we don't get sick we can use them as personal days. So I would agree with the 'don't get sick' idea. |
In a majority of cases you can only get paid days off after you have been working there 6 months. pretty much impossible on a 3-month contract to take paid days off at Westgate. |
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Brooks
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| they have a formula of the way you are supposed to teach, but it gets tedious after you do it day after day. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Do I have to pay rent to Westgate upon arrival in Japan, or once I have been paid for my teaching? When do I get my first paycheque? |
These are legitimate enough to ask Westgate directly. |
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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:38 pm Post subject: Re: Life with Westgate? |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| Teaching methods tend to be communicative i.e where you are paid to get students talking during the lesson. Its essentially the same as if you were teaching at NOVA or GEOS where you have a textbook and you do practical speaking drills aimed at mastering a particular grammar point. |
What passes for Communicative teaching in Japan is Audio-Lingual method in the rest of the world.
CLT has yet to make it into most eikaiwas forty years after it was introduced. |
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